Best Website Design 2017: The Trends and Ideas That Stood Out
Looking back at the best website design of 2017 means looking beyond attractive colours and striking photography. The websites that stood out combined visual creativity with clear navigation, fast performance and a strong understanding of what visitors needed to do.
There was no single “best” website for everyone. A successful design depended on its purpose and audience. But across the year, several shared qualities helped the strongest websites make a lasting impression.
Bold, purposeful typography
Large, confident typography became a defining feature of modern web design. Oversized headings helped establish a brand’s personality and made key messages easy to spot. Rather than filling every page with copy, designers used concise wording, considered typefaces and generous spacing to guide visitors through the content.
The most effective designs treated typography as part of the visual identity, not simply as a way to display information.
Strong use of colour and contrast
Many memorable websites used colour with confidence. Vivid backgrounds, gradients and contrasting text helped draw attention to important content, while restrained palettes gave other sites a clean, premium feel.
Good use of colour was more than decoration. It helped organise a page, distinguish sections and make calls to action easier to find. Accessible contrast remained important, particularly for visitors reading on smaller screens or with visual impairments.
Mobile-first layouts
By 2017, designing for mobile was essential. The best websites worked smoothly across phones, tablets and desktop computers, adapting their layouts rather than simply shrinking them. Navigation was easy to use with a thumb, text remained readable and images were chosen or cropped to suit each screen.
A responsive site also had to perform well. Slow-loading pages and awkward menus could undermine even the most impressive visual design.
Meaningful animation and interaction
Subtle animation gave websites a more engaging feel. Small transitions, animated illustrations and scrolling effects could help explain a product or lead visitors from one section to the next.
The key was restraint. The strongest interactions supported the content and made the experience clearer; they did not distract visitors or make the website difficult to use.
Clear storytelling
Good website design tells a story. In 2017, brands increasingly used a combination of concise copy, photography, video and illustration to explain who they were and why their products or services mattered.
Rather than presenting visitors with a wall of information, effective pages created a clear path: introduce the idea, explain its value and make the next step obvious.
A balance between creativity and usability
Experimental layouts and unusual visual ideas helped websites stand out, but creativity worked best when balanced with familiarity. Visitors still needed to find the menu, understand the content and complete basic tasks without effort.
This balance is one of the most useful lessons from the best website designs of 2017: originality attracts attention, while usability earns trust.
What made a website one of the best?
A strong website design in 2017 typically brought together:
- A clear purpose and a well-defined audience
- Consistent branding and a distinctive visual identity
- Simple, intuitive navigation
- Responsive layouts for different devices
- Fast-loading pages and optimised images
- Readable content and accessible colour contrast
- Calls to action that were easy to understand
Lessons for today
Design trends change, but the principles behind the best websites of 2017 remain relevant. Start with the needs of the people using the site. Make information easy to find. Use visual design to support the message, and test the finished experience on real devices.
The best website design is not simply the most fashionable or visually elaborate. It is the design that makes a brand memorable while helping visitors do what they came to do.
Top 9 Features of Exceptional Website Design in 2017
- Responsive layouts worked across devices.
- Bold typography made messages stand out.
- Clear navigation helped visitors find information.
- Strong colour choices created visual impact.
- Fast-loading pages improved the user experience.
- Engaging imagery strengthened brand identity.
- Subtle animations added personality.
- Concise content made pages easier to scan.
- Clear calls to action encouraged engagement.
Challenges in 2017 Website Design: Balancing Style, Usability, and Performance
- Some designs prioritised style over usability.
- Heavy animations could slow page loading.
- Trendy layouts risked looking dated quickly.
- Bold colours sometimes reduced readability.
- Mobile experiences were not always fully optimised.
Responsive layouts worked across devices.
One of the biggest advantages of the best website designs in 2017 was their ability to work across devices. Responsive layouts adapted to different screen sizes, so pages remained easy to read and navigate on mobiles, tablets and desktop computers. This gave visitors a more consistent experience wherever they browsed, while helping businesses reach people on the devices they used most.
Bold typography made messages stand out.
Bold typography was a defining feature of the best website designs of 2017, helping important messages stand out at a glance. Large, distinctive headings gave brands a stronger visual identity, drew visitors’ attention to key information and made pages easier to scan. Used thoughtfully, bold type added personality without overwhelming the content, creating websites that felt both memorable and clear.
Clear navigation helped visitors find information.
Clear navigation was one of the defining strengths of the best website designs of 2017. Well-organised menus, clear page labels and a logical layout helped visitors find the information they needed without having to guess where to look. By making key sections easy to reach, websites offered a smoother, more enjoyable experience and encouraged people to stay longer.
Strong colour choices created visual impact.
Strong colour choices gave the best website designs of 2017 immediate visual impact. Bold palettes and striking contrasts helped brands stand out, draw attention to key messages and guide visitors towards important buttons or content. When used thoughtfully, colour did more than make a website look memorable: it also supported the brand’s identity and made pages easier to navigate.
Fast-loading pages improved the user experience.
Fast-loading pages were a key advantage of the best website designs in 2017, helping visitors find information quickly without frustrating delays. Optimised images, efficient code and streamlined layouts made sites feel more responsive, particularly on mobile devices and slower internet connections. A faster experience encouraged people to stay, explore more pages and complete actions such as making an enquiry or purchase.
Engaging imagery strengthened brand identity.
Engaging imagery played a vital role in the best website designs of 2017, helping brands express their personality and connect with visitors at a glance. Carefully chosen photography, illustrations and graphics created a consistent visual style, made key messages more memorable and helped each business stand apart from its competitors. When used with a clear purpose, imagery did more than make a website look attractive: it strengthened brand identity and made the overall experience more distinctive.
Subtle animations added personality.
Subtle animations were one of the most effective features of the best website designs in 2017, adding personality without distracting from the content. A gentle transition, a responsive button or a small animated detail could make a site feel more polished and engaging, while also helping to guide visitors through the page. Used with care, these touches brought a brand to life and made the browsing experience more enjoyable.
Concise content made pages easier to scan.
Concise content was one of the strengths of the best website designs in 2017. Short paragraphs, clear headings and carefully chosen wording made pages easier to scan, helping visitors find the information they needed without wading through unnecessary detail. This approach also worked particularly well on mobile screens, where focused content and a clear structure made browsing more comfortable.
Clear calls to action encouraged engagement.
Clear calls to action were a key advantage of the best website designs in 2017. Prominent, well-written buttons and links helped visitors understand what to do next, whether that meant making an enquiry, signing up to a newsletter or exploring a product. By making these actions easy to find and follow, websites could reduce confusion, encourage engagement and guide users towards meaningful outcomes.
Some designs prioritised style over usability.
One drawback of some of the best website designs of 2017 was that they prioritised style over usability. Bold layouts, unusual navigation and elaborate animations could look impressive, but sometimes made it harder for visitors to find information or complete simple tasks. When visual effects got in the way of clear navigation and readable content, the design risked frustrating users rather than improving their experience.
Heavy animations could slow page loading.
One drawback of some of the best website designs of 2017 was their reliance on heavy animations. While moving graphics and elaborate transitions could make a site feel more engaging, they often increased page load times, particularly on older devices or slower internet connections. This could frustrate visitors, make pages harder to use and encourage people to leave before the content had loaded.
Trendy layouts risked looking dated quickly.
One drawback of the best website designs of 2017 was their reliance on trendy layouts and visual effects, which could lose their appeal surprisingly quickly. Styles that once felt fresh—such as oversized typography, bold gradients or elaborate animations—risked making a site look dated as design tastes changed. For businesses, this could mean updating the website sooner than expected to keep it feeling current and credible.
Bold colours sometimes reduced readability.
Bold colours were a defining feature of many of the best website designs of 2017, but they could sometimes come at the expense of readability. Bright backgrounds and strong colour combinations looked striking, yet poor contrast between text and its background made content harder to read, particularly on mobile screens or for visitors with visual impairments. Colour worked best when used with care, keeping text clear and accessible while still giving the design personality.
Mobile experiences were not always fully optimised.
One drawback of some of the best website designs in 2017 was that their mobile experiences were not always fully optimised. Although responsive design was becoming more common, pages could still load slowly, text and buttons were difficult to use on smaller screens, and navigation sometimes felt awkward on touch devices. As a result, visually impressive websites did not always provide a smooth or accessible experience for mobile visitors.