Fundamentally, UX is about providing the absolute best product or service experience possible. What this means on a practical level is continually evolving, changing, and growing. Every year brings new trends that aim to provide the best user experience with the tools available at the time.
Today, we're going to take a look at some of the top UX trends we're seeing in 2021. Each one of these trends is poised to change the way designers and developers craft the user experience and the ways that brands treat their employees. We're excited to see the outcome of these trends!
#UX Trends 2021: Embrace Accessibility
Of all of the UX trends 2021 has brought, perhaps the most important is the rise of accessibility.
Accessibility is a broad term that encompasses any practice that allows people with disabilities to access a product or service that you're creating.
It's unfair how much of our digital world is inaccessible to many people.
UX researchers and designers are going to prioritize solutions that help make websites, mobile apps and other experiences more accessible.
User researchers will make sourcing broader and more diverse panelists a higher priority. This will empower design teams to create product concepts and designs that are inclusive.
Having more diverse user testers will allow UX designers to craft the product around specific needs. This goes way beyond creating a product so that screen readers can use it; it means crafting products that are designed to accommodate various disabilities from the ground up.
When it comes to UI, more tools are emerging to ensure accessibility for people from all walks of life.
These tools provide various ways to test accessibility against the WCAG standards. We're also going to start seeing more tools that help to create accessible interfaces.
Ultimately, UX designers are going to explore every possible avenue to ensure that the product they're working on will be accessible and compliant. Not only is this a great move from a moral standpoint, but it's excellent from a business standpoint, as well.
As more people can use your product, you’ll likely see more people start to purchase the product.
#UX Trends 2021: Create Emotionally Compelling Product Designs
Product design is about to change in a big way in 2021. One of the top UX trends of 2021 is going to be a shift in the way that companies design digital products.
Over the past ten years, digital product design has experienced a massive shift toward minimalism.
The foundations were great, and ultimately, the goal was to reduce form to its purest essence to ensure that everyone could use the product. However, in 2021, people are much more well-versed with emerging technologies.
Designers can count on users to catch on when interfaces and platforms aren't quite as minimalistic. This trend is powered largely by brands that want to differentiate themselves from their competition by embracing unique aesthetics and designs.
Shifting to less-than-minimal designs will support unique palettes, illustrations, and branding graphics. The ultimate goal will be for brands to showcase more interesting designs, while being confident that their users will be able to quickly adapt to new styles of presentation.
#UX Trends 2021: Employee Experience Is Critical
Employees are the most important asset of any company. They are the most important stakeholders, after all.
This year, we're seeing more brands take employee needs more seriously. This will take shape in several ways:
#Giving Them the Workplace They Deserve
For employees who still work at the office, we expect brands to cater workplaces to things that are actually helpful for employees. Whether that means a more robust break room or a fully-stocked cafeteria, only time will tell!
#Allowing Them to Work from Anywhere
Remote work is here to stay. When it comes to digital work, there's no functional purpose to making people come into a shared physical space.
We expect that more brands will begin to allow employees to work from wherever they wish. Doing this will ultimately enhance the employee experience.
#Giving Employees Tools to Help with Their Work
Not only will brands aim to improve the working conditions of their employees, but they'll also provide tools to make their jobs more streamlined.
Content creators and editors will be given the most effective publishing tools available to make their lives easier.
For designers and developers, brands will give them more autonomy on how they’ll complete various tasks, and this includes allowing them to decide for themselves what tools they need to be the most effective.
We're excited to see how each of these changes will impact the field of UX. Focusing on the employee experience is a natural progression from classic UX design principles.
After all, someone who is well cared for at work will naturally have an easier time when they’re creating tools to improve user experience. When an employee is refreshed and supported, they can bring their best self to work.
Each of the above trends is poised to change the industry for the better. We believe that each one signifies a shift from the trends that we've seen over the past few years. What UX trends have you been seeing this year that you're most excited about?