Mobile app design in 2019 has gone past several elementary stages since the first iPhone was announced by Steve Jobs back in 2007. From the mobile-first design approach of the early stages, in which emphasis was given to interface design for smaller screens in preference to personal desktop computers, trends have veered toward the design-first approach. In this latter approach, web designers separated the coding problem from the design problem.
The question developers began asking then was how to define the problem that the design solution was intended to solve. A number of terms unique to design such as creativity, empathy, agility, and openness began to be put to use. However, in 2019, even the design-first approach has become passé. So, what are the new trends that designers are being influenced by this year?
1. More Convenient User Experiences
Convenience is the number 1 factor influencing online user experiences. People want a digital experience that solves their problem in a personalized manner, with the minimum effort being applied on their part. Customer understanding has grown by leaps and bounds with the advent of Big Data Analytics, IoT, and Machine Learning. The change now visible is that users will be expecting a smarter interface. This interface will need to be more interactive by responding to impromptu user requests as and when they are made. Needless to say, this requires AI capabilities to be integrated into common mobile apps.
A typical example of intelligent software is the chatbot. Many companies employ chatbots to automatically pop up in the middle of the screen and ask if the user needs help when he/she appears to be taking too long at a screen without navigating.
A good app will include a chatbot that not just makes for great UX but also helps collect data on user preferences, questions, triggers, and other behavior.
Finally, personalization data should be used responsibly and uniformly. The user should receive the message that his/her safety and security is of paramount importance to your organization.
2. Simplicity and Time Savings
Time-saving features and navigation familiarity still remain important in 2019. Login memory, that saves data on user forms, pleasing colors and readable fonts, user behavior anticipation, hiding extra utilities when they are not needed, limiting user actions to one per step, and using inconspicuous pop-ups that only contain helpful information related to the task at hand, are vital features that help in faster task completion. They also use less of the smartphone’s processing power and battery and make for more delightful service encounters.
3. Augmented Virtual Product Experiences
Product sellers know that many users like to touch and feel things before they buy. Hence, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, which allows camera and sound recording features, plus 3D effects to enhance limited product views, can be very helpful. The gaming industry has been using these aspects to make gaming more interactive for decades.
4. Voice Responsive Mobile App Design
Voice search and Voice control features can take your mobile app experiences up by several notches. Typing in instructions or navigating across screens is still cumbersome. Adding voice responses to your app is a great way to increase user convenience. In the future, visual/video control could be an integrated feature of such responsive digital systems. However, concerns for privacy will have to be resolved.
5. Increasing Visual Comprehension
It is a proven fact among teachers and educationists that pictures, charts, and animations help user comprehension of complex tasks. Arming your mobile app with friendly, hand-drawn illustrations can be a huge tool in winning the battle for user understanding and user experience, especially where multiple steps are involved.
You too can be a part of groundbreaking UX design, whether you’re fresh out of high school or a mid-career veteran. All you need is a curious attitude and the right mentor. Industry vetted mentors at Designboat UX/UI School have been providing 3-month short practical courses that are meant to help you break into this challenging career. Get started on a promising digital future. Talk to a Designboat UX/UI course counselor today!
Hi I am Amit Gupta, I am blogger at Asiaposts.com