Top Web Development Trends and Techniques in 2022

As of now, all developer views are focused on the future app and web development trends that will become popular in 2022. Their use will help to make not only the most functional site, but will also contribute to its promotion in the search engine.

What is web development and what stages of work does it involve?

Web development is a defined procedure in the IT field that focuses on the creation of websites and applications. It includes the following steps:

• the layout of service pages;
• programming on the client's server or third-party version;
• configuration development.

These are just general concepts from which a more in-depth model of work can be distinguished. It will consist of a series of steps that are applied by all website development specialists:

• design of the site itself and preparation of technical specifications;
• selection of the concept, taking into account the customer's requirements and subject matter;
• design development;
• creation of a preliminary layout of pages;
• production of multimedia elements;
• layout;
• development and implementation of software and integration of tools into the existing management system;
• placement and optimization of the page for its purpose;
• adding text and graphic content;
• testing and correcting errors if necessary;
• launching the project on public platforms on the Internet;
• carrying out further work on filling and maintaining the site in working order.

Based on these data, I concluded that all these works are not necessarily performed by the developers. They can be changed, combined into one group, or not used at all. It all depends on what kind of task the programmer faces. Also, all these works are impossible without the use of special techniques and trends in page design.

What tools will be popular in 2022 in website development?

The web development trends 2022 directly depend on the needs of users and their preferences. Developers are directly related to these factors and select tools for creation based on this data. Based on trends in the development and use of tools, I came to the conclusion that some of the methods will carry over from this year, as they have not lost their relevance. Therefore, a number of main trends can be defined.

Using chatbots and artificial intelligence for communication

The use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) is not only an opportunity to promote the page, but also to expand its optionality. With its help, you can solve a number of tasks:

• creation of virtual assistants who will communicate with visitors;
• conducting and collecting analytical data necessary to improve and promote the portal;
• the ability to use chatbots to solve basic issues.

It is estimated that by early 2022, this technology will be included in 70 percent of portals, which will help users get the information they need quickly. This is due to the fact that AI can conduct self-training based on user requests and data. Already to this date, the use of this technology is growing in an algebraic progression, and by the end of the year, its indicators will increase by 30 percent.

Chatbots will communicate with customers, answer their questions and help navigate the page. This engagement will ensure a high site ranking and simplify the user experience.

Most often I see this technology on portals of banks, medical institutions, online stores, government agencies and in other industries where the level of customer orientation is high. This is due to the fact that the chat operator cannot always answer questions, and the bot works around the clock and seven days a week.

Another expected website development trend of the coming year is the possibility of organizing payments through bot systems.

Using PWA and AMP apps

PWA are progressive web applications that allow you to view content using a mobile browser and adapting to the size of the phone. At the same time, the page loading speed remains as high as on a stationary computer. This makes it possible to get more convenience from using the service.

A large number of large companies use this particular technique, which gives them the opportunity to attract more users and expand their customer base. These include applications like Uber, Pinterest, Aviasales, Instаgram and many others.

The use of PWA applications allows you to get a number of undeniable advantages:

• comfortable and fast viewing of content via a mobile device;
• receiving same information about the user experience, regardless of the device;
• reducing the duration of the development process.

Also, such pages are determined by search engines, which allows them to be found during normal surfing.

AMP is an alternative to the previous version. It makes it possible to speed up page loading in comparison with HTML options. It is also great for using animation and video content, since it does not overload when activated.

Using voice navigation and control

The fast pace of our life does not give users the opportunity to make a long search and a set of necessary queries to find information. The presence of voice control will reduce this process to a minimum.

After reviewing the analytics data, I was convinced that more than 30% of people use voice control every month. This data may indicate a significant growth and demand for this tool.

This opportunity is actively used by such IT giants as Google, Yandex and many other search engines. Also, all activities of the Smart Home and home assistants are aimed at voice control.

Therefore, you shouldn't be surprised that sites or applications will also start using this feature. This popularity is due to the fact that a large percentage of gadgets have active access to this function, and users do not miss the opportunity to try it out.

Using WebAssembly technology

In web development, most applications are written using JavaScript. However, if the portal has large and full-fledged calculations, this affects the speed of work. Lags lead to low user experience and prevent the project from moving forward.

WebAssembly is used to resolve this issue. This technology makes it possible to write code using any programming language. It compiles into bytecode, which is subsequently launched using the browser.

Using this method makes it possible to obtain a number of undeniable advantages:

• freedom of choice of  programming language;
• exclusion of the use of equipment of a certain type;
• the speed of entering the code;
• high level of security of the application or portal.

With WebAssembly, we'll get faster speed for compute-heavy applications and a better overall user experience.

Working with serverless architecture

The use of such technologies ensures that there is no overload, eliminates data loss or disabling the project. Therefore, all calculations are carried out on cloud resources, which makes it possible to completely replace standard servers. This use gives web developers a number of benefits:

• to reduce the budget for the creation of projects and its further technical support;
• create a more solid structure for the application;
• make the service more flexible and adaptable.

Most often, this technology is used when solving problems related to sending and receiving notifications, makes it possible to download backup copies of important files, export various objects.

Using one-pagers or SPA

Simplifying site navigation enables developers to place one kind of information on a particular page. This provides users with comfort in working with sites and the ability to search for the required data source.

Most often, the concept of SPA is used by online stores to create information blogs, product cards and catalogs. It is also used by news services to differentiate between news. This design methodology helps to achieve key benefits:

• lack of complex navigation or a large menu;
• the ability to quickly and efficiently familiarize users with the content of the site;
• design of SPA sites is better adapted for mobile devices.

The use of this concept is due to the ability to completely load all content via JavaScript and avoid reloading. This allows faster work with the service.

Applying horizontal scrolling

The appearance of smartphones has added the ability for web developers to adapt pages for horizontal scrolling. This is due to the fact that not all elements can be displayed due to the small size of the gadget screen.

Such scrolling will allow you to place content on the page sequentially, thus excluding the addition of a large number of categories and catalogs. Also, this approach allows you to apply UI Trends (novelties in the user interface).

This method will attract users with its uniqueness and ease of use of the portal on mobile browsers.

Using the TypeScript programming language

Web developers are looking for different methods and techniques not only to improve the user experience of a page, but also to simplify the workflow. The TypeScript programming language was developed to fix some bugs in JavaScript. The use and popularization of this language happened quite recently, so this trend will calmly move into 2022.

Programmers use TypeScript to build the front end. This is due to a number of key features:

• ease of understanding the code;
• increased speed of project implementation;
• the presence of a reduced number of errors;
• elimination of time consuming for revision;
• minimal stereotypeness.

Despite a large amount of controversy about how effective this language is, it is increasingly used to create an external interface.

After analyzing all this data, my colleagues and I came to the conclusion that web development 2022 will be directed towards minimalism and maximum simplification of not only the work of programmers but also the user interface.

Design Trends in 2022 in Web Site and App Development

No matter how much I studied the topic of web development, it cannot be separated from the external design of portals. First of all, we pay attention to the user interface, which encourages us to return to this or that page.

Software and technical developers are directly related to designers. This is due to the fact that you first need to come up with and develop a general concept of the site and its content, and then equip it with various options and functions. This symbiosis allowed me to highlight trends in website design that will be actively used in 2022.

Elements of 3D and augmented reality (AR)

Increasingly, I come across information on the Internet about the implementation and active participation in the procedure for promoting voxels. They allow you to make the appearance of the content more lively and optimized.

To maximize the implementation of 3D elements, it is necessary to use small frameworks. This will make it possible to exclude portal overload and make the page opening as fast as possible. This design will make it possible to highlight the most important components and information blocks.

Augmented reality (AR) began to be actively developed last year. It is closely tackled by such an IT giant as Apple. They began with the presentation of new glasses for creating virtual and augmented reality and are gradually introducing chips into their gadgets that will help them better navigate in space and make the imposition of virtual images on real ones more believable.

I have noticed more than once that AR technology is already actively used by some sites and large brands. With its help, they provide an opportunity to conduct online fitting of shoes or clothes. Also, some stores offer this way to choose finishing materials. This greatly simplifies online shopping and increases the ranking of sites.

The use of minimalism in the design

Since, due to the quarantine situation around the world, most of the people have switched to remote work, the developers are trying to minimize the number of additional elements in the design.

While surfing various sites, I have often noticed that a number of common elements are more often used for design:

• block shapes or designs have become more geometric;
• clear lines appeared;
• in most cases, monochrome design is used;
• with the help of a different color spectrum, important elements are highlighted;
• there are practically no decorative inserts that do not carry a functional and semantic load.

Such projects receive a higher rating and user experience in comparison with other types of pages.

Applying video reviews or slide designs

I believe that visualization gives us the ability to quickly get the information we need in a short time. Naturally, no one canceled the text content, but I began to notice more and more that the key points of the portal can be studied interactively. This design will allow you to get a number of advantages:

• optimization of the portal for various situations;
• quick access to information;
• the possibility of visual study of the material;
• the presence of practical examples of the given data.

Watching the video will be most convenient for those people who are often on the go. It is not always convenient to read the text in crowded transport. For example, I will not refuse to watch a small thematic video when searching for the necessary information.

The presence of an asymmetric arrangement of blocks and inscriptions

Until recently, we noted the use of symmetrically located information blocks or headers. This is so commonplace that users stopped paying attention to it. Developers are trying to move away from the usual vision of the site or application and place data in a relatively chaotic manner.

This move allows not only to attract our attention, but also to bring the main information for viewing to the central plan.

I have often seen this on various websites of online stores of clothing, footwear, equipment and other goods. Now this principle is actively intercepted by other areas.

I believe that the main criterion for the correct location of asymmetric blocks is careful thought and planning. Don't confuse chaos and confusion with neat asymmetry.

Using the parallax effect

VR (virtual reality) technologies are increasingly used in technology and design. Parallax is a three-dimensional image in which the background and additional elements move at different speeds.

This design gives the page a lively and interactive feel. These can be images of a different nature:

• elements related to the activities of the company;
• types of products that are sold on the site;
• visualization of design possibilities for advertising companies.

No page visitor will miss such an effect. Its presence will make the page as attractive and interesting as possible.

Glassmorphism usage in web development

It is a brand-new movement in visual art that will undoubtedly become popular in 2022. Essential Features of glassmorphism.

1. Transparency (the background is vague, it looks like a ground glass).
2. Foreground objects float on the screen. 
3. Bright and saturated colors of the background stand out and shine through the transparent background.

In general, it is not a new trend. The very first examples of glassmorphism appeared in 2013 on iOS7. The users appreciated glassmorphism, and now UX designers try to use it wherever possible. The combination of transparency, blur, and motion might make the page elements look like real glass.

This visual style can be used for separate elements design of an application. It may help to create a unique background that will become the template for the website. Logos, illustrations, and entire pages look lit if done in glassmorphism.

The key concepts are diffusion, reflection, and shadows, which create a visual illusion. Glass effect, with slight motion, immediately adds three dimensions.  Diffusing that ground glass creates on an image might add transparency to your design without creating any visual disorder.

Art deco integration

As history tends to repeat, the styles of the 20th of the previous century come back to us. Artdeco perfectly fits various geometrical ornaments that have been trendy for several years now. However, the first thing coming to mind is art deco, which now can become a superb combination of posh underground places like cafés and bars and wedding invites in the style of Great Gatsby. Together, it can create a beautiful, minimalistic design for a webpage.

The trends of 2022 are inspired by clean, curved lines and repetitive graphic forms of art deco illustrations and architecture. These elements can inspire one to create beautiful logos, fonts, and illustrations. Understanding the philosophy of the art deco movement might help to create a compelling and stylish design.

Art deco combines the elements of the natural world with the modern machine era. Strict lines, symmetry, simplicity, and steady repetition of elements. Look how the shape and forms of these wings became the ornaments of the Chrysler building, which is a classic example of art deco.

This style also often uses humane figures. Clean, curved lines, oval faces, attention to detail, exaggerated proportions are all the features of this art style. Perhaps, the new type of modernistic design, like the illustration of Rodolfo Reyes shown below, could become an updated version of using art deco in web design.

Large-scale typography

Typography of uncommon sizes is a fresh and exciting trend in modern design. Scaling the words to a specific size makes it a graphical element rather than just a part of the text. It is a universal technique that can be effectively used in both minimalistic and minimalist design; it fists various styles. 

On this website, created by Daniel Spatzek, you can view the film portfolio of Eva Habermann. Big-sized text is overlaying the moving element of the portfolio. The text partially blocks the image, catching the viewers’ attention more, two-colored fond creates the contrast, and it is still easy to comprehend and not annoying.

The portfolio website of David Calle is another example of how a different size of a font helps to create an ultra-minimalistic design. Neutral background color and a serif font perfectly match the smooth animation of scrolling the screen.

Abstractive style in illustration in web design

The abstractive illustration and organic texture, and the sense of the author-creator are getting recognition. Although clean vector graphics and eye-catching images of people and objects have ruled web design for years, people may still be looking for something more unusual and sophisticated.

This type of illustration can be created with ink and paper and scanned or created in special illustration software. The key is to include different textures and natural irregularities, such as watercolor, ink, paint, silkscreen effects, or paper texture. Lines can also be softer, copying the changes in line thickness that occur with graphite or ink. Also, abstract does not necessarily mean simple. A drawn design can be complex and intricate, and thus, even more appealing to the user. 

Minimal usage of neumorphism

The lack of contrast and clear differentiation makes it difficult for people with sight issues to navigate sites in this style, and shaded elements make it difficult for users to identify the button they're clicking on. Despite the immense popularity this design style experienced in 2020 and early 2021, this approach should not be abused in the next year, 2022.

Today, neumorphism is considered one of the worst for accessibility, so this minimalist style, with its low-contrast monochrome elements and subtle shadows, is dramatically losing relevance. From an aesthetic point of view, neomorphism with its rejection of lines and sharp borders looks quite interesting. Still, in practical application, this style does not justify itself.

Conclusion

All these web development trends will help you not only keep abreast of new products and development, but also optimize the appearance of the page as much as possible. The main thing is to start implementing them now, so that 2022 can be met fully armed, and your site will be in the top in terms of user experience and promotion.

However, it should be noted that strict adherence to new trends is not always possible. Trends come and go faster than they can be implemented. This process is directly related to evolutionary development. In the world of IT technologies, only the most developed and functional mechanism survives and continues its successful existence. If something does not carry a semantic load or stops the growth of the portal's popularity, then this technique is no longer used.

Based on all the information in the article, I can single out the main direction in web development - this is the achievement of the maximum level of efficiency and comfort of use. This indicator is associated not only with the convenience of users, but also the developers themselves. The less time will be spent on creating a project, the more it can be devoted to filling and work. A simple system is easier to modify and improve than trying to get into the very essence of a complex project.