Remember the times where there were only a few trends around used, coding PSD to HTML with Note Pad looks like such a thing of the past now; since then they came and went but like any design product, they constantly come back evolved.

That is the nature of trends in the web design industry, with the ability to release something that the whole world can see immediately, here are some trends that have popped up over the last few years:

• Web 2.0 Look- “shiny” elements, drop shadows, reflections and gradients were its sign. You could find them on so many templates.
• Last.fm- used the shiny look in for the headings in their radio player and it doesn’t look out of place nor does it immediately bring back memories of the web 2.0 look.

·      Icon Dock- used shadows on a number of elements adding a nice touch of detail just right for Magento.

·      Apple- used of reflections is fairly subtle and is only used on their products which make them stand out more.

·      App Weekly- used of gradients to give the illusion of depth.

·      Wood Texture- it placed a repeating wood texture as a big background.

Most web design trends come unexpectedly, evolve over time, become pointless and finally disappear from the design world, but being used excessively, trends lose their ability to communicate information, express something unique or innovative and consequently lose their visual appeal.

As Web 2.0 style passes way, it’s time for something new, as Web 2.0 style is all about glossy and shiny look, Grunge Style is a rather crude, radical and provoking trend. With its dirty look with irregular, nasty, sometimes even ugly and crooked visual elements you can create some awesome CSS/HTML codes for a WordPress theme for example. Some icons examples are:

• RSS Grunge Icons
• Grungy Olive Icons
• Grungy Asphalt Icons
• Litho System

Some new trends you might find now are:

• Going Mobile - With the increase of smart phones and tablets, going mobile will be essential. With the use of CSS3, this will help mobile sites dramatically in the design arena.
• Going Social - Hundreds of millions of people have accounts on social networks including and not limited to; Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, and Youtube. If you aren’t reaching out to your clients via social media, you are missing out on one of the largest and easiest to access markets.
• CSS3 and HTML5 - The standard shifted a few years back to Web 2.0. Many were left in the dust while others capitalized on the change.
• Going Simple- The standards haven’t changed, utilizing easy navigation, appealing color schemes and utilizing shades will go a long way.
• Going dimensional- A New trend we see emerging are dimensional layouts. Adding some depth to the designs, this “3D” effect is a hit and you can work it better with Drupal.
• Going Larger- This trend is going to dominate 2011-2012. With the advancement in home cameras, compression and high-speed internet we see more and more designers utilizing this feature.
• Going away from .com- There are extensions such as .info, .me, .co etc taking a huge leap in sells. Other extensions are becoming more popular. Partially due to the fact that all the .com’s and .net’s for competitive keywords are taken. Although .com and .net are the standards, when competition is low start seeing an increase in alternatives.
• Going towards Typography- Typography has always been an issue. Many designers do not know how or when to use it. This is becoming a huge issue with the advancement in smart phones and tablet usage.
• Going away from flash- The advancement of HTML5 and CSS3 there is a huge move towards these new technologies.

Keep looking around to see which trend work out best for you!