The biggest UX/UI trends to watch for in 2019

We all know that good UX/UI design has to be visually appealing, responsive, and interactive. But with the advancement of technology, new trends are emerging on a regular basis and this year is no exception.

In this article, we have collected the biggest and the most significant UX/UI trends for any company to follow in 2019. Ready to make your website more converting and make your customers happier? Let’s get started.

User’s privacy

Last year was all about GDPR. The General Data Protection Regulation by European Union law came into force on May 25, 2018, and immediately drew huge attention.
It mainly focuses on the process of obtaining and managing user’s data and granted the EU residents bigger control over their private data and how the companies handle it. So how is UX ever related to GDPR and what can the designers do to ensure the site complies to this regulation?

User’s consent

What that means is that a user must be 100% aware that you are going to collect their data. Here is what you can do.

• Go through the user’s journey and analyze the current points of interaction where you ask for the user’s data. Is it clear enough for the user and do you provide enough information about how and why you collect the data?
• Get rid of pre-checked boxes or any other default agreement: no exceptions here.
• Make sure the users can withdraw consent at any time they want and inform them how they can do it.
• Be as clear and transparent as possible about the kind of information you wish to collect.

Data management

This means the user’s ability to manage their data, including account deletion.
In terms of UX, the users should easily find the section where they can delete their account and export the data. And, same as in the section above, the user should understand the consequences of account deletion and ways to restore it.

Voice UI

Voice shopping alone is estimated to hit $40 billion by 2020 and this is not the only sphere where voice UI is going to be used.
We already see voice UI being used in virtual assistants or smart gadgets and the industry leaders predict that the trend will continue to grow. The main reason behind it is the value that voice UI brings to the users: it makes the search process faster and easier.
Implementation of voice-powered commands cuts down the number of actions the user has to take and speeds up the process of achieving the result. Considering the requirements for faster service, this sounds like a big advantage for the companies.

Deep flat design

We have witnessed the reign of 3D design for quite a while but now things are changing.
Even though 3D is incredibly engaging and appealing, it is also quite complex and may affect the overall site performance. So designers are now aiming for deep flat design, which stands somewhere between 3D and flat design.
The depth of design helps users comprehend the image better. To achieve the 3D effect, designers now add shadows, reflections, and play with light positioning to make the flat image look “deeper”.
Another trend is using conventional tools (Principle, for example) to create a motion pattern that would resemble 3D.
All in all, the deep flat design seems to kill two birds with one stone: it’s relatively light-weight but at the same time has benefits similar to 3D.

Use of gradients and vibrant colors

Your website has to be visually appealing as this is the first thing that grabs the user’s attention upon landing on the page. Some of the ways to add aesthetics to your page is using gradients and vibrant colors.
This year, Adobe published a selection of the hottest Pantone colors that will rule 2019. Guess what’s in the selection – bold and vivid colors. The reason for that is simple: content creators need to stand out and get noticed. Also, don’t forget about color psychology and correspondence of color to your brand identity.
Some of the colors that will be trending this year are:

• Lime green
• Hawaiian Ocean
• Flame orange
• Cherry tomato
• Fuschia Purple

Sounds anything but ordinary.
As for the gradients, the reason for their popularity is simple: they add depth and dimension to design (see Deep Flat section above) and simply look good.

UX Writing

The copy is the king and there is no doubt about it. However, a new trend is on the rise today and it’s UX writing.
The main point of UX writing: write for the users. For example, if you inform the users about the cookie policy, you can write either “I Agree” or “I Consent”. Though both phrases share the same meaning, the first one is easier to comprehend than the second one.
So this year companies will pay double attention to the content of their websites. From page title to CTA buttons, every bit of the content will be polished to become more user-friendly and bring value for the user.
There are some features of UX writing to consider:

• Write in simple words instead of using “sexy” marketing ones,
• Focus on product, not sales,
• Collaborate with designers so the copy complements the design and vice versa.

As some people confuse copywriting and UX writing, remember the following: copywriting is marketing-oriented and UX writing is user-oriented. This is the main thing to keep in mind when crafting copy for your site.

Micro-interactions

Micro-interaction is a moment of brief engagement with the user and this trend has been gaining immense popularity in recent years. A good example of micro-interaction would be an option to swipe instead of tapping or animations.
Micro-interaction is the visual confirmation of a response to the user’s action and it works like a charm. Micro-interactions happen after a trigger, either user-initiated or site-initiated. In either case, these tiny design elements greatly boost user experience and distinguish a good website from an outstanding one.

Conclusion

2019 is going to be the year of customer-centricity and this sounds pretty exciting for all UX/UI designers out there. The biggest challenge for them would be to combine functionality, smooth performance, and visual appeal to both achieve high conversions and, at the same time, keep the users delighted and happy. Luckily, there are many available tools and tutorials at their disposal to make the most of the website and turn it into an ultimate converting platform.