Design Trend: Zig-Zag Patterns and Alignments (Where Is the Grid?)

Smaller images, animation, and plenty of wild patterns are what you’ll find in this website design trend that’s popping up all over the place.

Without a clear thing to call it, you’ll know this trend when you see it thanks to zig-zag patterns and alignments for photos and the seeming lack of a grid.

Here, we’ll dive into this design trend and look at some ways you can use it and examples that really showcase how nice these designs can look.

What is the Zig-Zag Pattern Design Trend?

This design trend is all over the place – literally!

Designers are stacking design elements in almost random patterns on the homepage. You may find photos of different shapes and sizes, animations that move in unusual ways, backgrounds that are busy, or almost any other combination of photos that seem to defy a grid.

What works about this design trend is that it breaks the monotony of huge hero images and video displays that are quite common.

For the most part, designers are using this trend to showcase some pretty nifty animations as well. (So you should definitely consider clicking through all the examples in this article.)

Characteristics of the Design Trend

Zig-zag patterns, although they seem to break almost every design rule, are dynamic and visually striking patterns. They can add a sense of movement, energy, and playfulness to projects.

Buttons, icons, and sliders, can be stacked in unusual and zig-zag patterns to add a touch of modernity and creativity.

You’ll definitely...