
UX trends to watch out for in 2017
Speed is of the essence where web design is concerned. Increasingly, the emphasis is shifting to how your content should be displayed, instead of what that content might be. Whilst filling a website with great words and imagery is still the bedrock of your online presence, UX (user experience) is the conduit through which they’ll make an impact, meaning it’s just as important.2016 saw multiple innovations in the UX sphere, and this year is set to see another leap forward for web interfaces. These are the biggest trends we’ve come across so far:
Innovative Scrolling and Parallax
Parallax scrolling configures a digital backdrop that mimics a sense of 3D dimensionality, whilst it has been around for a while it is now making a comeback in a new way. By layering the points of an image separately, with objects in the foreground scrolling quicker than those behind them, it creates the illusion of space and distance.
Age-responsive interfaces
According to Adobe, 38% of people won’t engage with a website if the layout in unattractive to them. Often, this relies on what age bracket the user inhabits: children prefer bright primary colours and large text, whereas older users might appreciate a subtler palette, with more complex features. Age-responsive interfaces are set to infiltrate web design in 2017, switching up fonts, graphics and positioning to suit each demographic.
Chatbots
Automated chatbots are getting smarter, at a breathless pace. Web visitors can speak to a robotic customer service assistant, which looks for key utterances that relate back to its databank, helping it match a request to the right solution. But chatbots also learn about our preferences, needs and buying habits the more they interact with us. Expect widespread adoption over the next 12 months as companies seek to save time and cash on human resources.
Changes in verification
Passwords and identity confirmations are a thorn in the side of the internet experience. People simply hate having to jump through several, finicky hoops to reach their account or make an order. 2017 is on course to meld a handful of cutting-edge tools – such as voice recognition, location sign-ins and thumbprint verification – to eliminate an extended typing process. Soon, account entry will be as seamless as the rest of a website’s loading stages.
Vibrant visuals & semi flat design
On the aesthetic front of UX, we’ll encounter a host of striking, saturated colour tones for landing pages and the like, along with chunky typography. This somewhat evidences the continuing push for mobile-tailored sites, where the flash of greens and yellows, as well as large lettering, makes a design stand out on a smaller screen.
The transition from flat to semi flat design begins with adding light shadows, enhancing the webpage and making it look semi flat. Using smooth shadows adds depth to images and content pods without destroying the flat design feeling.
That’s it for the 2017 crystal ball – we’re confident that the next 12 months will drive fantastic improvements to how people feel and respond towards brands online. Some of these, of course, will influence our own approach for the coming year.