What each kind of site is doing
Trends by Genre
Luxury is on 45% of property winners against 9% of winners generally; infinite scroll is on 27% of photography winners against 6% of winners generally. Every trait below is set beside how often the whole field uses it, because a rate on its own tells you nothing about whether it belongs to the genre or to the year.
The verdict
In & Out
Arriving: footer design, photographic, single page. Going: video, horizontal layout, graphic design. Underneath that, 17 of the 32 decisions a project makes have not moved at all — the vocabulary is settled and the churn sits in a narrow band. The 6 furthest each way:
In
- 5% → 12% Footer Design — the foot of the page treated as a designed space
- 3% → 5% Photographic — photography as the primary material
- 6% → 8% Single page — the whole thing on one page, no navigation
- 7% → 9% Filters and Effects — the image altered live — blurs, distortions, grain
- 23% → 28% Storytelling — a beginning, middle and end
- 15% → 18% UI design — the buttons, menus and controls treated as the craft
Out
- 9% → 3% Video — moving footage carrying the page
- 4% → 2% Horizontal Layout — reading sideways instead of down
- 8% → 3% Graphic design — poster-and-print craft carried onto the screen
- 11% → 6% Parallax — layers sliding at different speeds
- 9% → 5% Gallery — work presented as a collection to browse
- 11% → 7% Unusual Navigation — menus that behave unlike menus
The short version: footer design has risen furthest, from 5% to 12% of what wins; video has fallen hardest, from 9% to 3%. Underneath it the core has not shifted — movement is still on 52% of winners and depth on 38%, both level between the newest winners and the older ones.
Recent winners against older ones, so the only thing separating the two sides is when a site won. Percentages are the share of sites carrying each tag. Two exclusions, both deliberate: colour and the old HTML5 tag, which the award body stopped recording, and everything describing what a site was built with. Studios went from declaring 0.94 tool a site to 2.76 across this same span, so a library appearing to triple says the submission form changed, not the web.
Method
Borrowing From the Wrong Genre
The commonest way a project ends up looking generic is being briefed off references from a different kind of site — a restaurant built on studio-portfolio moves, a bank built on fashion ones. The moves are good; they belong to someone else's brief. What follows is what each kind of site does that the others do not.
The number beside each entry is how much more often that decision appears in the genre than across all winners. ×3.0 means three times as often. Anything under about ×1.5 is the genre doing roughly what everyone does.
Across 712 award winners in 20 genres, studio portfolios set aside. A trait must appear on at least 3 sites and on 15% of the genre, so a handful cannot post a large multiplier. The genre's own subject tag is excluded — shops being tagged "E-Commerce" is not a finding — as are build tools, which say nothing about how a site looks. Tags are the award body's own classification.
Shops 87 winners
Shops
Selling something, and having to stay usable while doing it.
- ×2.1 Big Background Images — one enormous photograph doing the work 17 of 87 sites here
- ×1.5 Typography — headlines set enormous, so the words are the picture 24 of 87 sites here
- ×1.5 UI design — the buttons, menus and controls treated as the craft 19 of 87 sites here
Takes after Fashion editorial 19% · Cinematic realism 17% · Period revival 11%
On 20% of shops winners against 9% of winners generally: one enormous photograph doing the work.
Corporate 170 winners
Corporate
What a company is, for people who need to know.
- ×1.5 Startups — the young-company look — bright, direct, confident 31 of 170 sites here
- ×1.4 Clean — plain surfaces, generous space 53 of 170 sites here
- ×1.3 Scrolling — the scroll itself used as the main control 47 of 170 sites here
- ×1.3 UI design — the buttons, menus and controls treated as the craft 32 of 170 sites here
Takes after Swiss modernist 25% · Cinematic realism 22% · 3D and CGI 14%
On 18% of corporate winners against 12% of winners generally: the young-company look — bright, direct, confident.
Technology 177 winners
Technology
Making something abstract look like it exists.
- ×2.5 Startups — the young-company look — bright, direct, confident 53 of 177 sites here
- ×1.3 3D — objects with depth rather than flat pictures 89 of 177 sites here
- ×1.3 Storytelling — a beginning, middle and end rather than a menu 56 of 177 sites here
- ×1.3 Transitions — movement between states rather than hard cuts 49 of 177 sites here
- ×1.2 Scrolling — the scroll itself used as the main control 47 of 177 sites here
Takes after Cinematic realism 31% · 3D and CGI 20% · Product minimalism 6%
On 30% of technology winners against 12% of winners generally: the young-company look — bright, direct, confident.
Culture 87 winners
Culture
Museums, archives and stories told at length.
- ×1.7 Illustration — drawn artwork rather than photography 15 of 87 sites here
- ×1.5 Colorful — colour used loudly and on purpose 29 of 87 sites here
- ×1.3 Scrolling — the scroll itself used as the main control 25 of 87 sites here
- ×1.2 Typography — headlines set enormous, so the words are the picture 20 of 87 sites here
- ×1.2 Storytelling — a beginning, middle and end rather than a menu 25 of 87 sites here
Takes after Swiss modernist 25% · Fashion editorial 22% · Period revival 14%
On 17% of culture winners against 10% of winners generally: drawn artwork rather than photography.
Campaigns 125 winners
Campaigns
Built for one moment, then archived.
- ×1.5 Parallax — layers moving at different speeds to fake depth 19 of 125 sites here
- ×1.3 Microinteractions — small responses to small actions — hovers, presses, ticks 33 of 125 sites here
- ×1.3 Typography — headlines set enormous, so the words are the picture 29 of 125 sites here
Takes after Fashion editorial 21% · Cinematic realism 13% · Swiss modernist 11%
On 15% of campaigns winners against 10% of winners generally: layers moving at different speeds to fake depth.
Fashion 64 winners
Fashion
Where the picture does the persuading.
- ×2.4 Luxury — the visual language of expense — restraint, space, slow motion 13 of 64 sites here
- ×1.7 Big Background Images — one enormous photograph doing the work 10 of 64 sites here
- ×1.3 Clean — plain surfaces, generous space 18 of 64 sites here
- ×1.2 UI design — the buttons, menus and controls treated as the craft 12 of 64 sites here
- ×1.2 Storytelling — a beginning, middle and end rather than a menu 19 of 64 sites here
Takes after Fashion editorial 51% · 3D and CGI 19% · Cinematic realism 11%
On 20% of fashion winners against 9% of winners generally: the visual language of expense — restraint, space, slow motion.
Art 90 winners
Art
Drawing and image-making as the subject, not the decoration.
- ×3.3 Illustration — drawn artwork rather than photography 30 of 90 sites here
- ×1.7 Unusual Navigation — menus that behave unlike menus 16 of 90 sites here
- ×1.6 Storytelling — a beginning, middle and end rather than a menu 35 of 90 sites here
- ×1.4 Experimental — rules broken on purpose 19 of 90 sites here
- ×1.3 Colorful — colour used loudly and on purpose 27 of 90 sites here
Takes after Hand and craft 23% · Period revival 18% · 3D and CGI 13%
On 33% of art winners against 10% of winners generally: drawn artwork rather than photography.
Film & TV 49 winners
Film & TV
Production companies, and sites that behave like trailers.
- ×3.4 Video — moving footage carrying the page 14 of 49 sites here
- ×2.0 Fullscreen — imagery running edge to edge, no margins 9 of 49 sites here
- ×1.5 Unusual Navigation — menus that behave unlike menus 8 of 49 sites here
Takes after Fashion editorial 26% · Cinematic realism 26% · Swiss modernist 21%
On 29% of film & tv winners against 8% of winners generally: moving footage carrying the page.
Play 73 winners
Play
Sites you operate rather than read.
- ×2.1 Filters and Effects — the image altered live — blurs, distortions, grain 11 of 73 sites here
- ×1.9 Colorful — colour used loudly and on purpose 31 of 73 sites here
- ×1.4 3D — objects with depth rather than flat pictures 39 of 73 sites here
Takes after 3D and CGI 18% · Swiss modernist 13% · Period revival 8%
On 15% of play winners against 7% of winners generally: the image altered live — blurs, distortions, grain.
Photo & Video 41 winners
Photo & Video
Moving and still image work, shown at full strength.
- ×2.4 Big Background Images — one enormous photograph doing the work 9 of 41 sites here
- ×2.3 Gallery — work presented as a collection to browse 8 of 41 sites here
- ×2.0 Luxury — the visual language of expense — restraint, space, slow motion 7 of 41 sites here
- ×1.3 UI design — the buttons, menus and controls treated as the craft 8 of 41 sites here
- ×1.2 Clean — plain surfaces, generous space 11 of 41 sites here
Takes after Fashion editorial 41% · Cinematic realism 27% · Swiss modernist 14%
On 22% of photo & video winners against 9% of winners generally: one enormous photograph doing the work.
Food & Drink 48 winners
Food & Drink
Small brands with more personality than budget.
- ×1.9 Illustration — drawn artwork rather than photography 9 of 48 sites here
- ×1.7 Colorful — colour used loudly and on purpose 18 of 48 sites here
- ×1.5 UI design — the buttons, menus and controls treated as the craft 11 of 48 sites here
- ×1.3 Scrolling — the scroll itself used as the main control 14 of 48 sites here
- ×1.2 Typography — headlines set enormous, so the words are the picture 11 of 48 sites here
Takes after Period revival 21% · 3D and CGI 16% · Fashion editorial 16%
On 19% of food & drink winners against 10% of winners generally: drawn artwork rather than photography.
Architecture 47 winners
Architecture
Space and structure, shown on a flat screen.
- ×4.0 Luxury — the visual language of expense — restraint, space, slow motion 16 of 47 sites here
- ×2.7 Minimal — as little on screen as the job allows 11 of 47 sites here
- ×2.5 Gallery — work presented as a collection to browse 10 of 47 sites here
- ×1.8 Big Background Images — one enormous photograph doing the work 8 of 47 sites here
- ×1.7 Clean — plain surfaces, generous space 18 of 47 sites here
Takes after Swiss modernist 31% · Cinematic realism 25% · Fashion editorial 22%
On 34% of architecture winners against 9% of winners generally: the visual language of expense — restraint, space, slow motion.
Photography 30 winners
Photography
A portfolio problem: how to show the work without competing with it.
- ×7.6 Photographic — photography as the primary material 8 of 30 sites here
- ×4.3 Infinite Scroll — a page that never quite ends 8 of 30 sites here
- ×3.9 Gallery — work presented as a collection to browse 10 of 30 sites here
- ×3.1 Footer Design — the foot of the page treated as a designed space 6 of 30 sites here
- ×2.0 Typography — headlines set enormous, so the words are the picture 11 of 30 sites here
Takes after Fashion editorial 38% · Swiss modernist 28% · Cinematic realism 10%
On 27% of photography winners against 4% of winners generally: photography as the primary material.
Events 28 winners
Events
A date, a place, and a reason to turn up.
- ×3.9 Filters and Effects — the image altered live — blurs, distortions, grain 8 of 28 sites here
- ×2.1 Sound-Audio — audio as part of the experience — still rare anywhere 5 of 28 sites here
- ×1.8 Microinteractions — small responses to small actions — hovers, presses, ticks 10 of 28 sites here
- ×1.7 Colorful — colour used loudly and on purpose 11 of 28 sites here
- ×1.4 Transitions — movement between states rather than hard cuts 8 of 28 sites here
Takes after Period revival 21% · Cinematic realism 18% · Swiss modernist 14%
On 29% of events winners against 7% of winners generally: the image altered live — blurs, distortions, grain.
Sport 32 winners
Sport
Speed and rivalry, shown on a screen.
- ×2.5 Single page — everything on one long page instead of a site to navigate 5 of 32 sites here
- ×1.9 Sound-Audio — audio as part of the experience — still rare anywhere 5 of 32 sites here
- ×1.7 Fullscreen — imagery running edge to edge, no margins 5 of 32 sites here
- ×1.7 UI design — the buttons, menus and controls treated as the craft 8 of 32 sites here
- ×1.5 Parallax — layers moving at different speeds to fake depth 5 of 32 sites here
Takes after Cinematic realism 31% · Fashion editorial 28% · 3D and CGI 19%
On 16% of sport winners against 6% of winners generally: everything on one long page instead of a site to navigate.
Institutions 17 winners
Institutions
Public bodies and organisations, where clarity is the whole job.
- ×5.2 Social responsibility — a cause or public duty as the subject 4 of 17 sites here
- ×2.7 Footer Design — the foot of the page treated as a designed space 3 of 17 sites here
- ×2.5 Big Background Images — one enormous photograph doing the work 4 of 17 sites here
- ×1.9 Clean — plain surfaces, generous space 7 of 17 sites here
- ×1.6 Scrolling — the scroll itself used as the main control 6 of 17 sites here
Takes after Swiss modernist 40% · Cinematic realism 20% · Fashion editorial 7%
On 24% of institutions winners against 4% of winners generally: a cause or public duty as the subject.
Property 20 winners
Property
Selling a place you cannot walk through yet.
- ×5.3 Luxury — the visual language of expense — restraint, space, slow motion 9 of 20 sites here
- ×2.9 Parallax — layers moving at different speeds to fake depth 6 of 20 sites here
- ×2.3 Minimal — as little on screen as the job allows 4 of 20 sites here
- ×1.8 Video — moving footage carrying the page 3 of 20 sites here
- ×1.6 Clean — plain surfaces, generous space 7 of 20 sites here
Takes after Cinematic realism 39% · Swiss modernist 22% · 3D and CGI 11%
On 45% of property winners against 9% of winners generally: the visual language of expense — restraint, space, slow motion.
Hospitality 14 winners
Hospitality
Somewhere to stay or eat, sold on atmosphere.
- ×4.2 404 pages — the bespoke error page as a flourish 3 of 14 sites here
- ×4.2 Luxury — the visual language of expense — restraint, space, slow motion 5 of 14 sites here
- ×2.2 Colorful — colour used loudly and on purpose 7 of 14 sites here
- ×2.1 Parallax — layers moving at different speeds to fake depth 3 of 14 sites here
- ×1.6 Scrolling — the scroll itself used as the main control 5 of 14 sites here
Takes after Cinematic realism 25% · Period revival 25% · Swiss modernist 17%
On 21% of hospitality winners against 5% of winners generally: the bespoke error page as a flourish.
Apps 22 winners
Apps
A product page for something that lives on a phone.
- ×2.4 Graphic design — poster-and-print craft carried onto the screen 4 of 22 sites here
- ×1.9 Startups — the young-company look — bright, direct, confident 5 of 22 sites here
- ×1.8 UI design — the buttons, menus and controls treated as the craft 6 of 22 sites here
- ×1.7 Gestures / Interaction — drag, swipe and hold rather than click alone 4 of 22 sites here
- ×1.5 Transitions — movement between states rather than hard cuts 7 of 22 sites here
Takes after 3D and CGI 24% · Cinematic realism 14% · Period revival 14%
On 18% of apps winners against 7% of winners generally: poster-and-print craft carried onto the screen.
Publishing 10 winners
Publishing
Where the design must not make the reading harder.
- ×3.4 Minimal — as little on screen as the job allows 3 of 10 sites here
- ×3.2 Fullscreen — imagery running edge to edge, no margins 3 of 10 sites here
- ×2.7 Typography — headlines set enormous, so the words are the picture 5 of 10 sites here
- ×2.0 Microinteractions — small responses to small actions — hovers, presses, ticks 4 of 10 sites here
- ×1.8 Clean — plain surfaces, generous space 4 of 10 sites here
Takes after Fashion editorial, on 3 of the 9 read so far
On 30% of publishing winners against 9% of winners generally: as little on screen as the job allows.