2020 is a year for big changes in the web development industry. There are new technologies available that are having a substantial impact on how we develop website front-ends and more changes are expected to follow. If you want a new project started or changes made to existing assets, then you should partner with a front-end web developer that is tuned in to these trends and technologies.
What is Front-End Web Development?
The question, “What is front-end development?” is a common one among business owners that want to build an online presence, but are unfamiliar with the process. Everyone who has used a website has an idea of what front-end development is since they have first-hand experience with the results of the development process. Front-end web development is the process that is used to design and build the user interface (UI) of a website. Essentially, it is the process of creating all user-facing parts of websites.
There are special methods used to design website front-ends to meet specific objectives. Since every user interacts with a website through its user interface, it is one of the most important parts of the website. There are many technologies and methods specifically devoted to front-end design that change every year. This is why it is important to stay up-to-date on the trends so that you can be sure that your website uses the latest developments in the industry.
jQuery and Angular.js v2 for Engagement
There is an ongoing focus on engagement in the web development community. Businesses want websites to engage their users so that they provide more value and interactivity. Specialized tools are being developed to make this easier for developers. In the earliest days of front-end technology, the best tool that front-end developers had was JavaScript, but that has evolved into new frameworks. Two of the most popular and highest rated are jQuery and Angular.js.
jQuery was originally designed to make JavaScript work easier. By combining features and adding new commands, jQuery was able to package features into useful bundles to make interactive elements. Animations, custom button actions, and many more interactive features were made easily available through jQuery. It has been updated several times to stay relevant and is an easy-to-use method of increasing front-end interactivity and efficiency.
Angular.js was developed to make engagement methods easier to implement. Similar to jQuery, it made animations and similar enhancements easier. However, it also made unseen enhancements easier as well. Angular.js v2 is now available and provides a powerful method of designing a more engaging front-end.
Atomic Design and Modular Methods
The rise of smart mobile devices led to the need for more modular front-end designs. By splitting the user interface into smaller, modular components, the interface can be reshaped to fit the needs of each device and use case. Front-end developers have taken this concept further with Atomic Design.
Atomic Design combines modular design methods with a focus on the overall composition. You start at the smallest size components (atoms) and build them up to larger organisms (web pages). It forces developers to think in detail about how everything comes together and builds on top of each other to make a website function. Developers are using it to make better modular websites that can be reconfigured for better implementations.
React.js and User Experience
Alongside the user interface (UI), front-end developers are looking at the user experience (UX) for improvements. As devices get faster, people want to be able to do more with their devices. This means that user interfaces have to keep up. React.js is designed to simplify coding and systems so that they run faster and are more reliable. Building in React can be easier and deliver faster performance than other frameworks. Plus, React.js is designed to make maintenance much easier so that you can extend and grow your system without breaking the system.
Vue.js and Progressive Development
One of the hallmarks of new design trends and technologies is the concept o progressive development. Systems can be improved over time, which is why companies and developers focus on getting something online and slowly pushing improvements to it. It is an effective way of starting and continuing a project while trying to grow it into a larger and more functional system. New technologies are doing this and it is having an impact on how they are used.
Vue.js is growing in popularity because it uses progressive development to continue to improve. As more companies adopt it, Vue.js continues to expand and improve to meet their needs. It is expected to become one of the leading technologies alongside React.js and jQuery because it offers a robust set of features in a compact size.
Finding the Right Partner for Projects
If your company needs to grow or update its online systems to meet the needs of a 2020 audience, then your first step is to find the right partner for your projects. At KitelyTech, our team has experience with the best and latest technologies so that we can help you build any front-end or full-stack project that you need. Call us at (800) 274 2908 to schedule a consultation about your next project.
