Last updated - January 9, 2024
User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design are key to a clear and comfortable customer experience with apps and sites. According to statistics, 88% of visitors do not visit the site again if it turns out to be inconvenient or does not allow quickly finding an answer to their request. At the same time, design trends do not stand still: you need to constantly develop the project according to trends.
We have compiled a selection of the most relevant points to consider in UI and UX in 2023. Attentive readers will notice that some trends have been relevant for several years. It is a fact, but they are still developing. By following these guidelines, you can create a website that can attract visitors and maintain users’ interest.
Mobile-first approach
7.1 billion mobile users worldwide is a strong argument to consider. More than half of the traffic on commercial sites already comes from mobile devices. By 2025, 7.5 billion people are expected to have smartphones and other gadgets. Devices become more productive and versatile, giving users many options. This means that when developing web projects, you need to keep mobile users as the priority.
Advanced personalization
It still remains at the top of UX and UI design trends. Whereas previously it was enough to take into account the interests of audience segments, now personalization is becoming more accurate: it takes into account the needs of each individual user. This is facilitated by artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. With the help of them, it is possible to analyze human behavior and recommend relevant content. Perhaps the most notable example of this trend is Netflix.
Voice control and search
The use of voice assistants (Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri) has become commonplace for users. Their popularity is growing. Perhaps soon, voice control and the use of voice search will compete with more traditional methods.
The Voice User Interface (VUI) is convenient primarily because it saves time and allows you not to enter text in the interface. Modern machine learning technologies offer tremendous opportunities. Therefore, it is worthwhile to find elements on the site with which users can interact with a voice, and implement such an opportunity.
More 3D elements
This trend is also not new. However, there will definitely be changes in it in 2022. So, now there is a tendency to use rather uniform large three-dimensional inserts. Their problem is that they increase the page load time or mobile application launch time.
Therefore, it is believed that in 2022, designers will focus on small frameworks to reduce launching time. Why do we need 3D elements at all? At least for:
- usability improvements;
- attracting attention;
- adding originality;
- design additions.
The 3D trend makes the site more interesting. The unique visuals appeal to audiences and make full use of the space available. It is believed that the presence of three-dimensional elements on the page increases the likelihood of keeping the user on the page and significantly improves indexing.
Neumorphism
One of the key trends in 2020 and 2021 remains relevant. Neumorphism is a fusion of the concepts of “new” and “skeuomorphism” (realistic interface). It is characterized by a fusion of realism and futurism. To do this, use blur, correction of the intensity of the shadow and other effects. The results look modern and attractive. These are images that you want to look at for a long time. Custom design elements made in this style are invariably eye-catching.
You can start with a logo designed in this style. You can really create it yourself, without a designer. Specialized services – for example, Logaster — make it possible to independently generate logo variants and experiment with design.
Dark mode
Many developers have already implemented dark mode on websites or apps back in 2020. It is believed that the design team of the Instagram social network was the first to do this, completely changing the appearance of the mobile application. It is worth saying that it was an experiment, but it was quickly followed by the Apple developers. After dark mode appeared on devices running iOS and macOS, the trend became worldwide.
It is believed that in 2022, almost all mobile applications will offer a dark design as an alternative. We are talking not only about the “black screen”, but also about other colors: brown, dark green, black and blue, etc. This will apply not only to gaming and multimedia but also to other mobile applications (including instant messengers).
The dark mode may expand beyond mobile to desktop in 2022. The number of sites with alternative design options will also increase: users will be able to choose the interface color that suits them.
Why dark theme is popular:
- it allows you to better highlight individual details;
- it saves the charge of the mobile device;
- and, it is more comfortable for eyesight.
The growing interest in dark design is changing the familiar interface of many sites and applications. In the coming years, the number of sites and mobile programs that will switch to the new design option will approach 100%.
New fonts
Typography changes happen every year. This is easy to explain: users quickly get bored of seeing the same classic fonts in texts on websites and applications. It should be noted that since 2020 there has been a trend to use several types of fonts on the page at the same time.
However, this trend will change towards a uniform style by 2022. At the same time, many designers will abandon minimalism, since this solution can no longer be called unique. The abundance of simple fonts has led to the creation of thousands of repetitive sites. But the font is a design element and should complement it. So in 2022, many developers will focus on using a single font for the project but will abandon the classic solutions.
Expected trend characteristics:
- serif font;
- changing the size from word to word;
- imposition of a translucent font on an opaque one;
- adding italics and saturation.
The result is the following: if you want to use this trend and make your project stand out from the rest, you will have to move away from the familiar and well-known fonts, choosing something original and at the same time convenient for users.
Micro interactions
Surprisingly, most modern developers are oblivious to this valuable method of building user communication, even though microinteractions directly affect audience growth and response rates. However, that is expected to change in 2022. Moreover, microinteractions will become a key trend in modern development.
Elements of the new trend:
- tactile responses in the mobile application;
- the ability to change the shade for each of the states of the program;
- visualization of the page loading process;
- animated transitions;
- interesting (unique) reaction to user actions (for example, to pressing buttons).
This trend will be able to make user interaction with an application or website more “human”. This can be explained because the user will feel contact and response. The evoked emotions will become factors in order to spend more time on the pages of the project and return to it after time. It is not only an improvement in performance but also an increase in brand reputation.
Design performance
As communication standards are improving, the once-fantastic 5G is already becoming commonplace. Despite opposition to the implementation of this standard (due to possible environmental problems), it is already influencing future trends.
Everything is getting faster – and users expect sites and applications to load much faster too. At the same time, the abundance of design elements slows down the loading significantly. Therefore, it is better to use only those elements in the interface that are really useful for visitors and do not reduce the project’s performance in 2022.
Adaptability
It is a very important trend that cannot be ignored in the modern world saturated with mobile gadgets. Moreover, the characteristics of the screens are different for all devices. There are bezel-less smartphones, devices with rounded edges, flexible ones, and gadgets with screens of different sizes.
We need to work on adapting mobile versions of sites for these features now. The image on the screen of any mobile device must be of high quality, including in terms of functionality and comfort for viewing.
Adaptability means:
- full screen filling;
- convenient navigation using gestures;
- improvement of visual perception;
- creation of full-fledged graphic details;
- maximum image quality.
Naturally, adaptability is far from a new trend in UX, but modern requirements are much more complex than those that were in the beginning. The new look of mobile devices presents developers with new challenges: the interface needs to be rewritten or adapted. Just a comfortable display on the screen is good. However, it is important to add convenience and attractiveness to it. Now the appearance of the application is of great importance.
In addition to the adaptability trend, there is a concomitant multiplatform trend. The average user has several devices: a computer, tablet, smartphone, wearable device. It is important to him that the convenience features and his experience are available simultaneously on every device.
Conclusion
UX and UI in 2022 will increasingly depend on user experience. The use of artificial intelligence makes it possible to analyze individual needs and create the most adapted resources. Particular attention should be paid to micro interactions, and trends related to visual design need to be considered.
