What are the most prominent web design NYC trends you can think of off the top of your head? We’re willing to bet that parallax scrolling is on your list. If we need to be corrected and the parallax website design didn’t make your list, keep reading to find out why it should.
As websites become more dynamic and incorporate interactive design elements, parallax website design becomes more popular.
In this article, I will discuss parallax scrolling, offer practical tips on creating great parallax effects, and share an excellent collection of homepage designs for inspiration.
What is Parallax Website Design?
Parallax scrolling is a web design strategy in which different elements or layers of a website, such as a foreground and a background, move at different speeds. And a parallax website design is simply a web design incorporating parallax scrolling. Parallax scrolling effects add depth and movement to a web page, making it more enjoyable.
For a good reason, parallax scrolling has become more popular in website design NYC. Scrolling is more convenient than clicking, and a well-designed parallax effect encourages users to scroll for more information.
How should parallax scrolling be used?
It’s also worth noting that design elements such as parallax should be considered “nice to haves” rather than essential components of your website. Your website should be designed with your users in mind and specifically to drive people through your website’s top, middle, and bottom-of-the-funnel areas. The function should come before form, and form should only enhance function.
Your website should, first and foremost, be a valuable sales tool, guiding visitors to their desired destination and answering any questions they may have. Once you’ve laid the groundwork, you can start looking for interactive ways to help facilitate this rather than thinking of website design first and strategy second.
Here are the following Parallax Website Design best Practices and Examples:
1. Firewatch:
Firewatch employs parallax at the top of its home page to create a genuine sense of depth. As you scroll down, you begin to believe that you are delving into details. The fact that this site does not hijack scroll means that users can scroll the page at their normal speed.
2. PORSCHEvolution:
PORSCHEvolution takes us on another trip through time. This ingenious website depicts nearly a century of Porsche car evolution — or, should we say, PorschEvolution. A new layer that smoothly glides over the previous one, allowing the viewer to compare the car designs closely, represents each decade.
3. Mild Design:
Emilie De Grosbois, a visual artist and the founder of Mild Design in Montreal, can teach us a thing or two about building a portfolio. Her portfolio website greets visitors with an impressive welcome: a long scroll of intricate fullscreen images. These are some of the most beautiful website images we’ve ever seen.
The use of parallax makes the transition from one image to the next smoother and adds a sense of depth as if the images are gently gliding on each other.
4. The Boat:
The Boat is one of the most impressive visual storytelling examples on our list of parallax website designs. This website takes users on an online journey. The story is divided into six chapters, and as you scroll down, the parallax makes you feel the story.
5. Canals:
The Canals website design employs parallax scrolling to provide a one-of-a-kind virtual journey through the historical memory of Shanghai’s famous canals. This site has a distinct feel due to the horizontal scrolling and subtle parallax effects on images and headings. As you scroll, the years pass, providing you with a historical overview and a memorable web experience.
6. Marcin Dmoch:
Marcin Dmoch is an art director who used a parallax effect for his web portfolio. The site is divided into three sections: work, contacts and About. Parallax connects these various sections, and each section is pinned and unpinned as the user scrolls the page.
7. Dorm:
A dorm is an academic platform that uses parallax to zoom in and out of specific imagery that aids its messaging. The initial animation of the moon image getting closer and closer as you scroll gives the impression that you are not even looking at a website. It makes entering the Dorm “universe” more surreal.
Additionally, their parallax effects work very well with showcasing the number of different teachers or topics their platform offers, giving the user the impression that they have many options.
8. Chris Covert:
Chris Covert’s bold resume website is both professional and innovative. The website design and interactivity inject much of Chris’ personality and breathe life into what could have been a dry list of skills, experience, and educational background.
Chris centers the screen with images of his printed CV and business card. The website background images change quickly behind them, while the visuals remain static when using the reveal scroll effect, resulting in an unexpected result.
9. Anton and Irene:
It is a great example of combining great aesthetics with great functionality. When you visit the site, you will notice the silhouettes of two people. As you scroll down, the silhouettes fade, making more room for important information.
10. Rezo Zero:
The Rezo Zero website is an excellent example of how creative agencies can use parallax design. Despite the site’s relatively simple structure, the parallax details add a touch of dynamism to the design. The effects are subtle, but they fit the minimalist style of the website perfectly.
Conclusion
This concludes our parallax website design NYC guide. Parallax effects have numerous advantages, including improved online storytelling, compelling messages, visitor interactions, and longer on-site time.
However, be careful to use parallax design sparingly, as it can overshadow your main message. The primary goal of any web design element is to improve the site’s user experience. So make sure your design does exactly that. We hope you found what you were looking for in this article.