The fields of user interface and user experience design, both critical pieces of a digital user’s online journey, have seen a sharp rise in popularity and demand over the past several years. As such, the trends in these industries tend to rapidly change and evolve to better meet the needs and desires of users.
Companies that are ready to leverage these trends in their experience design will be better equipped to provide a more ideal user journey. To help your business prepare, the members of Forbes Technology Council shared 13 upcoming developments that will impact the UI/UX sector and what organizations need to know in order to make the most of them.
Corresponding Desktop And Mobile Apps
Every desktop application now needs a corresponding mobile app. I believe that very soon even the most complex applications that currently run only on a full computer will be expected to run on a mobile phone. That’s a tall order, and it will make UI/UX even more important than it is today. SaaS apps in particular will be expected to have this down cold. – Jordan McQuown, George Jon
UI And UX For Hybridized Environments
As the world continues to emerge from the pandemic, businesses must grapple with the challenges of a hybridized environment. We’ll be leaning on UI and UX designers differently as we engage with consumers in new ways. We’ve seen this transition occur with restaurants and digital menus. Now is the time for companies to strategize for a world that balances both digital and physical spaces. – Johnny Warström, Mentimeter
Experimentation With AR, AI And ML
Augmented reality will increasingly be part of UI, and UX will be informed by artificial intelligence and machine learning. The ability to be immersive without special hardware combined with information and functions that align to users’ needs at points in time will be the standard. Experimentation with these technologies to generate prototypes is how enterprises should prepare versus waiting for the next “transformation wave.” – Andy Lin, Provoke Solutions
Inclusive Design
Inclusive design has been growing in popularity over the past few years. Intentionally considering different types of users and how they might engage in your experience often results in an overall design that is universally better for all users. You can get started by identifying areas in your design that are exclusive (not optimized for an explicit group of users). – Amy Czuchlewski, Noggin
Keyword Optimization For Voice Search
Start thinking about how you use SEO keywords in your content. Voice search is growing in popularity, and optimizing your content for these users will create a better overall experience for everyone who finds your website. I suggest writing high-quality, conversational blog posts with your target keywords for more voice search visibility. – Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster
Larger Typography
Larger typography will continue to be featured as organizations simplify their messaging and as technology saturation results in prospective B2B customers spending less time on suppliers’ sites. Organizations should still continue to provide detail for many reasons, including credibility, SEO and depth of engagement; but these should be layered into sites and pivoted with tagging for consumer expedience. – Murray Foxcroft, ProArch
5G’s Impact On Javascript Frameworks
As we move to 5G, the amount of data we can use will increase by 100 times. All of the existing frameworks you see on mobile apps are built with 4G bandwidth in mind. If you expand the bandwidth by 100 times, the javascript frameworks they are built on need an update. Change the javascript framework, you change the UX. – David Moise, Decide Consulting
Micro-Interactions
The aim of UI/UX is to offer customers the same quality of service provided in a physical store. In this regard, micro-interactions are emerging as a trend across industries, with subtle design choices such as autofill options and timely reminders greatly enhancing user experience. Well-thought-out and well-designed micro-interactions will be key to effective UI/UX in the near future. – Sayandeb Banerjee, TheMathCompany
Generative Design And AI
The future of UI/UX will revolve around co-creating and empathizing with users. Generative design and AI will be game-changers. Websites will handle issues in real time with AI systems. Clients will demand interactive systems that are personal, unique and offer real-time responses. To manage the above, companies should invest in AI systems through nanotech design, emotion and ethnographic design. – Roman Taranov, Ruby Labs
Self-Guided Wizards And AI Recommendations
Self-guided wizards and context-driven AI recommendations are becoming the norm in UI/UX experiences. Companies should plan to reduce their training to simple text-based call-outs on relevant screens, which can help to quickly let users know about new features. Embedding AI agents and providing recommendations will go a long way to drive user adoption on the right side of screen panels. – Buyan Thyagarajan, Eigen X
Transparent Interfaces
UI/UX experts continue to search for the “holy grail” — a transparent interface. And we’re close. This means that users won’t have to adjust to a tool or service. Using them will be as intuitive as other human movements. An algorithm will examine and adjust to user needs and suggest solutions. This shift is changing everything: marketing, product development and business models. – Robert Strzelecki, TenderHut
Voice Activations
Speech is one of the most natural ways for humans to interact, and the technologies that enable it to continue to improve. Companies can prepare by mapping out high-value, high-frequency features they would want to activate using voice and by looking into existing solutions to help them break down and respond to voice commands. – Abhinai Srivastava, Mashgin, Inc.
Immersion Technology
Viewers are going to seek more ways to interact with products, services and customers. Companies can consider whether they are willing to make their offerings immersive and provide tactile solutions. VR may be relevant to your field. – Arnie Gordon, Arlyn Scales
This article was originally published on Forbes.