During the next few years you will see a tremendous shift in the way developers are structuring websites. Many of these trends have been around for some time, but I would like to stress the fact that over the next few years they will be flourishing and designers as well as developers will be striving to reach new limits.

There are plenty of original ideas filtering through-out the design community – consider some of these trends:

More users have switched onto mobile platforms, along with newer browsers which support HTML5/CSS3 web standards, making mobile first design popular. Websites are structured in such a way that they adjust to fit to the size of your screen making browsing on mobile phones, iPads and other smaller devices more pleasant.

Many sites, specifically social media websites, have started implementing infinite scroll effects. This idea gained traction mostly because of the popularity of Twitter and Tumbler’s original layout styles, with Pinterest currently at the forefront with regards to this effect.

The advantages: Faster browsing (no need to click through pages), ideal for smaller mobile devices that have touch screens and lastly, if you do know how to play the game, this method could result in greater content exposure (everything is on the same page and the viewer might see more than what he would have if the content was on various other pages which he never intended to click on).

Minimalism and whitespace have been an important aspect of design for a few years now but it has become ever more popular and has evolved to fit a newer spectrum of creativity. Keep in mind that Whitespace doesn’t have to be “white” – perhaps a better term for it would be “empty” space: places where you leave some room to breathe without excess clutter. This technique is useful as a design tool that forces viewers to focus more specifically on the main or important content.

Website designs can be attuned for a certain feeling or emotion based on the colours and background styles used. Big photos are one a technique to encourage specific emotions.

This original style is ideal for design portfolios and personal sites as they can offer a deeper connection with your audiences. People who visit your site will be intrigued about who you are and what you do. Large images can also be used for displaying your creative work – such as illustrations, vectors, or even your own photos.

It is important that you place the content well to give the large photographs the best effect while not cluttering your page.

We hope some of the trends listed above will offer a possibility into new designs for you in 2013. It is almost impossible to keep up with every single new idea that is introduced; we recommend that you keep yourself proactive with new trends – read new blog posts and tutorials to stay updated with the current web standards.