As we step into 2024, the demand for UX designers is increasing at a rapid pace. In most nations of the world, UX Design is considered a sought-after profession. And since it is extremely dynamic in nature, this domain is experiencing rapid transformation and advancement. Needless to say, it is extremely crucial for a UX designer to be on the cutting edge of these changes. Here are some of the trends which are likely to pick up this year.
Micro Interactions
In an app, there can be some minor triggers which cause changes in the state of the app, ultimately helping the users to navigate it. These are called “micro interactions”. These micro interactions are useful in the following instances:
- color change for different states of the app
- website loading visualization
- animation of transitions between pages
- reaction to pressing buttons.
Micro interactions are getting more ubiquitous as time passes and they are expected to be all the rage in 2024.
Glassmorphism
You know a trend is really picking up when the world’s leading Operating Systems are adopting it. Through the latest macOS Big Sur, Apple has brought Glassmorphism to the fore in a big way. Glassmorphism refers to a design language where a light or dark surface is placed on top of a colourful background. And Apple’s archrival Microsoft has also adopted Glassmorphism under the Fluent Design System of Windows. They have a specific term for it: they call it Acrylic. iOS has been using this design language ever since iOS 7 came out, a few years ago. With the latest iOS 14, they have nearly perfected it. Android is also adopting this design philosophy.
3D and Immersive Experiences
3D has existed for a while now, especially in entertainment and visual media. But in the coming years, the popularity of 3D and immersive experiences will go through the roof. There was a time when 3D interfaces used to be heavy and contributed to page load times. But now with cutting edge advancements to the technology, and the modern front-end frameworks and libraries have reduced page load times significantly, allowing the 3D objects to become even more detailed and larger. The growth of interest in AR and VR in the coming months will add to the popularity of 3D.
Artificial Intelligence in UX
Last October, Adobe announced an update to Photoshop which included some powerful AI-enabled features from Nvidia, including the much touted neural filters. Sketch app announced new Colour Variables and Component View features. Figma declared AI features that made remote collaborations more comfortable. AI has already made major progress in mobile ecosystems, desktop OS, remote collaborations and many other domains that are part of our daily lives. But AI has also been instrumental in making design tools more efficient and productive.
Remote and Virtual to be the keywords
In the past year, the world of work has undergone major shifts due to the coronavirus pandemic. Organisations the world over learnt how to deal with most or their employees working remotely from home. Some of these companies have embraced these work practices permanently. This has caused the staggering growth of remote collaboration and conferencing software. In the matter of a year, the stocks of Zoom – the video-calling software – have risen by 600% in a year. All such remote solutions have been dominating design trends and they will only grow in the years to come. There is already a great interest in virtual offices and such other virtual solutions. We will soon witness the growth of corporate meetings held in VR. As the demand for these platforms increases, so will the demand for UX designers in these fields.
Conversational Interfaces
The meteoric growth in Artificial Intelligence in the past few years has paved the way for a range of human/machine interactions. Over the years, technologists and engineers have been trying to hone the ways in which humans can communicate with machines. It is safe to say that now they have perfected it, with the increasing popularity of chatbots, digital assistants and smart speakers, among other things. The task of conversational UI is to make the discussion with machines feel more natural and organic.
Many of these trends have existed in some form or the other, but now they are coming into their own, with advancements in tech. Some of them – such as glassmorphism – are relatively new concepts that are fast gaining ground among users. A UI/UX designer in 2024 would do well to get on board and learn or at least understand these trends.
FAQs For UX Trends
Why is Micro-interactions Important?
Basic animation and micro effects can go a long way in enhancing the user’s perception of the product/ interface. things, like dynamically shifting colors when a user hovers over parts of an app or changes in text/ title while scrolling, can greatly improve usability and user experience.
What is a Glassmorphism Design?
Glassmorphism is a style that, uses properties and the look of glass to make the design look more appealing. It gives a translucent or transparent look and feels to its elements.
How AI helps Design?
AI could help design through chat boxes, voice, or even animation.
