Mastering Waves in Web Design: A Step-by-Step Guide
Waves are a popular design element in modern web design, but they can be notoriously difficult to create. In this article, we’ll explore how to create different types of waves using both CSS and SVG.
Understanding Wave Shapes
Before we dive into the code, let’s take a closer look at the basic shape of a wave. A wave is essentially a rectangle with an oval above and below it. By overlapping these two ovals, we can create the shape of a wave.
Creating Waves with CSS
To create a wave effect in CSS, we’ll start by creating a wave div with a relative position and fixed height and width. We’ll then create two pseudo-classes for the purple and red ovals.
“`css
.wave {
position: relative;
height: 100px;
width: 300px;
}
.wave:before {
content: “”;
position: absolute;
top: -50px;
left: 0;
height: 100px;
width: 300px;
border-radius: 50%;
background-color: #800080;
}
.wave:after {
content: “”;
position: absolute;
bottom: -50px;
left: 0;
height: 100px;
width: 300px;
border-radius: 50%;
background-color: #ff0000;
}
“`
Creating Waves with SVG
Creating shapes like waves is often easier with SVG than CSS. Let’s create the same wave from above using SVG.
svg
<svg viewBox="0 0 300 100">
<path d="M 0 100 C 150 50 150 150 300 100" stroke="#800080" fill="none" />
</svg>
Layered Waves with SVG
Another common wave design involves using multiple waves to form a layered effect. To recreate this, we’ll make three similar waves with slight differences in amplitude and frequency.
svg
<svg viewBox="0 0 300 100">
<path d="M 0 100 C 150 50 150 150 300 100" stroke="#800080" fill="none" />
<path d="M 0 80 C 150 40 150 120 300 80" stroke="#400040" fill="none" />
<path d="M 0 60 C 150 30 150 90 300 60" stroke="#200020" fill="none" />
</svg>
Tools for SVG Creation
There are several online tools available to help you create SVG waves, including:
- SVGPathEditor
- Get Waves
- SVG Wave
These tools allow you to create and edit SVG paths, generate random waves, and layer waves without writing code.
With these techniques and tools, you’re ready to start creating your own wave designs using CSS and SVG. Experiment with different wave shapes, amplitudes, and frequencies to create unique and captivating designs for your website or application.