UI/UX Trends To Follow For Your Next Project

It is well known that 2021 was exciting for designers all around the industry. This makes me believe that 2022 will be no less. Design trends now should be more user-centered and have an easy-to-navigate interface.

In 2022, we should always stay informed of the industry's frequently changing trends and the ways to follow them. Here is a distinctive list of the top trends UI/UX that will help you level up your game!

Dark Mode

Dark mode has been the most preferred choice of individuals these days. Apart from battery optimization and reducing eye-straining, it offers excellent benefits. This is nothing new, and it has been with us for years.

It provides several advantages to the users, such as reducing screen glare, and now most websites give their audience the benefit to toggle between light mode and dark mode. This mode also makes eyes less sore and dry and doesn’t reduce melatonin suppression which causes a negative impact on sleep if users use phones before going to bed.

If you haven't created a dark mode for your users yet, then it's high time you need to add them.

Immersive 3D Animations

Returning to the idea of 3D, illustrations are also becoming more than a flat, two-dimensional experience. 3D illustrations allow consumers to experience products more fully online, from shopping for shoes to virtually re-designing a kitchen, 3D visuals are gaining in popularity for their ability to connect with users.

With more and more tools on the market to create 3D illustrations, designers are honing their craft and we can expect to see more products and services in 3D. 

Using 3D design elements to your design provides an extra understanding that forces users to make the next move. It not only upgrades your design's overall aesthetics but also sets a standard for your competitors. This is one of the excellent ways of increasing the user-engagement rate.

Simplify Everything

Keep it simple. 

Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve seen plenty of companies introduce new features and services to help users. But the unpredictable nature of the pandemic meant that designers and developers had to act fast and deliver quickly. So, while these are functional, they don’t always provide the best user interfaces. 

As the world gets back on its feet, 2022 offers a chance to finally refine these additions, making them as aesthetically pleasing as they are usable – rather than some bolted-on Frankenstein’s monster of a feature. The challenge, then, will be adding more services and features, without impacting the overall experience. Indeed, it’s not enough to simply maintain. Apps and pages need to be streamlined, simplified, and uncomplex (at the front-end, at least). 

Inclusive Design

Diverse, inclusive, and accessible. These are the true UI/UX buzzwords of 2022. Building on the success of the tech sector in the face of a global pandemic, designers will want to continue strengthening those features to reach a broader user demographic. 

This means approaching the design and development of web pages and mobile apps with an ‘inclusivity mindset’. Look for areas that might need improvement – flowery (but ultimately unreadable) typefaces, small fonts, and hard-to-hit buttons are all surefire ways of alienating impaired users. 

Gather real-world feedback and test wherever possible, to ensure you don’t exclude anyone. Accessible designs don’t have to be difficult to craft. For example, help teams create digital product designs that work for everyone – without compromising on quality.

Localization in User Content and Experience

Personalization is key to creating those inclusive experiences – and, in the age of globalization, that means localization. Your teams should be ready to meet this challenge, offering customization options across your platform.

Back in the olden days, many users would turn a blind eye. The internet was built largely on American companies, and the rest of the world had to accept it. Users beyond the borders would ignore US English spellings and left-to-right interfaces, and other obviously non-localized experiences. 

Now, they expect their own preferences and online-cultural norms to be followed. The internet, after all, is for everyone. Take this into account when designing for broader audiences. For example, your ‘Add to Cart’ button might, for British users, become ‘Add to Basket’. Your login page might request an email from Western users, but switch to a mobile number, which is the default in certain Asian countries. 

Take time researching different markets, to identify what and where localization is needed. 

Metaverse

Virtual reality is a trend that is continually growing both in potential and popularity. Virtual reality is combining the real world with the digital and melding fiction with reality.

In an example of this, Facebook is heavily investing in VR technology and recently unveiled its new virtual reality project, the Metaverse, a virtual world. Facebook is even rebranding to Meta. In Facebook’s new space, digital representations of people (avatars) interact and meet one another at work and play.

Facebook’s Oculus VR headsets make it possible to enter this world that includes augmented reality layered into virtual reality.

If this is any indication, VR will be a large trend for the foreseeable future. And UI/UX design will begin to reflect this.  

In Conclusion

The UI/UX trends are always changing and developing for the better, so catch-up on these trends and stay ahead of the crowd.

Design trends are getting prominent day by day, and here at Xcidic we are capitalizing on said trends. We provide the most seamless yet functional UI/UX for your apps, programs, and websites. Overhauling your UI/UX is a simple task as you just need to inquire with us!