The next trends in UX UI design for 2022.

UX/UI design trends are constantly changing, and it could be hard to keep up at times. Thanks to new tools like Webflow, we are much more free to experience new possibilities in web design, which gets us really excited for the future. As a marketing and branding agency, we keep questioning those trends. Are they safe to follow? Should we follow trends? Or should we step up? Here is our analysis.

   Trend #1: Fewer Images in Heroes 

The Heroe area on your website refers to the area in web design located on the top section. Minimalism is sometimes crucial when it comes to design at times. Too many striking images can overwhelm the viewer right off the bat and make them not want to continue on your website. We noticed that many designers use abstract illustration in the heroes section, which seems pretty interesting. Naturally, it allows visitors to think by themselves and have their own interpretation of your company. Curious, they would scroll down to know more and discover what you do.

This trend is both surprising and interesting as we would naturally expect a first section of a website to directly display all of the information, at least the most important one. Here, designers are playing with a bit of mystery, and we kind of like the dynamic here.

A website created by the company x garden uses typography, color, and shape to create a solid and distinct corporate identity. The image they use is light on the eyes and interactive when touched, and all you want to do is interact with the website to see what happens to the graphic. 

Positive aspect: drags the attention to what matters most: the activity of the company and creates an interaction with the visitor.

Negative aspect: looks a bit impersonal if not well executed.

 Trend #2: Oversized Typography  

Large typefaces are one of the most prominent web design trends right now—the greater the lettering size, the better. We know that using different sizes of typography creates a hierarchy of information. Basically, the designer decides which information to highlight and why. As far as SEO purposes are concerned, a picture can be heavy in terms of weight and lowers your page's speed, so using more typography as a design element can be an alternative. (It’s even a plus if you use Google’s fonts)

Designing typography is mathematics, geometry, balance, and inspiration. Although choosing typography could seem so simple for everybody, it is way more complicated. Most fonts would take its inspiration from a retro, bauhaus, contemporary, modern, minimalist, art movement. By selecting a specific one, you bring a whole atmosphere to the design. That’s why some designers would mix some typography together, to find the right balance. In the end, you choose the message you want to convey. 

A website made by Antara Studios is a great illustration. They have their catchphrase written in big typography in the middle, giving us an idea of what they do from the first glimpse of their website. The hierarchy of the elements creates a functional reading. Great execution!

Positive aspect: Again, we focus directly on what they do.

Negative aspect: Be careful about trends as it can spread really quickly and it won’t differentiate your design from others.

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Trend #3: Line Work  

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Line work is a trend that is both modern and retro in some aspects. Designers can use lines to divide sections, headers, paragraphs, and product galleries or construct a dynamic grid that spans the entire page. It organizes the viewer to direct their eyes on something specific. 
While organizing your elements can be tough, it seems that this trend solves all our problems. By simply using grids and lines, a designer could naturally organize his layout.  But wait; this trend can be overwhelming. An essential part of design is spacing and breathing. We can easily elevate a design by simply creating some spacing between elements. Space doesn’t mean white spaces, it means creating the right balance between elements to organize the lecture. That being said, this trend seems to voluntarily pack all the information together, which is interesting because you get all the infos at once, buuuut, also, it bothers the eyes. Again, it’s just a matter of finding the right balance.

Breef created a website using thin lines combined with lighter typefaces and illustrative design elements. The entire feel is casual, in a grown-up millennial kind of way, thanks to the subdued color palette and strikethrough mouseover function. This website has a lot of information to convey, and the text stands out because of the clear section divisions, images, and a simple background.

Positive aspect: Interesting way of executing sections; we have an overall feeling of organization which can be translated to the general perception of the company.

Negative aspect: can seem overwhelming as we never let the lecture breathe.

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Trend #4: Virtual reality 

Virtual reality, at its best, will make web browsing both immersive and physical. Instead of pinning wedding dresses to a Pinterest board, customers can browse virtual shops packed with various gowns. Customers can try them on with avatars and choose to have them delivered the next day. The possibilities are limitless and apply to almost any industry. 

WebVR can take users to places and activities that they might not otherwise experience in real life. During this covid-19 period, we are farther apart than ever and crave that closeness to one another. WebVR is needed to regain that closeness by reconnecting through the digital world. 

Skolkovo Business created an epic website with WebVR for their new building project.  It is entirely interactive, allowing you to turn and shift the model with a slick mouse shadowing effect. We all have that little kid inside us that wants to touch and play with things that we could turn, move and zoom into, and WebVR is a great way to feed that need and bring traffic to your website. 

Positive aspect: create a whole immersive experience while waking up our inner playful kid.

Negative aspect: if the design is not perfectly executed, it will be a flop.

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Trend #5: Animated Illustrations

More companies are integrating animation on their websites and mobile platforms to improve user engagement and experience and make content more fascinating and fun. Mixed-style animation, which combines stop-motion and 3D, 2D, and 3D animation, is becoming increasingly popular. Designers do it to get unexpected stylistic solutions and to increase the end product's quality. Without it, your product will most likely appear unfinished and bland next year.

What will be the best way to use online animation in 2022?‍

To create a story

Animation can convey a message by establishing an emotional connection between the user and the interface.‍

To make loading more enjoyable

‍No one expects customers to wait. Unless the loading screen is entertaining, the animation draws the user's attention with percentages, but they are also informed about how long it will take to load a page. 

According to Statista, the global animation market will be worth $270 billion in 2020. Video is becoming more popular than static content, both on social media and advertisements. Animated graphics have the undeniable advantage of being extremely versatile and adaptable.

Trend #6: Mobile-First 

The mobile-first strategy starts with the smallest screen and works its way up. Designing for additional devices will be easier once the mobile layout is done because you have already created the heart of your UX.  Because mobile has the most constraints, such as screen size and bandwidth, designing within these constraints compels you to prioritize content ruthlessly.

How Mobile-First affects SEO? 

In March 2018, Google stated that it would begin indexing all websites using the Mobile-First Index. Mobile-first indexing implies that Google will index and rank pages based on their mobile versions to help their primarily mobile users find what they're looking for.  As a result, every piece of content seen in a Google search result will be mobile-friendly. 

The elegant mobile website of Apple designs its website in a way that is both visually and verbally consistent with Apple's brand identity. The one-column design adheres to best practices such as contrasting colors, white space, legible fonts, and high-quality graphics. 

Each product or service is given the same amount of space in a box dedicated to its content. When the main nav menu is viewed, it displays various primary landing pages on a stylish black background.