Today we're going to review of what's left of 2013 for the top 10 web design trends.

Here are those key trends

1. Responsive Web Design

As we (and many, many blogs) have written about extensively, responsive design is the way to go. As Awwwards mentioned in its blog Responsive, Adaptative Content, Mobile First, Device Agnostic, Resolution Independent; all these terms are evolving towards a common destination which is the unification of desktop and mobile into a single version. With the rapid expansion of the mobile user market, the uniform cross-platform strategy of RWD has been looked at as the web design trend of the future. Well, the future’s here.

It doesn’t hurt that Google recommends using Responsive Design for best SEO practices.

2. Minimalism

Simple is cool. A less cluttered web page has been championed for the last few years – said to appear cleaner and more principled than bulked out sites. It’s not surprising that the mentioned surge of tablet and mobile users has coincided with trend; minimal pages obviously load faster and look better on smaller screens.

3. Flat Page Design

A previously championed method - skeuomorphic design shows ornamental features that often use familiar imagery and sounds to appeal to digital users.

However that process is not ideal for all screen sizes and resolutions. So in the pursuit of simple and responsive design, many developers have instead started utilizing “flat page,” which doesn’t bother with 3D features.

4. Online Magazines

In an effort to promote more original, quality content, many business websites and blogs have started using an online magazine style structure to draw backlinks and traffic.

This can be done intelligently and be an SEO dynamo, but it’s of note that an unoriginal, sloppy online magazine isn’t likely to be a hit.

5. Big Buttons

Big call to action buttons have always been used for optimal click thru rates. But now, its becoming trendy for web designers to utilize big buttons in other places of their site to appeal to mobile-users and their thumbs.

6. Front Page image gallery slideshows

Image slide shows are a great way to distribute content and are a necessity for certain businesses. With evolved responsive design, now these slide shows can be seamlessly integrated for optimum visibility, page speed and SEO benefits.

7. Longer “Engagement” Sections

Mobile users love to scroll. So it now may make more sense to spread quality content and contact buttons and signal below the fold on your website and not force everything to the top.

8. Fixed Header Bars

Static header bars (popularized in social media) are an easy way to make navigation simple for scrolling users. A well smart header or side bar can keep visitors on your website longer and improve the user experience.

9. Large Image Backgrounds

Data transfer has improved to the point where large image backgrounds can load quickly. A trend in design has emerged, where companies use large responsive images as their landing page backgrounds. This, in theory helps create an instant emotional connection with their visitor and sets the stage for your content.

10. More Authentic Quality Content

Google is getting better and better at spotting BS and penalizing it in their ranking algorithm. Last year’s penguin update was a rude awakening for many websites that were relying on over-optimization and nonsensical fluff. That means well-written, informative and relevant content instantly became more valuable. More than ever, quality content is king and this design trends are going to reflect that.

Do you know of an amazing responsive site? Or are you working on one yourself? Let us know in the comments!