UI/UX Mobile Application Design Trends that will reign in 2020
Evolution is necessary for survival in the long run otherwise extinction may happen, just as the Father of Evolution, Charles Darwin says, “Survival of the fittest is guaranteed”. The same goes for your business. Evolving continuously is very important to stay ahead of the competition in today’s world, where everything changes within a blink of an eye.
The world has been changing at a rapid rate since the advent of the internet and it will still keep changing with emerging technologies and trends.
If you are an entrepreneur or startup enthusiast, you must know that the usage of mobile apps will keep increasing in the coming days. That is why it is always better to keep up with emerging trends.
How important is UI/UX for mobile app development?
As per the UK web host review, almost 53% of mobile users usually leave websites within just 3 seconds. Also, did you know that 48% of users feel frustrated and annoyed with poorly optimized sites for mobile? That is why it is very essential for UX designers to identify the pain points of users like slow site speed and confusing navigation and work on providing a smooth experience.
From the mapping stage to rapid prototyping, one should research the browsing patterns of their target audience and focus on the user journey. A meaningful and intuitive user experience lowers the bounce rates and results in better conversions and increased sales.
Today, many technologies and trends are evolving and to provide a user-centric design approach, designers should have in-depth knowledge. There has been a growth in design trends pertaining to Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and chatbots.
Here are a few emerging technologies that will possibly influence the design and development of mobile apps in the near future.
Augmented reality
According to Statista, the market for AR technology is growing at a rapid rate and will touch a staggering $18 billion by 2023. Augmented Reality has already shown its magic in the gaming or entertainment arena. Who does not remember the huge success of the Pokemon Go game that had used AR in mobile gaming?
Let alone Pokemon Go! Instagram and Pinterest have also used interactive interfaces displaying intuitive designs and filters for enriched user experience. AR allows users to interact with the content effectively without any interruption. For accommodating as many challenges as possible, UX designers working on apps use various new features such as:
● Circular design patterns
● Cards
● Face filters
● Storytelling
● Interactive content layers, etc.
To boost user experience and increase conversion rates, famous brands like IKEA and L’Oreal have also experimented with augmented reality. Companies who wish to train their employees can rely on workforce apps having AR-based training programs.
Including the real-world experience in apps through ARadaption will be one of the top app development trends for content creators in the coming days. In fact, mobile apps that use AR features will be more successful than others in the market.
Virtual reality
Compared to AR, Virtual Reality is still paving its way to becoming a mainstream technology, although Google Cardboard has been leading the race by offering users a 360-degree experience. Not to mention that some of the latest Android smartphones support Google’s Daydream VR too.
The gaming industry has already seen a lot of progress in the use of VR headsets and research shows that VR will be one of the most sought-after technologies for digital product designers in the future.
By 2022, both the hardware and software segments of the VR market are forecast to reach almost $16.3 billion in size, and the hardware market is anticipated to have a revenue amounting to $10 billion by 2022.
UX designing is nothing without working on providing users with a better user experience. This means that VR has immense potential in taking advantage of elements like 3D graphics, and animation. If we go beyond, incorporating real-world experiences in a mobile app needs more than just a smartphone.
Advanced VR technology may require additional devices such as goggles, helmets, or even some controllers for users who want to experience VR to the fullest.
Artificial Intelligence
Connecting with your users and understanding their feelings and needs is what a UX designer should focus on. Recent advancements in mobile AI with virtual assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa, etc. and voice recognition, encourage a convenient and optimized customer experience.
To understand your users’ browsing patterns and learn more about them, Artificial Intelligence has helped a lot, allowing businesses to target audiences specifically and gain more revenue.
More and more industries are looking forward to combining machine learning with human intelligence to have a thorough understanding of user activities and behaviors by observing their daily usage patterns. Some of the popular future AI trends are:
● Image recognition
● Face detection
● Text and image classification
● Predicting user behaviors
● Sentiment recognition and classification
● Language and voice translations
Artificial intelligence can not only make your apps smarter but also enhance the user experience at every level and it is definite that AI will transform the way apps are developed in 2020.
While that was all about the technologies one should look out for in 2020, let’s take a detailed look at the top UI/UX design trends that will rule this year.
Asymmetrical Layouts
We all can agree that old is gold and that using the traditional template-based layouts will be easy to use for users. However, over the past few years, there has been a growth of asymmetrical layouts in the design space.
Asymmetrical Layouts apparently add a lot of character to the design and enhance the dynamics and visual appeal of the design. There is ample room for creativity and one can experiment with layouts endlessly keeping in mind that your layout should not make it confusing for users to find what they need. Well, with some practice and time, you will know how to place elements on a grid.
Neumorphism
Creating realistic design elements is what is called a skeuomorphic design. There has been a growing trend of “new skeuomorphism” (also known as metamorphism) where designers are exploring the options of modern fashion.
This can represent a very precise style of design by adding elements of shadows, shades of different colors, and glows that can easily impress the users and catch their attention in a short span. While neumorphism has already influenced a lot of designers, it will definitely be one of the major design trends in 2020.
Storytelling
An important aspect of UX design, storytelling helps in collecting input from people and building empathy for them. Being one of the most important UI/UX design trends, it is used to develop a good UX that can make users feel like they are associated with it. Also, through UI elements such as color, typography, animation, and interaction design, a positive emotional response can be created for visitors.
One of the most common storytelling techniques includes an introduction to a brand/product/service on the landing pages. If you want your users to gain information in the most creative way, it is necessary to adopt the strategy of a balanced visual hierarchy:
● Typography
● High-quality illustrations
● Bold colors
● Subtle animations
● Interactive elements
In other words, storytelling is an efficient marketing tool that has immense potential to increase the sales of your products/services. Having said that, it is no doubt that it will remain a successful tool in the coming years.
Microinteractions
If you wish to enhance the overall user experience of your products, micro-interactions are the solid evidence that you give attention to the details too. From the likes on Facebook to the animated images used for chatting on Whatsapp, there are tons of micro-interactions that make users feel connected.
UX designers should give special importance to naturally blending such microinteractions in an app to make a long-lasting impact on users. Many designers overlook this essential element and end up realizing that a huge aspect of their UI/UX design is missing.
To take your product design to an exceptional level, make sure your digital product design has innovative microinteractions for users. Include interactive animations, subtle color changes, and feedback elements in your app.
In a nutshell
Design is the secret sauce for successful mobile app development. If you’re looking to create a successful website or application for your company, it’s obvious that you should be implementing an innovative user experience design strategy that is aligned with the latest industry trends.
It’s important to realize that your customers are your strength to succeed in the long run and you have to keep them happy no matter what. A thorough heuristics analysis along with usability analysts who can provide expert recommendations about developing a user-centric UX design can go a long way.
Author Bio:
Ms. Manju Mohan is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ionixx Technologies Inc., a full-stack, design-driven product development company. Manju is responsible for the process of innovation, development, and growth strategies of Ionixx. In stride with an effort to always keep her venture evolving with emerging technologies and design-centric approaches, Manju has Ionixx currently focusing on Blockchain Technology, fintech solutions, online marketplace solutions, and UX Design.