Feature
The Gist
- AI integration. AI can generate both artistic and written content, enhancing design speed and customization.
- Analytics utilization. Real-time analytics allow businesses to adapt dynamically to user feedback and behavior.
- Emotional design. Emotional design deepens user connections, using psychological principles to make digital interactions more engaging and memorable.
Editor’s Note: This content has been updated on July 22, 2024 to include new data and information.
Digital experiences are more critical to business success than ever before. Enterprises are now under constant pressure to evolve, compete and disrupt in the face of an increasingly uncertain global economic climate. Consumers and businesses alike have raised the stakes in terms of what they expect and demand from digital, and with good reason.
As business leaders recognize that human-centered, ultra-personalized digital experiences are in high demand, UX design is coming into the spotlight like never before. Enterprises instinctively understand the importance of optimizing how customers interact with their brand. But how can they tell the UX hype from the long-term trends?
Staying updated with the latest UX design news is essential for industry professionals looking to innovate and stay ahead of the curve. Let’s take a closer look at five user experience trends to watch this year.
1. AI Moves From Assistant to Creator
AI-driven solutions have already impacted the UX design industry. Automation and analytics solutions have sped up the design process, improved usability and increased customer satisfaction. However, the rise in artificial intelligence- and machine learning-generated visual design tools promises to shake up UX design even more.
Companies like Jasper AI offer AI-generated written content. A variety of AI image generators, like DALL-E and Midjourney offer options for quick and easy imagery. And more sophisticated tools for generated video are also getting released onto the market, like OpenAI’s Sora.
In a 2024 McKinsey survey, 65% of survey participants reported that their organizations regularly implement generative AI in at least one business area — an increase from one-third the previous year.
We’re only just starting out on the AI/ML design journey. Although content will increasingly be defined, organized, managed and delivered by AI, UX designers will continue to play a critical role in understanding this new paradigm and shaping how we engage with digital products and services. For example, while AI can suggest design elements based on data, UX designers will still need to make the final decision on how those elements should be implemented to ensure they truly meet user expectations and enhance the overall user experience.
It is paramount that enterprises are transparent in discussing the ethical and security considerations surrounding AI-generated content. It’s a technology area that shows great promise but that will not fulfill its potential without trust and good governance.
Related Article: What Is User Experience (UX) Design?
2. Analytics Offer Better Agility & Engagement
Today’s brands are in fierce competition to remain relevant in their customers’ lives by curating delightful, seamless digital experiences. Data-informed design decisions help to create experiences that are continuous, consistent, customized and omnichannel. The continuation of this mega trend will see real-time audio and visual analytics become integrated into the customer journey.
For example, companies like Zara use real-time data to track which items are trending and adjust their inventory and recommendations accordingly. This approach not only enhances customer experiences by aligning offerings with current preferences but also reduces excess inventory costs. By integrating these analytics, user experience designers can dynamically adapt their interfaces and marketing strategies to meet real-time user feedback and behavior.
This also enables enterprises to optimize their interactions with customers as they happen, rather than relying on analytics that predict behaviors based on historical data. Understanding how customers engage with your brand in real time allows enterprises to listen, adapt and respond to their customers more effectively.
3. Cross-App Experiences Boost Customer Loyalty
Cross-application experiences are quickly growing in popularity. While we currently think of cross-app integration as integrating specialized systems from independent suppliers — ecommerce platforms, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions and so on — the next generation of cross-application integration will be defined by a focus on extending and improving customer experience.
When it comes to choosing cross-app partners, enterprises should consider providers whose offerings complement the needs of their customers’ own journeys and requirements. Cross-application experiences have the potential to deliver superior customer experiences that inspire greater engagement, loyalty and satisfaction.
To stay informed about the latest UX news, industry professionals will need to continuously track developments in cross-application integrations, as these technologies are rapidly reshaping the future of user engagement and loyalty.
Related Article: UX and CX: Key Differences and Where You Should Focus
4. Inclusive Accessibility Becomes the Norm
When the pandemic hit, digital became the only way some people could access business, leisure and education. And now, post-pandemic, consumers want organizations to maintain that access. Enterprises also have an added incentive to make sure their accessibility initiatives don’t slip, with digital accessibility lawsuits increasing thanks to legislation like the Americans With Disabilities Act.
According to a Forrester survey, 62% of polled organizations in North America have a top-down commitment to accessibility, with the main drivers behind that commitment being diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) along with compliance to regulations.
An inclusive design mentality, now a pivotal part of UX trends, is finally reshaping how digital products are created, moving from an afterthought to a core strategy in development processes.
More broadly, there’s a realization that almost everyone has had negative experiences with digital accessibility, regardless of whether they have a permanent “disability” or not. For example, being unable to see a screen in bright sunshine or typing with one hand because the other is in a cast. This strengthens the case for normalizing universal, inclusive and accessible UX design.
5. Emotional Design Deepens User Connections
In an effort to go beyond mere functionality and usability, UX design is increasingly tapping into emotions. Emotional design focuses on evoking positive feelings in users in the hopes of fostering a stronger connection between them and the product. As UX design trends continue to evolve, emotional design is becoming a fundamental aspect of creating engaging and effective user interfaces.
By integrating psychological principles into UX strategies, designers can create products that resonate on a deeper emotional level with users, making interactions more memorable and impactful. According to a study from Forrester, emotion is the number one factor in customer loyalty across 17 of the 18 industries surveyed, highlighting that emotional design can significantly impact consumer retention and satisfaction rates.
While the strategic use of colors, typography and imagery have always been key elements of emotional design, micro-interactions and narrative also play crucial roles. For example, subtle animations or feedback that rewards user actions can make experiences feel more personal and satisfying.
Several brands have successfully implemented emotional design to engage and retain users. Duolingo, for instance, leverages emotional design by incorporating playful characters and interactive lessons that reward learning progress with achievement badges and a visually rich learning environment. Another example is Headspace, which uses soothing colors and gentle animations in its app to enhance the calming experience of meditation, making mental health practices more accessible and engaging for users.
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UX Trends: Designing for the Future
2024 promises to be a disruptive year for UX. The latest UX trends on the horizon — many of which have been maturing for some years — will reach a critical stage, changing how designers create experiences, how enterprises engage with customers and how customers perceive brands. Keeping abreast of UX industry trends is crucial for companies looking to stand out in today's market.
Enterprises that can navigate these seismic shifts while continuing to captivate and engage customers will be the business success stories of the future. However, there will also be the losers — those who fail to adapt quickly to changing customer expectations. UX will prove the make-or-break differentiator.
