UI fresh trends of spring/summer 2022

Was 2022 better than 2021?

Definitely yes, if we're talking about UI design ??. Trends have already emerged in UI design, which determine the development of the industry. Some of them are reincarnations of the developments of previous years, while others are absolute novelties. But you can't ignore them - now the visual component of any business is just as important for promotion as its content. The coolest new websites and apps were created, new software was released for graphic designers. Creativity was booming. And even choosing the best trends of the year was difficult this time. The ARTJOKER team did their research to determine the top design trends of 2022.

1. Minimalism

Take a look at the leading tech companies, and you see a preference for simple, informative, minimalist interfaces. Thanks to minimalism, we let the user focus on the most important things without overloading the site with unnecessary information.?

Empty space improves the user interface, increases site load speed, and looks harmonious. We can observe that the design is becoming simpler: unnecessary things are going away, leaving only the really necessary and informative.?

The main thing is to be careful and not to sacrifice what is important to users in the pursuit of a trend. Every year this trend is becoming more and more popular, and more and more brands are starting to use it.

2. Brutalism

Brutalism is considered by many to be a kind of challenge to lightness, which until recently dominated not only design, but also people's perception of the world. Brutalism includes flat design, crisp outlines, contrasting colors, bold typography, and real-life photos. However, this new iteration of Brutalism lacks one of its main defining factors: the seemingly absent grid.?

This design is characterized by complete indifference to beauty, convenience, and other amenities. In order to fully understand what brutalism really is, it is necessary to see it. So, a distinctive feature is the imitation of the code on a dark background. Green, white text is also popular.

However, brutalism in UI design in 2022 is not always acidic colors of backgrounds and fonts, mess in typography and complete absence of media content. On the contrary, in many ways, the style echoes the Swiss style. For example, the same rules of indentation, small margins, text often acts as a graphic dominant, a limited set of fonts.

3. Glassmorphism

You come across this trend far more often than you might think. In fact, brands like Apple have used this design concept countless times in their products. Just unlock your iPhone, and there it is, the UI. This concept involves an opaque background and translucent key elements.?

Glassmorphism is everywhere - this is a fact. The glass effect isn't going anywhere, and we'll find it everywhere from built-in Mac OS Big Sur and Windows 11 elements to all sorts of applications. The main trick of this design is the addition of a blur effect that seamlessly "transforms'' two different elements into one. The result is the feeling of translucent glass separating the elements.?

4. Handwritten style

The main distinguishing feature of this style is to create the effect of a page in a notebook with hand-drawn sketches. The result is quite interesting and unusual pages that accurately convey the character of the company. Handwritten style has become popular lately, which instantly adds uniqueness to your work. Such solutions always leave a sense of special treatment and painstaking work. With a handwritten style your work will look authentic and unique.?

It can be hand-drawn doodles, newspaper clippings, and more that look like they were made hastily. The choice of style depends directly on the target audience of the site. If the page focuses on the young and creative, then this style is the best fit, and if the company is engaged in selling building materials, then to design the online store it is better to choose something more traditional.

5. Aurora Backgrounds

The main problem with interfaces is that they can't get too original, otherwise they stop being functional. So how do we combine function and form in a way that looks nice and organic? Colorful, blurry spots of color look very friendly, organic and definitely visually appealing ??. These splashes of color can be used as an entire background or just as an accent on some important interface elements. You know, just like the northern lights, which is the name I think would be perfect for the type of background we're considering.

6. Contrasting Colors

The bright colors in the UI design provide ample contrast, which increases readability. Because of the contrasting layout elements, it becomes easier to distinguish the layout structure. This trend involves the use of mega bright and contrasting colors in the design. It is necessary to check the color combinations and their contrast with each other at the beginning of the interface color palette definition.

Such colors can make you stand out from the competition and make your work more unique. Need a separate color solution for the screen, rich enough and contrast, with minimal difference from the brand colors. These colors don't necessarily have to match each other, there can be a bit of a mess in the color palette. It's important to get a feel for the style and collect feedback in order to make a really interesting piece of work. If you're tasked with making something unusual and bright, try using unconventional contrasting colors in your work.

7. 3D Abstracts

A few years ago, the number of sites and apps with 3D illustrations began to grow dramatically. 3D and pseudo-3D appeared in interfaces. 3D graphics is gaining serious momentum in modern design and is becoming more and more popular. 3D objects came into the UI, which do not claim to be realistic, but create an attractive appearance due to the volume.?

Basically, 3D is used in the areas of NFT, Saas, IT technology, as it is the most suitable style for such projects. The lighting and materials have been simplified to the max. 3D abstraction is now more relevant than ever, as it is versatile in its use.

8. Cardboard Style

It's no secret that consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious every year. Now environmentally friendly solutions are becoming popular in all spheres, and users are eagerly choosing them. As it turns out, "eco-friendly" look can be given even to digital products, UI design is not left out.

Every year, more and more brands take advantage of this trend. Why is the style called cardboard? Well, visually it resembles cardboard - the background is usually grayish, and resembles visually recycled cardboard. Typography is usually minimalist. Contrast is high. Colors are austere. Also, this style includes drawings, photographs and textures from real life.

9. Wild Typography

After discussing all the UI trends above - wild design may seem contradictory. However, this method is widely used on sites of many different subjects. Why? It seems like you can do whatever you want with headlines and paragraphs-it's up to you and your imagination. Mix fonts with shapes, photos, and emoji, put texture on them, choose a very complex shaped font, and experiment with the grid ??. This style attracts attention with colors and shapes, while not distracting the user from the functionality of the application and creates an original design. It's the easiest way to get customers' attention.

Let's sum up!

UI in 2022 is the development of 3d graphics, illustration, animation, font variety. UI goes into minimalism, lightness and simplicity. Particular attention is paid to details. The interface becomes less and less noticeable and unobtrusive. Graphic design becomes more and more daring, bold, absurd, with notes of brutalism and anti-design. ARTJOKER is one of the leading studios specializing in UI design. We understand the importance of user experience research, our designers have years of experience designing applications for you to order, and we provide you with tailored UI design services that can help your idea and application stand out.