Rich in Shapes
Don’t you have a feeling that lots of sites look and feel just the same? Copy + Paste “Template Technology” made our internet boring, predictable and devoid of creativity.
We can already observe a growing popularity of more graphical and visually advanced sites and apps. They create space for original solutions using bold geometric shapes and bright colors. The sites are going to be enriched with personalized information and features. Geometrical shapes, strong and vivid typography can save us from boredom in today’s digital world.
Conversational Bots
The time of chatbots is upon us. These interfaces, simulate human behavior and interact with us almost as real users. Using words instead of buttons, links or forms can turn our digital experience into a friendly dialogue. Online shopping or reading news can actually feel like a nice chat. With a bot.
Let’s imagine that the user flow is just a simple conversation with a user. Sounds like a fast and natural way for delivering the content, doesn’t it? The interface might actually be able to adapt and react faster than the user himself/herself. Whether you like it or not, bots are becoming a vast power to be reckoned with.
No more dropdowns and hamburgers
The trend of minimal design generates a lot of content, which is simply hidden behind the dropdown menus. Hamburger is now a must have for apps. It became really popular to cram the content behind the dropdown.
Does it simplify our navigation if something isn’t on the main screen? Do we really need some hidden content? Instead – maybe we should think about removing unnecessary parts and try to figure out a better solution which will improve the exploration of the content.
The navigation tab seems to be a new growing trend in the app’s UI, allowing us to swipe between sections without the awkward need of searching through different screens. We are pulling the plug on the hamburgers’ era.
Microinteractions
Microinteractions aren’t a new stuff but they are hot and on top.
They help users to understand better what is happening on the screen and improve communication with them. Well-designed applications inform us if a task is accomplished, giving a fast feedback or warning about errors. We can talk about the interaction design at its finest if e.g. we can see a green notification after adding an item to the basket or a check mark after a successful subscription.
Moreover, everyday devices are already full of tiny interactions, such as the vibration notification, sound muting or connecting using bluetooth.
As the Internet of Things is growing, it seems that microinteractions are going to be our good company along the way.
3D Touch Action Change by Apostol Voicu
Activity Map Animation by Mario Šestak
Skeleton screens
Site loads up so slowly! Well, not anymore.
Remember that especially mobile users are very impatient! They leave if nothing happens in the first few seconds. So what can the designers and developers do to avoid the annoying loader?
Load Skeleton Screens.
Deliver the content in parts starting from the blank version up until the final result.
When our wi-fi connection is really poor and we only want to check the time schedule, there is no need to wait for high-quality retina image. So first, we can deliver the important headlines, blank image spaces, and then details, icons and media.
With that simple move, we let the users know that the content is being loaded, allowing them to gradually explore the site at the same time.
More graphics, less stock images
Have you ever seen the “trustworthy” business images with smiling businessmen shaking their hands? Looks like a familiar hero image?
The internet full of dull stock images representing fake scenes is coming to an end. In the future, the trust of the user will be built by presenting unique graphic stories or interactions. There will be no place for super realistic photography bought on a stock market. Users can no longer be easily deceived, and the moment they feel fooled is the moment they lose interest.
Let’s try to present brands and companies using illustrations or abstract elements like typography or shapes. The internet is a digital space where all the effort of duplicating the real world does not always do the trick.
Advanced Animations
Have you ever thought why some digital products are getting much more popular than the others? What is the secret behind a successful UX in the world of hundreds of photo, gym and health apps?
Animated details, which imitate gestures and deliver illusory movement can actually help in building authentic and advanced digital experience, providing us with a better feeling of a given product.
They add an extra layer to our digital experience, allowing users to embark on a virtual journey. Furthermore, animations are starting to play an important role of whole integrated part, which is planned already during the design process rather than just being a cherry on the final product.
Nowadays, we just can’t design any native or web application without considering the use of animations.
Water effect transitions and getting out cards in book app by Nikita Duhovny
80% OFF — Black Friday by Barthelemy Chalvet for MarketMe