One of the things you want in your web designer is someone who is aware of the latest advances and trends in web design - but who is also keeping track of when something is just a fad, or when it could be the next step in the progression of web design.
That has been our process with, say responsive web design - as we've seen for ourselves the benefits of this approach to website design that incorporates both desktop and mobile designs into one, we've become convinced that it's more than a fad. It's a trend that's going to stay.
And recently, we're starting to become bigger and bigger fans of parallax websites.
Parallax design is a visual style in which the background of the website (usually an image or images) moves at a different speed than the content in front of it as the visitor scrolls down the page. It's a very cool visual effect that you have to see to believe. You can check out a particularly interesting example, a website with behind-the-scenes information for the movie The Life of Pi, here.
If you've never seen a parallax website, there's a good reason why: it hasn't really caught on, especially with business websites. You'll more often find it now on "edgier" websites or websites aiming for a cutting-edge impression.
But there's no reason that parallax design should be limited to these websites.
In fact, it could be the web design choice that revolutionizes your website.
Summary: If you're looking to do more with your website, and not just do a basic redesign, consider getting a parallax website or including parallax pages in your website.