UX Mobile Design: Five Trends for 2019

Introduction

Rapid digital transformation in business has accorded immense importance to UI/UX design. The latter enhance user interaction and experience on websites and mobile apps. This becomes all the more crucial considering the increased usage of mobile devices today to help brands strengthen their recognition among target audiences. In this light, we look at some recent UX design trends being adopted in mobile apps and mobile optimized websites.

UX Mobile Design

UXD Trend #1 – Navigation 2.0

The ongoing debate between top and bottom navigation on mobile app design is finally shifting towards the latter in 2019. ‘Bottom sheets’ and ‘swipe up’ gestures will see increased adoption across iOS and android interfaces. The reasons for this are twofold: preference of using one thumb to navigate mobile devices, and omnipresence of large screen devices. Hence, bottom navigation offers a suitable place within reach for important buttons.

In addition, the current trend tilts towards the incorporation of bottom sheets for sub-flows rather than overflow drop-downs, hamburger side-drawers, and pop-up dialogues. Bottom sheets are flexible in terms of facilitating vertical scroll for additional content and horizontal scroll for similar content, all without jumping screens. This allows for keeping primary context as a background anchor while designing end-to-end yet seamless sub flows.

UXD Trend #2 – Interplay of voice and visual interfaces

This year will witness seamless integration of both voice and visual interfaces in mobile app design with massive adoption. Visual UIs may leave out the mic button considering apps will expect users to simply speak when they feel like to interpret it in context. For instance, while occupied in other tasks like driving, users will merely say, “pick it up” to answer a call; “read it to me” to hear the notifications; or “compose a message/email” while multitasking. In addition, users may command the embedded conversational AI to find the cheapest or fastest options rather than sorting lengthy scrolls on small screens.

UXD Trend #3 – Vernacular mobile app design

Apart from including vernacular content, UX design will go one step further in including copy, iconography, colors, UI metaphors, and UX flows and features to garner native mobile users. For instance, Paytm has localized UI for several Indian languages. In addition, local users will prefer vernacular metaphors (such as badhiya!) rather than a ‘like’ to appreciate an online post.

UXD Trend #4 – Facial recognition

Apart from mobile manufacturers adding facial recognition for users to unlock phones, mobile app designers are beginning to incorporate the technology to their apps as well. This will aid ecommerce apps in approving purchases and online transactions while other social networking apps can harness facial recognition to ease the login process.

UXD Trend #5 – Animation

Mobile app design professionals are understanding that human attention spans have reduced from 12 seconds to merely 8 seconds in recent years. The use of animation is thus intended to capture fleeting attention of users persuading them to stay longer on mobile apps. They can be used to illustrate how to perform a task or explain new app features and tutorials portraying information in an easier and more interactive manner. Arrows, pop-up speech bubbles, or a tapping finger helps guide app users.

In conclusion

The major goal for UX design is to create flows that allow easy access for users, wherein they can search quickly and accomplish tasks efficiently. It would therefore bode well for companies to incorporate these trends and invest well in their UX/UI design and in turn, enhance digital customer experiences. This becomes even more critical considering the massive competition prevalent in online business making it important to stay attuned to the emerging trends in the design field.

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