📝 Issue #469: 4 Predictions for the Web in 2021, Burger King Rebrand, Creating Invisible Experiences, Top Pens of 2020, and more…

As we leave 2020 behind, we take a look at 4 predictions for the web in the coming 12 months. From the less likely to the all-but-certain, from design to development, from business to tech, we ask: Will minimalism be replaced? Is ecommerce ready for Bitcoin? Is Zoom culture finally over? And what is happening with WordPress in 2021?

Whether you’re planning a socially-distanced meeting or signing into a video conferencing call, finding a time that suits everyone involved is a messy process of back and forth emails and reluctantly agreeing to after-hours bookings. SavvyCal solves the problem by instantly finding suitable times in both your calendars.

As designers, we love design; we obsess over fine details, carefully crafting an experience until it’s honed to perfection. Users seldom notice unless that is, we get it wrong. Vasudha Mamtani explains the art of creating invisible experiences and why the absence of feedback is a special win in and of itself.

In its annual roundup, Google celebrates the best of its visual, experience, and business design over the last year. Heavily impacted by the pandemic, 2020’s collection of projects leans towards ideas that bring people together, facilitate remote working, improve our mental health, and help us look forward to 2021.

Bold is a headless content management system breaking into the professional publishing market with an exceptional set of tools. There’s a feature-rich content editor that includes built-in SEO and analytics. Bold handles the entire tech stack, so you’re free to focus on content. There’s a free trial available.

Contrast is one of the key elements of a designer’s toolkit. Whatever the brand color or voice that you’re working with, properly implementing contrast using hue, warmth, texture, and even spacing, creates impactful visuals and more usable experiences. This great guide will show you how to get started.

Reputation management is an essential part of growing a business. When people are talking about you on the web, especially on social media, it’s important you know ASAP so you can respond. Mentioned is a great app that tracks when your website is named online and alerts you via email. There’s a free plan available.

CodePen has gathered together the top 100 pens of 2020, based on the number of likes each pen received. There are some inspirational ideas throughout the collection and not all of them in the top ten. Olivia Ng’s Toggles are delightful, and Lynn Fisher’s CSS Leaning Card Effect is awesome.

Burger King has rebranded, introducing a logotype that draws inspiration from a vintage 1969 design. There’s a set of brand assets from a mobile-friendly icon to creative illustration and a custom-designed typeface to supplement the logo. Design agency JKR explains its creative thinking in this insightful case study.