A Beginner’s Guide to Parallax Style Website Design

Parallax technology has been around for decades, forming the foundation of many web design techniques used in modern websites. Here is a brief guide to the little-known technology and how it can help revitalize your website design.

What is Parallax?

Parallax comes from the Greek word parallaxis, meaning “alteration”. It is a web design technique that is used to create particular visual effects on a webpage. The technique involves changing the speed at which graphics move in the background and foreground of a page. When someone scrolls through the site, the contrast between the background and foreground graphics makes the user feel like he or she is moving along with the page.

How Is It Incorporated into Web Design?

There are several methods for incorporating this technique into a website’s design:

Layer Method: Incorporating multiple elements into the foreground and background, which can scroll either horizontally or vertically.
Raster Method: Composites and refreshes and image’s lines of pixels from top to bottom.
Sprite Method: Combining several 2-dimensional images to create a layered illusion.
Repeating Pattern or Animation: Creating the illusion of individual tiles “floating” against a repeating layer in the background.

What Are the Benefits of Parallax?

Using parallax scrolling makes a website more dynamic and engaging, giving the user a more memorable browsing experience. The impressive visual effect created by this technique adds to the overall impression of a site’s credibility and allure, making browsers want to stay longer and decreasing bounce rates. When creative web design techniques like this are used, it makes users want to explore the site’s content and see what else the business has to offer.

Though its roots date back to early graphic design technologies, the parallax technique has only recently become popularized in website design techniques. Its dynamic and engaging effect makes for an unforgettable user experience!