Your website gives the first impression of your business online. This outlines how important it is to pay attention to its design.

If youve done nothing to change your web design for the last four to five years, it needs updating now.

After all/learn/web-redesign-inspos/, the key to staying relevant in this competitive market is to change with the times. Some of the biggest names in the business undergo a complete overhaul of their web design every few years. You should do the same.

On that note, take a look at how some of the popular websites have approached redesign recently (we’ve also put in a few redesigning tips).

Website Redesigning Tips That Work

The most important thing is to have a clear web design plan and creative brief before you giving them to designers.

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Why do you want a website redesign? 
  • Who is your target audience? 
  • What are your business and online goals?
  • Can you deliver a better user experience through a redesign?

After you’ve found the answers to all these questions, try to understand what makes a website design great these days.

Top Web Design Trends of Today

Web and UI designing has changed a lot in the last couple of years, and several new trends have come up as a result.

For instance, UI/UX (User Interface/User Experience) has taken centre stage in any kind of web design nowadays.

If your website’s interface, typography, colours, and other design elements don’t come together to offer a great user experience, your audience will simply move on to your competitors’ site.

Great web design has to hit the right notes of functionality, easy navigation, and eye-pleasing aesthetics.

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Successful Web Redesign Inspirations from Popular Websites

Reddit

Take a look at the old design of Reddit’s website. It screams just one word: outdated!

The new design looks clutter-free and more professional when you compare it with the old one. The best part is that the navigation has become easier.

Then

reddit_then

Now

reddit_now

Dropbox

The older version of Dropbox’s website was too content-heavy. In fact, smaller icons were almost difficult to read.

You can see how the new version displays the information clearly. They have also added a thumbnail view and account separators for ease of operation.

Then

dropbox_then

Now

dropbox_now

Mailchimp

The older design of Mailchimp website was pretty good and easy to navigate. But the company wanted to move away from the typical wordmark and typeface. They want to emphasize their value proposition to customers.

In result, the new design applies quirky imagery and bright colours that bring a fresh look to their website.

Then

mailchimp_then

Now

mailchimp_now

Art Institute of Chicago

As it’s evident, the primary aim of the Art Institute of Chicago was to improve the UX. So, it has done away with the drop-down menus and simplified top navigation.

The new website is incredibly responsive and has clearly demarcated spaces for announcements.

Then

art_institute_of_chicago_then

Now

art_institute_of_chicago_now

UserTesting

UserTesting has reduced the word count of its homepage by at least 25 percent. Now, the page is light and easy to navigate.

Then

UserTesting_then

Now

UserTesting_now

Panos Pictures

Panos has bid goodbye to the top navigation menu. The menu now hides behind a hamburger menu button that appears as a layer upon clicking. They have also made the website more mobile-friendly, and only kept the logo and the simple search field from the previous design.

Then

panos_pictures_then

Now

panos_pictures_now

Rev

Rev has updated its website to make it more compliant with modern tastes. The revamped version got rid of the carousel and applied a simpler lookhighlighting their services. They also added the pricing levels with each plan which is also a great touch.

Then

Rev_then

Now

Rev_now

Slack

The flat appearance of the old version Slack website belongs to the last decade.

Its latest UX is simply impressive and easy to access. The menu has been revamped to make the details like location and pricing easy to find.

Then

Slack_then

Now

Slack_now

Instagram

When Instagram got a website redesign about two years back, it decided to keep almost all the popular features.

You can still scroll and like the pictures in the same way. But the old Instagram blue has now changed to a more attractive white, black, and grey theme, and the app has a more modern and cohesive look to it.

Then

Instagram_then

Now

Instagram_now

Twitter

Twitter has made a couple of subtle changes here and there to improve the look and feel of their website.

So, you now get two columns of content in place of three, and the feed has shifted to the left, and the trending topics are to the right.

Then

Twitter_then

Now

Twitter_now

Give your website an on-trend look 

An interesting thing to remember is that all these big companies had started small. But, it’s their zeal to constantly strive to be better than yesterday that brought them where they are today.

This approach extends to their online presence which greatly involves web design. So, what’s stopping you from doing the same? Start your website revamp project today.