With every new technological development, UX designers must be ready to adapt. We at Nepit, always want to keep abreast of what’s going on in the exciting field of user experience design. With 2019 upon us, it’s time to look ahead at what the year might bring. What will shape the UX landscape in 2019 and beyond? What new trends and talking-points should we be aware of?
Here are what we anticipate to be the biggest UX design trends of 2019.
1. Storytelling
We’ve reached a point in time where good UX is an expectation, not a bonus. These days, the frustrating user experience will quickly have consumers going elsewhere—there’s enough choice on the market to not have to put up with clunky interfaces and complex navigation systems! Thus, brands need new ways to stand out: seamless UX coupled with a memorable backstory.
Cue storytelling in UX. In 2019 and beyond, We will not only incorporate storytelling principles into the UX process; we’ll also work with brands to design products that actually tell a story.
2. UX Writing
In a field as broad as user experience design, it’s no wonder that we’re seeing a shift towards specialist job titles. The latest job title that everyone’s talking about is that of the UX writer/developer—and for good reason.
The UX writer/developer ensures there’s a dedicated wordsmith actually in the design team, making sure that the product is designed with a clear and consistent content strategy in mind. They’re an integral part of the design team, conducting user research and establishing a voice for the brand. Remember how brands need to start telling a memorable story?
All the major players like Facebook, Google and Amazon already have UX writers in their design teams, and we have a feeling that more and more companies will start to follow suit in 2019.
3. Device-Agnostic Experiences
It’s time to think beyond mobile-first. The user experiences that will win 2019 are those that are device-agnostic.
When it comes to user experience, today’s consumers demand freedom and flexibility. We want to flit easily from smartphone to laptop and back again, perhaps with a voice interaction somewhere in between.
Rather than focusing on individual devices, the device-agnostic design considers the user journey as a whole. It creates a continuous user journey that can pass through different touchpoints (smartphone, laptop, smart speaker, smartwatch…) without any friction. Device-agnostic UX enables the user to pick up where they left off, completing their interaction wherever it’s most convenient at the time.
Consider the task of online shopping. You might be scrolling through Instagram when a well-placed advert for a fashion store catches your eye. Intrigued, you click the link to the website and, sure enough, end up adding a few items to your basket. When it comes to making the purchase, however, you switch to your laptop, where the keyboard makes it easier to enter your card details. A few days later, you decide to download the mobile app and check the progress of your order on your smartphone. In order for this whole process to be pain-free, the brand will have designed a device-agnostic experience.
As consumer expectations change, so must our approach to UX design. Thus, we’ll see UX focusing less on specific devices and more on holistic user journeys.
5. Motion Design
Today’s browsers are faster and more powerful than ever before—meaning we’re ready to embrace motion design at its best!
Motion design breathes life into the digital interface through animation and clever visual effects. Think bouncing logos or spinning graphics while the page is loading. However, motion design is not just about creating a visually-pleasing interface. It is increasingly being used by UX designers to create a more meaningful user experience.
When used at the right moment, motion, animations, and transitions help to engage the user, aid navigation and usability and tell a compelling brand story.
In 2019 and beyond, UX designers will seek to strike the right balance between static simplicity and engaging interactivity. As a result, we can expect to see some wonderfully unique designs gracing our screens.
