Halloween Design Trends (That Aren’t Overused)

While the holiday shopping season formally kicks off after Thanksgiving, Halloween represents a spine-tingling shopping season of its own.  Although the numbers took a dip in 2020, people around the globe spend billions on Halloween costumes, decor, candy, and more every single year. 

And because younger generations are willing to spend more of their growing share of disposable income on all things Halloween, you’ll reach this demographic more effectively, regardless of the services you offer, when you decide to get into the spirit! 

When any holiday comes around, it’s easy to work with the low-hanging fruit and rely on iconic imagery. But slapping a skeleton on a header image won’t exactly set you apart from competitors when it comes to Halloween. Plus, your users will notice if you take the time to do something special. 

Check out the following Halloween design trends you can use to stand out from every other pumpkin in the patch.

Spooky but Sweet

Blood and gore are hallmarks of Halloween, but there are certain ways to make your haunting designs more high-end. Lots of retailers are leaning into imagery that pairs macabre icons like skulls and snakes with softer elements like florals and blush tones. 

Michael’s main Halloween page is a great example of using an on-trend photo above the fold. While there are still plenty of traditional monsters lurking throughout their Halloween pages, the arts and crafts chain made sure to show something striking upfront. 

Retro Renderings

Sometimes, it’s hard to tow the brand line and create the atmosphere you’re after. For certain businesses, like daycares or movie theatres, it’s easy to find the right style of imagery. But when cartoonish images or old-school horror movie designs don’t vibe with your site, you’ll have to try something unexpected.

Vintage halloween designs and decor ideas are a great way to invoke the holiday spirit without hurting your credibility or bending your branding too far from what your customers would expect. This could be a great theme to use for a ghastly infographic or killer display ad, especially for companies that wouldn’t traditionally lean into this particular holiday.

Magical Apothecary 

Apothecary is a great option for eCommerce sites looking for a fun holiday spin. Whether you’re an actual apothecary or just an online seller of other wares and services, you can revamp your inventory pages to create a supernatural storefront.

Take product photos of smaller wares in jars and glass bottles to recreate an eclectic environment through your imagery, or use ethereal background animations like floating orbs or falling leaves to create interest in your inventory online.

Chilling Color Choices

So, you’ve realized orange looks terrible with your brand colors—time to improvise. Fortunately, there are quite a few colors that can create the mood you’re hoping to achieve, and one is bound to beautify your current branding.

Cool colors like purples and greens are often associated with all things All Hallows Eve, but the right shade of red, brown, or blue can achieve the same effect without compromising your current brand efforts.

A Little Goes a Long Way

If you’re not in an industry that would traditionally see a lot of changes surrounding Samhain, there’s no need to overhaul your entire website. However, you can still have a little fun with users without designing a whole new look.

A simple pop-up message to your users to make them aware of any seasonal discounts or promotions you’re offering can be enough to entice some of your Halloween-loving users into learning more. You can also add in a slide on your homepage, install a creepy plugin, use some simple spooky icons, or create a Halloween-themed logo to display for the month. 

Don’t be Someone You’re Not

Although dressing up as someone else is Halloween tradition, your digital efforts should still feel like you. For example, one of our IT Specialists, Arnie Sidik (you should work with us!), created this awesome sticker for our Omaha hub’s Halloween goodie bags. It’s fun and inviting—as you’d expect from our brand—and incorporates an iconic feature of our new home in the Ashton: the Millwork water tower!

Remember, speaking to your audience shouldn’t mean selling a holiday-themed product where it doesn’t make sense. It’s about creating a sense of joy and connection when users visit your site. So, consider these tips to make the most of harvest season and reap the rewards of your good design!