Was 2021 better than 2020 for UX / UI? Definitely yes. New, amazing websites and applications were created, platforms were also developed, and thanks to new tools, creativity flowed like a fountain.
In the article you will learn:
When designers are forced to stay at home, it doesn’t really encourage their creativity, theoretically, they create more, and they also have time to reflect on what already exists. Unfortunately, increased isolation carries the risk of limited opportunities to draw inspiration from the outside world. Routine is the worst enemy of designers, who nowadays make a lot of effort to break it.
We can already anticipate most of the upcoming design trends. As with all trends, some of them stay with us for years to come, based on good and proven practices, therefore, of course, we will also transfer this year’s trends in UX / UI design to the next year.
So to the point …
This is! Scrolling a wall of long text is boring, especially if it is extended in an unnatural way, where the author describes the same issues in different ways. If you want to get attention, you need to implement scroll telling.
It is a form of narrative that can be presented both on the website and in the mobile application.
Scrollytelling is activated when the user scrolls down, hence its name. No clicks, no hassle with selection, no reloading, and no switching to new views. You seem to stay in one place, but scrolling through the story unfolds on the screen. This requires designers not only to create good visualizations. They really need to think about the story they want to tell; develop a storyline and define the expectations of the audience to whom they tell it.
Imagine that you create a website in which with each picture, with each scroll gesture, fragments of text and other elements, such as illustrations, begin to come to life, revealing another part of the content. Of course, you’ll want to see the end of this video-game-like story that guides you through a maze of symbols. You have no influence on its course, but you feel like a participant in the events on the screen.
Currently, the user, when browsing the Internet in search of interesting content, does not fully read the articles, scans random fragments with his eyes, and judges their usefulness on this basis. With such consumption, we have several seconds to attract the reader’s attention, otherwise, the content is at risk of being abandoned. Scrollytelling makes users actually engage with the content, they just read!
This approach will be implemented to the standards on every popular website you see in 2022 because readers are fed up with pages filled with information that they do not need.
Scrollytelling projects usually require a lot of time and effort. However, the results are worth it. The page becomes “alive”, something new is happening every now and then, and it is much more difficult to get bored while reading.
Give up adjectives, show the facts!
OK, if the facts are already there, pay attention to whether there is too much data presented in the text.
You need to make it not only simple, but also enjoyable to read, without having to delve into the numbers, so data visualization is key here.
Data visualization helps to convey the right message in an engaging way and it is also directly related to scrolling.
The reader may quickly notice the conclusion that the author is trying to reach with an image. And with the enormous amount of data that people consume these days, the numbers that are scattered in chaos don’t matter to the eye, they just get lost.
There is also a phenomenon known as the “COVID hangover”. Much more data is presented, consumed, and discussed on a daily basis in the age of a pandemic. In the long run, people are too worried and exhausted to analyze complex facts and figures in detail. Therefore, designers visualize data to catch people’s attention and help them quickly draw conclusions. Remember that complex information is usually ignored as readers try to save time and are more likely to use scrolling.
More and more designers use animation on websites and in mobile applications. All this is to improve user immersion and user experience, to make the content more interesting and enjoyable.
In 2022, “motion design” will be an important and well-thought-out element of the brand positioning on the market. Think of your company’s new visual identity as an animated identity.
Animation can convey a message by creating an emotional connection between the interface and the user. Currently, a common way to combine animation with content is to interweave it with GIFs, which can complement the content with a fun twist.
Global brands use animation both in social networks and to create advertisements. The undoubted advantage of animated illustrations is that they are very flexible, varied, and simply engaging.
It is important to achieve harmony in the elements and not to be distracted by all sides of the monitor. A large part of the micro-interactions is the colors that give meaning to the interface elements. Therefore, before 2022, it is better to remember how to use cool and warm color palettes.
Micro-interactions should make it easier to navigate pages or apps, explain functionalities and introduce users seamlessly.
It is known that animated logos make no sense for printed products. However, online brands face new challenges and look for new solutions, and one of them is the animated logo design
Are there any marketing advantages to animated logos? Yes, here is the list:
In summary, it’s becoming increasingly important for brands to not only have a strong visual design but also to have a functional design. If your customers are unable to navigate your website, navigate your app, or experience a product or service, they will move on. Better design equals better customer experience.