Latest UX Trends 2021

1. Onboarding

More and more people are forced to download and use online applications such as Zoom and Google Meet for remote working during the COVID19 pandemic. This also means that proper onboarding is all the more important, especially for less-tech savvy users who may be unfamiliar with the use of digital applications.

The key importance of onboarding is to:

• Set proper expectations for users on the app’s purpose and use
• Inform users on key functions and how to use them
• Impress users from the start for better user retention

The onboarding page is often the user’s first interaction with the app after downloading it. A study has shown that up to 25% of users only use an app once before abandoning it, as many of them simply do not value or understand the value of an app enough at the start. Thus, the onboarding process is crucial in capturing the user’s initial interest to get them to continue using the app.

2. Dark Mode

Dark mode is a display setting on interfaces such as apps and browser sites. Rather than the default light background with a dark text, or what is known as the light mode, a dark mode has light colored text presented against a dark background. The popularity of dark mode has been gaining traction from users worldwide, with the feature being made available across many prominent apps such as Facebook, Twitter and Reddit.

3. Micro-Interactions

As consumers, micro-interactions contribute to a big part of what makes using a well-designed app so satisfying and smooth, often without us realising it. Micro-interactions are the small instances where user and design interact. Although they usually only revolve around a single-use case and are rarely noticed directly by users, having proper micro-interactions is a sign of attention to detail and care for the user. If done correctly, micro-interactions can improve overall user experience and influence the user’s actions. They can be the factor that separates an ordinary app from an exceptional one.

Think about the typing indicator when someone is trying to reply to you or being able to pull down to refresh your social feed. These are small design elements that go far in providing a better user experience. Check out the example below of an email app where users can swipe an email in their inbox to either mark it as read or snooze, depending on how far they swipe it for.

4. Inclusiveness in designs

COVID19 has pushed many people of different backgrounds and ages into a digital remote work environment, one that is unfamiliar and new to many. Thus, it is all the more important for apps and websites to be user-friendly to a broad audience, having a good interface design that anyone can easily use. Inclusive design involves the intentional inclusion of the needs of users that are often excluded, such as those belonging to a statistical minority.

Being accessible is also an important goal in inclusive design, where every page or feature should be easy to view, navigate and use regardless of the user’s technical ability. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is a good place to start as it contains certain well-written guidelines. So how exactly does one practice inclusivity? Here are some real examples of how inclusivity is practiced in today’s world.

Airbnb’s approach at diversification

As a company that focuses on “building an inclusive platform for all hosts and guests”, Airbnb has recently taken a step back to relook at the illustrations that they use and the ideas that these illustrations portray.

The company found out that many of their users did not actually relate with tech illustrations commonly used, such as those with grey or white outlines, as they are usually assumed to be caucasian. This is a troubling concern especially since their users range from all over the world, from China to India. Airbnb ended up re-designing their illustrations to better reflect and represent people from different races, ages, body types and abilities.

Pinterest’s inclusivity

The company has recently released a skin tone range feature where users can filter for looks and inspiration that are better suited to their needs. This is especially relevant since many of their users use the platform for creative inspiration on fashion and makeup. The feature helps to improve the experience of users with more uncommon skin tones in terms of functionality and inclusivity.

With the popularity of the feature after its launch, Pinterest have looked towards expanding it to additional countries, as they pledged to take action and create a platform that is both inclusive and inspiring.