So, you’re a designer. Maybe you’re a UX designer. You want to be sure you’re up to date with the latest trends. You want to make sure that you’re creating the best possible experiences for your users. You want to be able to talk the talk and walk the walk. So, here’s our guide to the UX design trends that you should take note of for the year 2022.
So let’s dive in
Table of Contents
Developing for voice first
The evolution of technology is such that we’re no longer relying on a screen to interact with the things we use. Rather, we’re interacting with them through voice.
This is a big shift from how we’ve been interacting with technology to date. Think about how you use your phone. The majority of the time, you’re using an app, right? You’re not interacting with your phone through voice. However, it’s becoming increasingly clear that voice is the future.
Currently, this is only the case for those who have smart speakers, such as the Amazon Echo or Google Home. However, as technology evolves, it’s likely that this will become a much more common way of interacting with technology.
In a world driven by digital, brands must recognize that the future of voice and AI-driven interfaces is here, and now. In order to continue to connect with consumers, brands must provide the right channels, products and services that allow the voice-driven experience to thrive.
Rise of mixed reality
When you think about virtual reality, the first thing that comes to mind is likely to be a headset. However, it’s not just about that. Rather, it’s about mixing real world interaction with something virtual.
An example is the HoloLens. The HoloLens is an augmented reality headset. It allows you to interact with virtual objects in your real world. The last few years have seen a rise in the use of this kind of technology.
An increase in collaboration
Collaboration is a huge part of the design process. However, it’s not just about working with your team internally. Rather, it’s about working with other companies and brands. It’s about working with agencies, freelancers and contractors to create the best possible experience.
The reason for this is simple. There are so many different people out there doing cool things. By collaborating with other people, you can bring all of those cool things together to create something even better.
This is a trend that is likely to continue into the future.
Scrollytelling
Scrolling is dead. Long live scrolling. Scrollytelling is the new way of telling your story. Instead of just using text and images, you can use a combination of the two. You can create something much more engaging for your users by letting them scroll through the story.
Make data lovable
Data is pretty much everywhere. However, most of the time, it’s just plain boring. You need to make it lovable (or at least, less boring). Think about how you can make it more engaging. Think about how you can make it more fun. Think about how you can make it more interesting.
Make your data lovable.
Go 3D
Heard about Metaverse? If so, this is pretty self-explanatory. Now, we’re not talking about creating a full-on virtual reality experience. Rather, we’re talking about creating something that’s 3D.
Why is this important? It’s important because of the rise of mixed reality. As stated above, mixed reality is all about combining the real world with something virtual. One way to do this is by creating a 3D object that can be used in a virtual world.
This is a trend that is likely to continue into the future.
Emotion-led UX
In the past, UX Design has been a logical process. However, this is not the case anymore. In fact, it’s probably not the case at all. Rather, the best UX is emotion-led.
The reason for this is simple. When you’re designing something, you need to think about the emotions that it will invoke in your users.
The best UX designers are those who understand the human mind and human emotion.
Leverage continuous research
It’s no secret that the best way to learn about your users is to research them. However, it’s easy to fall into a trap where you’re constantly re-researching your users. This is a waste of time.
Instead, you should be leveraging continuous research. What does this mean? It means that you should be constantly taking note of what your users are doing, what they like and what they don’t like. You should then be able to make decisions based on that information.
Microinteractions
Finally, we come to microinteractions. Microinteractions are small details that you can use to make something more memorable. Think about the last time you interacted with something and then forgot about it. Think about how you can use microinteractions to make that something memorable.
Empathy-driven design
The best UX designers are those who are empathetic. They’re able to put themselves in the shoes of their users and think about how they’d like to be treated. They’re able to think about what they’d like to see and what they’d like to do.
This is a trend that is likely to continue into the future.
Bonus: A Return to the Basics
This is a trend that is less about what’s happening right now and more about what will be happening in the future. We’re seeing a return to the basics. This is a trend that is likely to continue into the future.
What does this mean? It means that we’re starting to see a return to the basics. The basics of what makes something good design. We’re seeing a return to the basics of user experience. The basics of how to create a good product.
In the past, we saw a lot of trends. However, it’s time to go back to the basics. It’s time to think about what makes something good UX, what makes something good UI and how to create a good product experience.
Conclusion
So, this is our guide to the UX trends for 2022. Think about how you can use these trends to create the best possible experiences for your users. Don’t worry about whether they’ll be relevant in the future. Instead, use them to create something that is relevant right now. Use them to create something memorable. Use them to create something that your users will love.
What are your thoughts on the trends that we’ve outlined above? Let us know in the comments below!
