Anti-design is a web design trend that encourages designers to break away from traditional rules and create their own unique visual styles. This approach allows for greater creativity and experimentation, resulting in websites that stand out and capture the viewer's attention.

Unlike conventional web design, anti-design embraces unconventional layouts, bold typography, and dynamic elements that defy expectations. Designers may incorporate movement, oversized graphics, or asymmetrical compositions to challenge the status quo and create a memorable user experience.

While this freedom can be exciting, it's important to balance creativity with usability. Anti-design websites should still be intuitive and easy to navigate, ensuring that the unique aesthetic doesn't come at the expense of functionality. By leveraging no-code tools and emerging technologies, designers can bring their bold visions to life without sacrificing the user experience.

Anti-design is particularly well-suited for creative industries, such as art, fashion, or entertainment, where the goal is to make a strong visual impact. However, this trend can also be applied to other sectors, adding a touch of personality and flair to otherwise traditional web presences.

We're all used to the usual menus at the top of websites or the hamburger menu. And honestly, they're getting boring. Now designers are trying new and creative ways to help people move around websites.

For example, there's a website from Skyavia that has one of the coolest navigation styles I've ever seen. Instead of opening new pages, you stay on one big page and zoom in and out to find different sections. It feels like the whole website is one huge canvas. You can also slide left and right to move around, which makes it super fun to explore.

Another good example is Canal Street Market's website. Here, the pages look like folded sections that you unfold as you click through. It feels smooth and natural, like you're staying on the same website the whole time.

These experimental navigation styles are breaking away from the traditional menu-based approach, offering users a more engaging and immersive way to explore websites. By thinking outside the box, designers are creating unique experiences that capture the user's attention and make the browsing process more enjoyable.

One of the emerging trends in web design for 2025 is the increased use of scrolling design. This approach incorporates cool effects like animations and parallax as users scroll through the website. These dynamic elements can bring the page to life, making the overall experience more engaging and visually appealing.

Some great examples of scrolling design include the website from the Big Picture Company, which adds 3D letters that fly towards the viewer as you scroll. Another standout is the site from the Big Picture Company, which switches to a side-to-side scrolling motion, with 3D letters moving into place as you explore the content.

The key to effective scrolling design is to find the right balance. While it's tempting to pack in as many animations and effects as possible, a more subtle and calmer approach can often be more impactful. The goal is to keep the site interesting and interactive without overwhelming the user. By mixing scroll effects, mouse animations, and 3D graphics in a thoughtful way, designers can create a truly immersive and memorable user experience.

In 2025, a new trend is showing up that can be described as "macro animations." In the past, we had micro animations like small effects on buttons or little icons. Now, macro animations cover the whole page. They react to your mouse movements, scrolling, and even how you move around the site. It makes the website feel alive, like it's interacting with you.

Many websites are now mixing scroll effects, mouse animations, and 3D graphics all together. Personally, I like it when it's done in a softer way. Not everything needs to move at once. A slower, calmer style keeps the site interesting without making it feel too crazy or overwhelming.

In 2025, the integration of AI-powered chatbots into website designs is a growing trend that enhances user experience. While not always necessary, chatbots are becoming increasingly prevalent, offering personalized assistance and intelligent features.

Websites are now incorporating chatbots in various ways, each with its own unique approach. Some feature a small, floating chat window where users can type in prompts and receive quick help. Others have chatbots deeply integrated into the site, offering smart recommendations and helping users complete tasks.

The key to effective chatbot design is to make the interaction feel creative and fun. Designers are moving beyond basic chat windows and are exploring ways to seamlessly blend the chatbot functionality into the overall website experience. This could involve unique visual styles, conversational interfaces, or even voice-based interactions.

By leveraging the power of AI, websites can provide users with more personalized and efficient assistance, catering to their specific needs and preferences. As this trend continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative and engaging chatbot designs that enhance the overall user experience on websites.

Instead of using regular images to showcase features, websites in 2025 are increasingly turning to short, informative videos. These "smart videos" typically range around 10 seconds in length and allow users to see how a feature or product looks in action.

Some websites have these videos start playing automatically as users scroll to that section, while others trigger the videos only when the user hovers over or interacts with a specific element. The goal is to create a more dynamic and engaging experience, without overwhelming the user.

A great example of smart video implementation can be found on the Huey website. They strategically use short, relevant videos across their site to demonstrate features and products in a subtle yet impactful way. The videos seamlessly complement the overall design, drawing the user's attention without feeling intrusive.

By incorporating smart videos, websites can effectively communicate the value and functionality of their offerings in a concise and visually appealing manner. This trend allows for a more interactive and informative user experience, helping to capture and maintain the audience's attention.

In the past, the cursor was limited to simply changing its appearance. However, the latest web design trend for 2025 is cursor animation, where the cursor can now interact with the website in creative ways. This feature brings websites to life, making the user experience more engaging and fun.

One example of this trend is a website that makes it feel like you're painting with oil as you move your mouse around. Another great example is from Stripe Dodev, where your cursor can grab, move, and control windows, tables, and checklists, almost like you're using a mini operating system within the website. These interactive cursor animations make the entire experience more dynamic and enjoyable for the user.

The ability to bring websites to life through cursor animations is a significant advancement in web design. It allows designers to create unique and memorable user experiences that go beyond the traditional static interactions. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative and captivating cursor animations in the years to come.

Even though 2025 brings a lot of new trends, custom illustrations are still very popular. This is when websites use hand-drawn art to add a creative and personal touch. For example, London Therapy uses colorful hand-drawn illustrations to make their website feel open, friendly, and welcoming.

Some sites even mix custom drawings with a bit of animation, like adding moving illustrations around the edges between sections or on top of text and images. It gives the site a more artistic and lively feel. One big advantage of using custom illustrations is that it adds a human touch, something that feels fresh and real compared to all the AI-generated designs we see everywhere.

First impressions are crucial, and full-screen website designs are perfect for making a big impact. These websites give users the feeling that the entire page is always present, and as they scroll, different elements move and interact.

With so much content on websites these days, full-screen designs often utilize sliders, allowing users to view multiple parts of the site without excessive scrolling. Additionally, well-executed full-screen videos with vibrant colors can make the text pop and instantly grab the user's attention.

One great example of effective full-screen design is the Off Menu website, where users stay on the main screen while scrolling through case studies on the side. They can click to view the details without leaving the primary page, creating a seamless and engaging experience.

Full-screen headers and hero sections are a powerful trend in 2025, as they allow websites to make a lasting first impression and captivate users from the moment they arrive.

The Bento grid, also known as the Bento UI, is a design style that has been popular for a while and is likely to continue its prominence in 2025. This layout style presents bits of information in a visually appealing way, using a mosaic-style arrangement.

The Bento grid is being adopted by both large companies, such as Walmart for their homepage, and smaller businesses. It offers a clean and organized way to showcase various elements, including images, text, and even animations.

One great example of the Bento grid in action is the website of Giving. They utilize this layout style with different colors, images, and a touch of animation to create an eye-catching and informative design. The use of CSS grids and no-code tools has made the Bento grid more accessible than ever, making it a worthwhile consideration for your next website project.

The 11th trend for 2025 is expressive typography or fonts. This trend makes websites look unique and special. Expressive fonts go beyond using classic fonts like Roboto and get creative with how they're styled. For example, using full capital letters with outlines can create a comic-book-like effect, adding character to the text. Sometimes adding a little expression to fonts, like using emojis or animated text, can make the website feel fresher even if it's a font we've seen before.

Another great use of expressive typography is when fonts match the style and theme of the product. For example, Ancient Drinks uses a Nordic-style font that makes the site feel like you're stepping back into history as you read the text. This trend allows designers to create websites that are more visually engaging and memorable, with typography that reflects the brand's personality and identity.

In 2025, color trends in web design are taking a bold and expressive turn. The Pantone color of the year is Mocha Mousse, a warm, earthy brown that evokes a natural, wooden aesthetic. This neutral tone is being paired with a mix of bright, vibrant colors and muted, complementary hues to create visually striking designs.

Websites are not afraid to embrace a wide range of colors to express their brand identity and personality. Bold, saturated shades are being used to draw attention to the most important elements on the page, while neutral tones help to balance the overall composition and create a sense of harmony.

The Wick Studio Pantone collaboration has introduced a range of versatile color palettes that designers can easily incorporate into their projects. These curated color schemes offer a starting point for experimenting with different combinations and creating unique, eye-catching designs.

Beyond websites, this trend of bold, expressive color usage is also evident in app designs, where vibrant hues and unexpected color pairings are becoming increasingly popular on platforms like Dribbble. This creative approach to color helps to make digital experiences feel more unique, engaging, and visually appealing to users.

Brutalism in design is a trend that is gaining popularity, particularly among the younger generation of graphic designers. This style is characterized by its bold, raw, and unapologetic approach, often disregarding the usual design rules.

Websites that embrace the brutalist aesthetic are not afraid to be loud and in-your-face. You'll often see oversized text, massive buttons, and layouts that feel more like anti-design than traditional web design. This style is a stark contrast to the clean, minimalist designs that have dominated the industry in recent years.

While brutalism may not be everyone's cup of tea, it stands out and that's the point. It connects well with younger audiences who are drawn to its rebellious and unconventional nature. For those who prefer a more polished and refined aesthetic, brutalism can feel a bit too intense or overwhelming.

Nonetheless, the rise of brutalism in design is a testament to the ever-evolving nature of the industry. It challenges the status quo and pushes the boundaries of what is considered "good" design. As tools and technologies continue to advance, we can expect to see even more creative and experimental approaches to web design in the years to come.

In 2025, 3D design is becoming increasingly popular, with websites incorporating three-dimensional elements across full sections, from headers and feature areas to entire sites. The faster internet speeds and tools like Spline have made it easier to create these immersive experiences.

One standout example is the brand Atmos, which uses subtle 3D effects as users scroll, keeping the design clean and readable while still engaging the audience. 3D is particularly powerful in e-commerce, helping to showcase products, such as a motorbike from Savic, in an interactive and premium way.

Another impressive example is the website "Why Ryan Hates Mondays," which initially appears two-dimensional but then transforms into a full 3D world. Instead of clicking links, users can run to different parts of the site, which open up into interactive scenes.

As tools like Spline become more widely available, we can expect to see even more creative and immersive 3D websites in 2025, pushing the boundaries of web design and providing users with engaging, interactive experiences.

The web design landscape is rapidly evolving, with a multitude of exciting trends emerging in 2025. From the bold and unconventional anti-design approach to the captivating use of experimental navigation, websites are becoming more interactive, unique, and user-friendly than ever before.

The incorporation of macro animations, smart videos, and cursor animations bring websites to life, creating a more immersive and engaging experience for users. The continued popularity of custom illustrations and the rise of expressive typography add a personal and artistic touch, while the Bento grid layout and the creative use of color trends showcase the versatility of modern web design.

Additionally, the embrace of 3D elements and the emergence of brutalism in design demonstrate the industry's willingness to push the boundaries and explore new frontiers. These trends highlight the ongoing evolution of web design, driven by advancements in technology and the creative vision of designers.

As we move forward, it will be fascinating to see how these trends continue to shape the digital landscape, offering users a more dynamic, visually captivating, and intuitive online experience.