The UX Design field is ever-changing. It has become one of the most dynamic design fields out there due to the increasing number of users and demands.
So, what is to be expected in UX design in the coming years to keep up with these ever-changing consumer needs?
Based on several recent research, there seems to be an increasing interest towards creating a “personalized” experience for users.
Grab a cup of coffee and sit down and let us look at some hot topics in UX in more detail below.
-
Storytelling
Humans love stories. The existence of cave paintings, fairy tales, and all other words and images that smoothly move across time and unite us in shared narratives is proof that stories have existed from the beginning of time. These narratives and experiences are engrossing, arouse interest, and are fundamentally emotional. We envision this time-tested technology as a significant UX trend in 2022.
The user experience becomes the user’s journey and story when such elements, or plot pieces, are woven throughout it. Page by page or with each scroll, the linear progression reveals more information about the history of the business, its goals, and how users fit into its vision for the future of the product or service.
-
Double down on Motion Design
App users are getting more impatient by the day. Engaging them is difficult. To address the challenge, UX designers are raising their game.
Startups like Hotjar offer essential analytics with its heat map functionality. How users interact with your website is no longer a secret.
What are UX designers doing with this newfound information? One solution is Motion Design. The goal with motion design is to grab the user’s attention and spare their time and point them to a remarkable user experience.
-
Simplified UIs
UX designers are becoming increasingly aware that the best UX results from nailing the fundamentals. Therefore, they are working harder to only include necessary features because of this and emphasize minimalism over ornate 3D components.
A good example of this is Google’s portable UI toolkit, Flutter, which enables programmers to produce stunning mobile apps from a single codebase.
The rise in Single Page Applications (SPAs) is one of the best examples of the trend toward leaner user experiences. SPAs are not a recent development. However, this is becoming a more popular choice among developers for their simplicity.
-
Personalized Experience
Due to the wealth of content available online, an increasing number of apps and websites cater their services to the needs of each individual user, whether that means offering tailored recommendations or adhering to accessibility standards.
Localization (recommendations based on the user’s location), demographics (statistical information like age, gender, nationality etc.), and behavioral data are some of the things that personalization typically focuses on. With this knowledge, UX designers can develop a personalized experience and journey based on what people need or want.
A good example of this is Netflix’s home page where they have leveraged the user’s past watches and personal preferences to suggest them movies and tv shows of potential interest, and it works nicely, doesn’t it?
-
Inclusive Design
If people do not recognize themselves in the design, it is impossible to make them feel as though it was made specifically for them.
For instance, in 2016, the developers of the survival game “Rust” gained controversy for their choice to randomly select the skin tone of each player’s character. That might have been controversial five years ago. Today, though, UX designers are still striving to represent everyone.
Tech influencers are constantly pushing for ways to address UX issues for all societal members. Many are responding by stepping forward. Presently, many design briefs start out with a focus on accessibility and inclusivity. That can only be seen as a positive change in UX design.
UX design is in an interesting phase right now. User experiences are meaningfully changing in ways that are advantageous to both the user and the business. These trends work with and for the users, whether it is by adding excitement and adventure to the page through creative scrolling, data visualization, emotional engagement, or simply by producing seamless, smoother, and more personalized experiences.
Eager to learn new technologies with IFS? We’re hiring!
Visit ifs.com/about/careers-at-ifs
Do you have questions or comments?
We’d love to hear them so please leave us a message below.
