The goal of user experience (UX) design is to provide users with an effortless experience when they interact with digital products. Effortless digital experience is about limiting the number of steps users have to take to accomplish the tasks that the app is designed to do. With the proliferation of digital channels for customer acquisition and engagement, customer experience has become a top business priority for business-to-consumer (B2C) companies.
UX is a critical part of the customer experience journey of consumer businesses, with 73% of companies with above-average customer experience [1] performing better financially than their competitors. Even business-to-business (B2B) companies perform better than competitors with improved customer experiences, resulting in a 15% reduction in customer churn and a 40% increase in win rates [2] .
Investing in UI/UX design can bring rich dividends for companies across both B2B and B2C segments. UX design is a dynamic and evolving field that needs to strike the balance between enhancing customer engagement and attending to customer needs through detailed user research and translating them into features through wireframes.
Some user experience design trends for 2022 are
Mobile-first approach
Each year, new mobile devices with new screen sizes and resolutions are introduced, adding to the UX designer’s responsibilities to adapt their design to these devices – whether it is a new iPhone model, a smartwatch, or any other device. As a result, mobile-first has emerged as one of the most significant UX trends.
Even though responsive design has been prevalent for a while, technology innovation and the introduction of new devices bring new challenges that necessitate continuous improvements.
Augmented and virtual reality
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) will influence future experience design as AR and VR redefine how users interact with the product. AR and VR enable immersive experiences, which will become an integral part of business communication as organizations adopt hybrid work environments.
As metaverse gains traction, UX design trends for 2022 will include immersive and customized experiences that respond more directly to a user’s needs and environment in real-time. This will lead to a new set of UX design rules with broad-based influence across all industries.
3D design
Experience design trends for 2022 have one common underlying theme of creating an engaging and immersive experience, i.e., 3D design. Using 3D elements in design is not a new concept, but it will see renewed interest in 2022.
In the past, developers have been using oversized 3D inserts that increase page load time or application launch. This year, the emphasis will be on small frameworks and less demanding computing resources. The inclusion of 3D elements will improve usability and impart a high degree of originality to the design, especially relevant in the context of metaverse gaining adoption. In addition, we will see greater adoption of design content based on 3D for applications across web and mobile ecosystems.
Neumorphism
Even as Neumorphism relates to Skeuomorphism, there is a new focus on UI design related to it. Neumorphism UI trend is a term used in Graphical User Interface (GUI) design to describe interface objects that resemble their real-world counterparts in how they appear on the screen. The focus of Neumorphism is all about the color of the entire screen, using solid colors, blending contrasts effectively, and using shadows.
Glassmorphism
Glassmorphism is a UI design term that emphasizes light or dark objects placed on colorful backgrounds. The main aspect of this trend is a semi-transparent background with a sublime shadow and border, giving the background the impression of frosted glass. The frosted-glass effect achieved by using background blur adds depth to the design and establishes verticality.
Glassmorphism is the evolution of a similar concept that had first been introduced by Apple in 2013 and revived with its latest update, macOS Big Sur, in November 2020. The design trend has been steadily growing in popularity since 2021.
Dark mode
Dark mode refers to user interfaces with predominantly black or other dark-colored backgrounds. Light colors for text and secondary details stand out with better contrast. The dark mode is now becoming the default choice.
The dark mode offers a minimalistic visual tone. It is a key component of the overall efforts to de-stress users who spent significant time looking at the screen with a predominantly white background. Even users prefer to use dark mode, as highlighted by research from Android Authority[3] stating that 91.8% of people use dark mode wherever available.
We can expect to see more web and mobile applications and digital products in the dark mode in 2022.
Voice User Interface (VUI)
A voice-activated user interface enables users to interact with UI using a voice command. The rise of smart speaker devices and the general use of voice for search will continue to influence UI and UX design in 2022.
With Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) solving the challenge of word recognition accuracy, VUI will continue to evolve.
Typography
Typography followed strict guidelines a decade earlier. But designers are now experimenting with fonts, shapes, emojis, and textures to enhance user experience. Using intricate typography, the designer conveys information concisely that can be understood by customers effortlessly
Holographic/Neon
Holographic/Neon trends complement the immersive user experience of the metaverse, augmented, and virtual reality. The trend is characterized by vibrant, glowing colors, abstract shapes, and hologram-looking textures.
Personalized experiences
Personalized experiences have become a regular part of experience design with more customer data availability. Companies have a treasure trove of customer data, from demographics and behavioral data to localization and more, which enables them to personalize their customer experiences. With artificial intelligence and machine learning, hyper-personalization is becoming a differentiator for customer-centric companies. Personalized experiences benefit customers and enhance the company’s business performance by increasing the lifetime value of customers.
Micro-interactions
Micro-interactions are small visual moments where the user and design interact. The ‘like button’ or a scroll bar, that shows users where they are on the page, are the design equivalents of micro-interactions.
As UI/UX design evolved from static to dynamic, the significance of micro-interactions in the user experience journey increased. It will be one of the defining UI trends.
Design thinking
Design thinking, a practical and creative problem-solving approach, focuses on humans first and foremost to understand needs and creates user-centric solutions to meet them. As digital experience becomes central to an organization’s technology-enabled business transformation, design thinking will be another important trend to watch out for in 2022, when human-centric computing finally comes of age. With artificial intelligence (AI) driven applications being developed across industry verticals, engineers and data scientists will collaborate with design thinking professionals to better understand the problem from user perspectives and create the most appropriate solutions.
Conclusion
UX design trends are ever-evolving. While the above-stated trends can be helpful, partnering with a dedicated user experience design services provider like Nous Infosystems can help you adapt easily to the changing trends without altering your entire design process. Nous’ experience design consultants can help you stay ahead of these trends to meet users’ needs and expectations and deliver exceptional user experiences.
References:
1. 50 Stats That Prove The Value Of Customer Experience
2. Finding the right digital balance in B2B customer experience
