Another year is quickly coming to a close, which means it’s a perfect time to peek around the corner to see what the new year has in store for web graphic design.

1.  Typography is king. There is a trend towards jumbo headlines, mixing contrasting fonts, and finding other ways to break up the monotony of type-heavy websites and add beauty to pages so that images are no longer mandatory. http://www.leemunroe.com/typography-inspired-websites/

2.   Control freaks, unite. Speaking of type, Kernest offers free and commercial fonts to embed into your website to move beyond the plain and well-worn handful of safe fonts that designers have grown to loathe.  The only downside to Kernest is a brief change in font rendering when the page is first opened.  There’s always a catch, but this is big news and a leap in the right direction. http://www.kernest.com/

3.  Iron is the new black. The bright colors from the 80’s will carry over into the new year, but  the Flock of Seagulls haircut is now optional.  A few cues may also be gleaned from Pantone’s home and interior color forecast, or the transitional Fall 2009/Spring 2010 forecast. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/news/pantones-2010-home-interiors-color-forecasts-080182 ,http://www.nbm.com/library/ae/graphicdesign/ColorTrendsForFallWinter20092010.php

4. Print is in. Watch for more print style techniques to be incorporated into websites.  Grid layouts will be used more often to move websites a little closer the to look of magazines and brochures.  http://www.thegridsystem.org/

5. Pleasingly plump. Webspotters are pointing towards taller headers with larger logos, and taller footers with more content, such as a poll of the day and feeds from social media sites.  Images will also be upscaled to fit in and add some drama.  http://www.graphicdesignpro.net/2009/11/web-design-trends-for-2010/

Have a beautiful 2010!