Users will determine a reputation for an online business based on their experiences whilst using their platform. By providing a positive user experience, they’re likely to visit again and recommend to their friends. 

2021 may have been different, but UX and UI professionals still play a crucial role in achieving this. We see new and emerging trends each year, and clients and businesses are being challenged to be ‘different’ and find ways to stand out from their competitors; by providing unique experiences. 

As the digital world looks to adapt to current circumstances, and the use of handheld technology is on the considerable rise, we look at some of the UX/UI trends that will reshape the future. 

The Age of Remote & Virtual Reality 

There’s no doubt that 2020 changed the way in which we work, communicate and collaborate. Virtual Reality and aspects of remote have been apparent across sectors such as education and healthcare. It hasn’t been the easiest instalment to implement in the past, however, more people are realising that it has become a necessity for various needs, other than entertainment. 

Zoom was the ‘hot’ piece of technology last year, as meetings, podcasts and other events were hosted on the platform. There’s a chance we could see more ‘virtual offices’ and virtual collaborations in the future. virtual-reality workspace start-up Spatial, have presented their version of how it could look. 

Remote working is by no means a new thing, but the pandemic has given that and virtual reality a boost. 

Touchless’ Interaction 

Voice command technology has been one of the fast-rising digital trends in recent years; and interacting with devices without actually touching it has become a popular option for users. Voice interactions have become one of the key trends for UX/UI for years to come. 

By adding a voice-user interface to future designs, this could expand its reach. An example would be using voice chatbots so users can interact using voice commands; this also applies to virtual assistants. We could see businesses creating complete voice-user interfaces. 

Air gesture control is a technique which has taken touch screen technology to a whole new level. Movements which users make in the air, now work on devices. A European luxury car brand, showcased their new mid-air haptic technology and world-leading hand tracking technology; claiming that it offers greater accuracy than touchscreens. 

Advanced Personalisation 

Personalisation is one of the popular ongoing digital trends in recent years. The purpose of personalisation from a brands perspective is to create and recommend content, based on user information. These include: date of birth, locations, buying and viewing habits. This is to make the user feel that the content is created specifically for them and as a result, will increase the conversion rate, visit and sales a commercial business would like. 

Good examples of this would be Amazon providing product recommendations based on your purchase and browsing history; and Netflix suggesting the types of content you’d prefer to watch, also based on your viewing habits and history. 

Personalised assistants are continuing to be developed to provide the best user experience by Google and Apple. You can interact with these systems with your voice, by your fingerprint and with face scan technology. 

In the future, interfaces are set to become even more personalised and change their appearance, position of elements, tone, and behaviour in general. 

AI’s role in UX

Artificial Intelligence is playing a big part in UX. Interfaces are being created based on user trends and habits. 

For example, we have the personalised music suggestions on Spotify. The suggested videos on Youtube or Netflix recommendations. Amazon creates a personalised homepage (when logged in) for each of its customers based on their shopping habits, Wishlist, and shopping cart. Interfaces can be made more personal to the user by generating content that is relevant to them.

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