7 MAJOR TRENDS IN USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN IN 2020
Chatbots, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, voice interfaces… If we had been told at the beginning of the decade that all these terms would be so common today in the design of user experience, we probably would not believe it.
And it is that our discipline is especially sensitive to changes in user behavior, the technological advances that cause them, and the cultural trends that arise in this context.
2020 is an iconic year. It is the end of an intense decade and the beginning of another in which global challenges such as climate change or the proliferation of disinformation are going to have a tangible impact on the user experience. Let’s see what the main trends that we are going to find this year are.
1. A more conscious and inclusive design
One of the most important skills for a designer has always been his ability to empathize with the user to execute designs that really respond to his needs.
But the user experience has to go one step further and be increasingly inclusive. The design should adapt to every user category. Hence, a company cannot say that it takes its users into account if it does not take into account all its users.
2. A more collaborative work process
Whether you work in small or large companies, the collaboration between designers and between different specialties is a value on the rise. The growth of remote work and the constant specialization of design disciplines make it increasingly necessary to work as a team and break the myth of the designer working and carrying out solo projects.
The popularity of collaborative applications like Dropbox Paper is one of the symptoms of this trend. Isn’t it true that you have fewer and fewer documents on your computer?
3. New specializations like UX Writing
Design teams are getting bigger and bigger and taking on more and more responsibilities. This creates the need for specialists who can effectively cover specific areas of the design process.
UX Writing is one of these new specializations. The ability to use the content as a design tool that has a decisive influence on the user experience was one of the fastest-growing specialities in 2019, and this trend will continue in 2020. No, it is not exactly something new. There were already texts on the buttons and error messages before. What’s new is the recognition of this ability as an own speciality, with its rules, best practices, and processes.
Does that mean that as a designer, you must now know how to make copies, edit video, create animations, do 3D modelling, and analyze data? No. Each speciality has its place, and although it never hurts to expand your skills or deepen those you already have, the important thing in this context is to know how to work with other specialists, knowing what each one can contribute to the whole.
4. Synchronization on different devices
People do not use devices, they use services, which are usually available on more than one device. When I listen to a podcast on Spotify on my mobile and I get home, I hope I can continue listening to the podcast where I stayed on the laptop. If I order an Uber from a smart speaker, I must be able to continue on its way from the mobile without interruption.
The service is independent of the device, and the main objective of the design is to facilitate the development of a task for the user on the devices they need, without interruptions.
5. New interfaces: voice, chatbots, augmented reality
With the simultaneous use of different devices, interfaces that we already knew, such as voice, chatbots, or augmented reality, are becoming increasingly important. The possibilities multiply, but it is important not to lose sight of the user’s needs. It is not necessary to make a voice interface in Alexa just because we want to be there, but because our users demand it.
The multiplication of interfaces makes it necessary to have new specialists. It also poses challenges, such as maintaining the integrity and consistency of the user experience across widely disparate interfaces.
6. Content-Priority Design
Content is also design. It is a key part of the user experience and a fundamental vehicle to transmit the values of a brand. Design without content is decoration. This idea, which in principle should not be revolutionary, is still now becoming a common approach.
And if the content is just another design tool, it must also have a place within your design guide, along with the rest of the user interface patterns.
7. The advancement of computational design
Computational design is a people-centred design approach that seeks to use software to generate iterative solutions to a problem, exploring possibilities within the parameters imposed by the designer. This allows the designer to deal with larger problems, in scale and in impact.
Design is more important than ever
Ultimately, user experience and interaction design is more important today than ever. The integration of technology in our daily lives means that we have to design services in a conscious, inclusive, and device-independent way. We also have to have new interfaces, such as voice or chatbots. Content will be an increasingly important design tool. The emergence of new design specialities is creating more collaborative work environments. And the computational design will open up new perspectives and approaches to design.
If you want to know how user research can help you improve in 2020, do not hesitate to contact us.
