UX has been a buzzword within businesses for a while now, but as a UX Designer, you need to be able to cut through the gimmicks and understand what are the latest things happening in the world of User Experience.

If you’re trying to break into User Experience or just want a refresher on what’s happening out there, here’s a short introduction to the most current trends…

2018’s biggest UX trends!

Minimalism

One of the biggest trends this year is the customer’s desire for minimalist websites and browsing. Consumerism and hyper marketing can be overwhelming for consumers and often, with the influx of information, businesses make it difficult for website users to find what they want.

Reducing the amount you have on a page can be a benefit because as navigation becomes easier, conversions will follow. Although it’s tempting to include everything relevant on the page, somethings just don’t interest the customer. Data analysis is vital here in order to understand which areas of the site aren’t getting enough clicks – possibly indicating that this section is irrelevant and should be removed.

Personalisation

Data analysis can be used for more than just optimisation and minimalisation. It can also play a big part in personalisation, another, more obvious trend. Although most adverts are personalised, few companies will fully personalise their customers’ online experience.

Something as simple as personalising the language, by using certain relevant phrases, can make the process more comfortable for the user and help them to relate to a business. Personalisation to this degree can make a user feel like a VIP and give them a rewarding sense of direct communication.

New Interfaces

The latest trends within the electronic consumer market play a big part in how User Experience is changing. A clear and recent development would be the introduction of VUI (voice user interface). More and more people are now shopping online and seeking information with the use of their voice, for quicker results than looking at a screen. As a result, businesses that ensure their website is compatible with VUI will be the ones who ensure they don’t miss out on these potential customers. 

What will be the biggest trends in 2019?

It’s difficult to predict, but we can assume the majority of these 2018 trends will continue into at least the first half of next year! It’s also likely that we’ll see a development in service design and how UX enhances a customer’s in-store experience.

But what do you think? We would love to hear your predictions for next year’s UX trends - tweet us @ForwardRole!

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