User Experience is a pretty huge deal in design. Which is why predicting and anticipating what we can expect is not only popular but also quite smart. Here are 5 predictions of what users will love in UX in 2019, based on existing patterns and market data.
Device-Agnostic Experiences
A device-agnostic are experiences that emphasize the overall user’s journey as they interact with their devices, as opposed to being tailored to one device. Up until recent times, the mobile-first rallying call has been heeded by a huge portion of the tech world.
However, things are changing. With the rise of the Internet of Things and as more and more devices become connected, the focus will shift from being on mobile alone to being on as many different devices as possible, bringing them all up to almost the same levels of usability as mobile. Smartwatches, speakers, tablets, home appliances, among other devices will see a massive revolution in UX in 2019.
Also, let’s not forget SEO ranking. Search engines nowadays have updated their criteria for ranking a page higher. One of those is also having your UX device-agnostic. The more you fulfill this criterion, the higher the possibilities for your site to rank your website higher.
Nowadays, mostly all the websites that want to remain competitive and attract more visitors, need to adopt such methodologies.
Voice User Interfaces
Voice is rapidly staking a claim on the tech market today, which is why VUIs, particularly when it comes to smart speakers, will be huge in 2019. Voice is easy and intuitive, which is one of the main reasons why it is gaining popularity. Studies show that over 30% of US adults currently own three or more smart speakers. This number is set to rise to 50% by early 2019, and to keep rising from then on.
Habits are set to change due to their popularity because as more smart speakers are positioned at a central position in homes, their use becomes more instinctive. Voice is already with us today. 2019 will just see VUIs become even more popular. That said, this will highly affect SEO ranking as well. Google ranks websites based on fast users to find information, meaning websites that incorporate voice search, will have a higher probability of ranking higher. One example of voice user interface is YouTube.
Design Systems
Design systems are an essential part of the UX journey. Things need to be consistent across all devices, and experiences need to be designed as such. Therefore, in 2019, we will see developers dedicating more time developing more robust design systems.
This increased commitment to improving consistency will benefit businesses that handle huge portfolios and organizations that have large teams. With a centralized system, all the hours that would have otherwise been lost updating content and specific elements can be put to better use creating more content and resources.
This is true even for companies that have already well-laid down existing structures. Consistent fine-tuning is the name of the game, and we will see a lot more of it in 2019. For example, we may see more automated updating systems, such that if an update is made to the system by a developer, the update is pushed all across the system architecture automatically.
Focus on Content
Interactivity and Animation
Animation is an age-old trick that designers have been using for years to get the attention of their audiences. It is not new. However, it is getting smarter and fancier. It has morphed into a tool for adding interactivity to products and giving a little bit of visual feedback to UX. Interactivity will be even bigger in 2019, as animation tools progress to a level that has become simple and intuitive, and therefore available to a larger number of content creators. Although its utilization has been rather sporadic, it will really come into itself in 2019.
There are resources that are making standardization possible, providing guidelines on how and where to use animation. This has led to the smarter application of animated solutions, yielding increasingly more and more attractive results.
2019 is going to be a great year for UX. You need to poise yourself and be ready to take advantage of everything it has to offer for your business. Additionally, if you need more specialized help, there are companies in Europe that offer these services. Europe provides many talented individuals and companies who are very skillful and professional. So any business that wishes to outsource their UX and web development services, should definitely consider Europe.
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