7 UX Trends That Will Shape 2019
2019 is going to be a watershed moment for UX design and human-machine interaction. It will bring us many changes and only those who dare will get a head start on their competition.
The future is here, and it belongs to those who dare. 2019 is going to be a watershed moment for UX design and human-machine interaction. Companies that adopt and harness new UX trends and technologies like voice-enabled apps, biometrics, and augmented-reality will get a head start on their competition.
1. Voice-Activated Interfaces
Not long ago, speech recognition software was like trying to have a meaningful conversation with a 2-year old. This technology has improved in leaps and bounds and the trend will only accelerate with new hardware and algorithms coming on to the market. This growth in voice-activated devices is being driven forward in a frenetic race led by technological giants like Apple’s Siri, Google’s Assistant, Microsoft’s Cortana and Amazon’s Alexa. The latest user statistics show 71% of smart speaker owners use their voice assistant daily which can be attributed to a better user experience.
2. Augmented Reality
Augmented reality (AR) was a buzzword in 2018 and many companies began building prototypes and proof of concept (POC) projects. With the latest generation of Android and iOS mobiles phones hitting the shelves, many of those projects should be available for the majority of mobile users. Will 2019 be the moment of truth when it comes to AR as we see its commercial potential outside of the realm of gaming?
3. Biometric Authentication
Half of us are already using our fingerprint to unlock our phones and I believe that we all agree that this is a super useful feature. For good or bad, iris scanning, voice & facial recognition, fingerprints, and vein pattern authentication will start to replace passwords and PINs, which is especially important in eCommerce. In 2019, we will see more of biometrics being used not only on phones but also through the web browser.
4. Device-Agnostic Design
For brands and companies focused on a mobile target audience, the user experience of a software application or website should be seamless while moving from one platform to another. UX designers will now have to design with more and more devices in mind from smartphones, smartwatches, desktops and even new foldable display devices.
5. CSS3 Animations
Interactive elements and content are a great way to engage with your customers online while enhancing the user experience. Big name brands are being pushed to invest more time and resources into creating micro-interactions, scrolling effects, motion graphics, and background videos to stand out from the crowd and show they are serious about digital transformation.
6. Chatbots
With their ability to assist and guide users, chatbots are actually becoming quite useful. In 2019, we will see a steady rise in chatbots that help users find information and complete tasks. As chatbots collect more data and run more powerful algorithms, we should begin to see them replacing their human counterparts. Industries that are typically information heavy and highly procedural will be the first to benefit – government, legal, finance, and insurance.
7. Changes in interactions
2019 will be the year to say goodbye to the ‘hamburger menu’ and hello to ‘gesture navigation’. Designing more efficient menus and navigation solutions will be a priority in 2019. Many companies are turning towards sticky navigation with menu elements on the bottom, top or the sides of the page. Some are going even further by implementing gesture-only navigation. As people become more used to swiping up and down, and long swipes from side-to-side, UX Designers can definitely start to push the boundaries in mobile application and website navigation!