It is exciting to see that websites are moving in a different direction that allows information to be easily accessed while not bombarding the user as soon as they get to a website. The recent UI trend to organize information in a way that isn’t directly in your face and keeps the viewer on the homepage is picking up steam. Here are three ways in which websites are taking a fresh, new step forward.

The Hamburger Stack

The Hamburger Stack has become a commonplace and easy way to indicate to users that more information is available while not cluttering the top of a website with numerous links. By using the Hamburger Stack, it frees up the top of the page, which adversely helps content stand out.

Worried about adding clicks to the UX? No need. The Hamburger Stack is a staple in responsive websites, which is now even more prevalent due to Google’s update in April 2015 requiring all websites to be responsive across all devices. That being said, users will see the Hamburger Stack much more which will easily transition to the computer monitor.

The Scrolling Page

Also based off the prevalence of responsive websites and how they are viewed on mobile devices, scrolling pages are becoming more common. According to Jerry Cao of uxpin.com, “placing all your important elements above the fold is now a well-known myth. Furthermore, almost everyone is accustomed to long scrolls thanks to mobile devices. The technique works especially well for sites that want to lure users through storytelling, and you can still mimic a multi-page site by breaking the scroll into clear sections.”

If used correctly, the scrolling page can replace clicks with scrolls down the page. However, an important aspect to consider in this scenario is the accessibility to the main menu, no one wants to scroll down to a deserted island in the middle of a page.

Inserting some smooth scrolling code might also help to vary what type of scrolling is occurring at different sections of the site.

The Death of the Slideshow

Almost every slideshow is located under the main menu and cycles through a few different images. Breakout! There are other options that will help your site be more relevant and unique.

While talking to Alex Blicharz, Interactive Director at BRING, I learned this. A site’s Google search results directly correlate with the amount of text there is relative to the top of the page. Enter search engine optimization…

Many sites already use slideshows, and in some cases it is warranted. However, in order to build a unique site, an easy first step is to swap out the old, played slideshow. An alternative is to utilize typography in an expressive way that also gives insight into the website’s focus. This text, which is close to the top of the page, will also boost SEO results. Another way to draw interest is to incorporate motion, which could be seen in a quant video or subtle animations throughout the site. Humans are naturally drawn to motion. If used effectively the user will automatically be drawn into the site.