Website Header Design Inspirations for Web Designers

Graphics Design | Web Design

If you ask the tech-savvy folks that, which element of the web page they first like look visiting the website. The answer would be the Header. Recent eye tracking studies have revealed that the web page visitors often scan the page in an “F” shape manner. The two horizontal lines of the F-shape are a header at the top and first part of the content below it. The F-shape scanning is not taking place in the case when the header is simply a solid graphics without any other element as a part of it. Therefore, it is a wise advice to break header into some elements like graphics, texts, and multimedia content including image and video. If you are running the website header design inspirations for your dream website designing project, let’s understand the types of headers first and recent trends in header design.  

Types of Headers & Header Design

Today, a number of different types of website headers found on the web with unique and innovative ideas, but the following are common categories of modern headers.

1-Giant Header Design

Some brands or businesses want to make a great impact at first sight by header design. Therefore, they take massive header design approach even at the expense of valuable space of the UI screen real estate. Simple Art is an excellent example of gigantic header design with standstill image. Huge header design depicts the purpose of the website as well as develop the contexts for the rests of scanty textual contexts. If your business niche or brand is capable of delivering the visual message, large header design has a big room to create immediate impact at first sight of the visitors. The local palate is another instant with big slider images appropriate for the niche business it represents. Alluring images with little text represents the visual art of the web designers.  

2-Web App Header Design

Websites or e-commerce storefront often take “Web App” type header design granted to depict screenshots of the products with prominent CTA elements like button or short forms for subscription or signup process. Usually, such kinds of header designs are enticing web visitors to take some desired actions immediately without jumping on the remaining part of the web page below. One Hungry Mama is falling in Web App category of header design. Campaign Monitor is another example of the same.  

3-Illustrated Character Header Design

Showing the illustrated characters, instead of photo images, is trendy and provides room for innovations in the header design. WuFoo has illustrated character type of header design with simplicity, eye-catchy color, and character with friendly sense. Wishlistr has a prominent character in engaging illustration.  

4-Portfolio Screenshots Header Design

It is an excellent way to show off the work, particularly for the service provider niches including software development companies, architects, interior designers, structural engineers, and fashion designers. Most of the portfolio exhibiting header designs have screenshots of projects/works with a tagline to describe its purposes. Lujayn is an example the kind.  

5-Carousel Header Design

Carousel is the best way to leverage slider effects for a showcase of multiple products, services, and portfolio item. With the help of updated JavaScript libraries, it is easy to implement, and for power users, plugins are available in open source themes or templates. Harper and Harley and The local palate are exemplified it in very well manner.  

6-Ads Header Design

The New York Times like websites give priority to the advertisers and place ads in the header. However, it is okay for the newspaper like sites where rests of content headlines are enough to catch and engage the visitors.  

7-No Header Design

Content focused websites seldom eliminate the header at all and prioritize the other elements and content to focus on the visitors. Seth Godin’s blog is following the same and has gotten rid of the header entirely.  

Elements Used in Header Design

With the advent of mobile web and web programming technologies, headers come with wide variations in the elements used. Colors and gradients are basic elements of header design while the use of multimedia content, illustrations, and animations are trendy to create an awesome impression in the minds of onlookers.  

No.1: Solid colors

I love typography website has a single and solid color header with damn simplicity and minimal content for the minimal web design fans. Zendesk has mild color in the background of header design and some other elements like texts, buttons, and an image with design effects make it impactful.  

No.2: Gradient

Gradient colors are trendy and capable of creating sumptuous effects when applied righteously in header design. Stripe website has implemented gradient color effect beautifully, and the design is effective to hit the intended targets. Quicksprout website has used two sober colors with a tint of gradient effects and capable of winning onlookers at first sight by giving cooling sensations.  

No.3: Patterns & Textures

Patterns are consisting of repetitive design elements and draw immediate attention of the website visitors who look at the header. Patterns and textures are sparingly used in header design but prove highly efficient. Five o’clock cocktails website has an ideal header design using patterns by repetitive design elements of the utensils used to serve the product-cocktails.  

No.4: Images

Today images used heavily in header design and responsive web design trends supports high-quality images for all kinds of screens and browsers. I am a food blog website is a good instance of an alluring image of the product that can create mouth-watering sensations among the site visitors at first glance. The car crush is another excellent example of the kind where a large and beautiful image of nature is enough to tell the purpose of the website.  

No.5: Video

The video is the trendiest element on the web and YouTube is enjoying the highest traffic on the web just for the videos only. It is because the video is a powerful medium that can carry any message effectively and in a highly comprehensive manner with real contexts. Use of video in header design is gaining momentum, and Adidas Group site is setting a beautiful example that how we can use videos in header design with the excellent user experiences.  

No.6: Illustrations & Animations

To create a website header consider standstill illustrations are creating altogether different impacts and sensations against the image heavy designing approach. Black Moon is a perfect example of illustration header design to describe the game genre website. Similarly, Octonauts is an example of a combination of the subtle animation among the illustration design.  

Traits of Excellent Header Design

We have seen different types of header design and various elements of web page header design in-depth as well as with ideal example sites. Now, if you want to make your header design contemporary and efficient to reap the most from it, keep following tips in mind:  

#1: Simplicity

According to the eye tracking studies, visitors have few seconds or milliseconds to spend on the website header. Therefore, it is better you keep your header design simple and allow the only essence of your website message in the design to grasp in a blink. Thus, you might not have lost the visitors and may keep them to take desired actions as the next step. Joy the Baker is representing the same with texts and illustrated background with total simplicity.  

#2: Clarity

Clutter in a design may confuse the visitors so focus only the essential elements in design by taking minimalistic design approaches. It means never try to deliver more than one message at a time in the still header, otherwise, use carousel or slider approaches. For instance, I love typography is presenting texts only in a single solid color background without any distraction.  

#3: Trust

Simple and minimalistic header design with official website logo infuse the trust factors among the visitors and deliver branding message. Decor 8 Blog is a perfect illustration in this regard.  

#4: Meaningful

Personal, professional, and business websites always carry some messages and try to place the prominent message or message in the header design to grab the first impressions of the site visitors. Therefore, your design should be meaningful to carry the message effectively. “This is Glamorous” is the most suitable example website, and Lust for Life is another one. Images carry the message, and sweet & short textual message enhance it further.  

#5: Artistic, Attention Grabbing, and Appealing

Artistic elements in a design add spices to make it remarkable and outstanding. Paraiso Resort, Shoe Guru, and Bid the Style are classic examples of artistic header design as well as web design in whole. Most of the artistic and outstanding header designs are attention grabbing and appealing to lure visitors to go ahead or take intended actions.  

#6: Professional

Professionalism in a design is essential, and it could be done by adding small animations, paying attention to details, and carrying visual message efficiently. The Story Board is an excellent specimen to depict the professional approaches of design.  

#7: Interactive

Interactive elements in design may prove engaging. Sometimes simple hovering effect like in Between Red & Toy website header or hovering and text emerging effect in Defringe website header design are enough to provide interactive experiences.  

#8: Engaging

When we integrate interactive elements of the header with the rest parts of the web page, it proves highly engaging, and Eastern Azores is providing the same experiences to the site visitors. Once site user starts, scrolling the header, airplane begins to show flying effects through clouds. Thus, header becomes an integral part of the website.  

#9: Funny

Funny animations may prove engaging and keep the visitors curious to scroll down the site further down. Get Cirulis is a classic example of the kind.    

Conclusion:

After these exhaustive header design details, tips, and real-life examples, we hope you may have now enough stuff to create an innovative and unique header for your clients, or business has insights to go where and what need to do. Addon Solutions have highly experienced and expert website header design team to accomplish your design assignment by yielding expected results. Just start conversations with the team and enjoy our designing abilities.