6 WordPress Web Design Trends for April 2023

Are you bored with the current state of your design projects? Browsing and thinking about incorporating trending website design elements can be just the way to get a little spark back when working on WordPress projects. 

Here are six great trends to consider this month: 

1. Hand-Drawn or Written Elements

A handwritten element – either typography or other drawn design elements – can add a personalized feel that makes a website feel a little more unique. Typically, you’ll see this as writing or divots such as circles or lines to add focus to a certain element on the screen. Occasionally, this is in the form of drawn elements such as icons or illustrations. Notice this trend in the example above from Joris.

Regardless of how the hand-drawn element is used, it can be a distinct part of your visual identity and establish greater user connectivity.

2. Typed Text

Typed text is a unique and engaging way to show off what you offer. In the example above from Nexcess, they use the typed text feature within the Advanced Text block from Kadence Blocks to show that by choosing Nexcess not only are you getting more peace of mind, but you’re also getting more resources, capacity, speed, and bandwidth. Don’t limit yourself, use typed text!

Typed text works great as a headline in your hero image, but it can be used all throughout your site to create engagement and leave a more lasting impression on your audience.

3. Boxy Navigation

There are plenty of ways to create boxy navigation elements – buttons, lines, type choices – but it all comes down to one thing: Do you have navigation that’s simple and easy to understand? In the example above from Oasis, you’ll see this boxy navigation done beautifully.

Boxy styles are nice because they create visual and natural click patterns, they often respond naturally and they draw the eye with interaction in mind. With the Header Builder in Kadence Theme, you have all kinds of styling options to give your header and navigation that sleek box-like feel. Add buttons with borders, fully customized dividers, or a toggle navigation area to give your header a clean, crisp, boxy design.

4. Simple Elegance

Minimal and simple styles are design techniques that are emphasized in almost every list of tips for creating a great design. This trend uses that simple nature and adds a stroke of elegance to it. 

While “elegance” can be hard to define, you definitely know it when you see it. In this example from Wov2023, it’s the choices the design team made with color and space, as well as classically simple typefaces with a formal feel. The design element in the bottom right corner of the gold rings with a red accent also creates and contributes to the elegant overall tone of the project. 

5. Stickers

Elements with bright pops of color and funky outline shapes that mimic the look of stickers that you would use on a laptop or water bottle or on a social media image are also popular for web design projects. Just check out the example from Readymag.

Stickers are an element that innately creates a sense of disruption and demands that the user look closely at them. They often focus on a singular element, making multiple stickers, such as in the examples above, a very eye-tracking experience because users will want to see each one.

This design style is often fun and light but only works with the right content. It often runs the risk of getting too busy.

6. Black and White Aesthetic

Back to the theme of simple and minimal designs, a black-and-white aesthetic checks both boxes. This is a classic color and design theme that centers on highly targeted and focused content, space, and a singular message. 

Many designers choosing this style right now are adding interactive elements for a layer of interest, interaction, and complexity. In the example above from Bones Co., that’s in the form of the interactive Currently Available/Book Now button. As the only color on the screen, the tiny, flashing green light is almost impossible to miss. 

Putting it All Together

WordPress web design trends are a fun element but don’t feel like you have to try every new trend that comes along. If bold and big isn’t your style, it’s ok to wait and see what else comes along. Using the right trend at the right time is part of your brand and style. 

A Kadence full bundle gives you everything you need to keep up with all the design trends and take your website to the next level. From the Advanced Text block in Kadence Blocks to the ability to create fully customizable designs and pages, the Kadence Full Bundle gives you everything you need to make beautiful, effective, and engaging websites.