User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) design is something no business can run without. It showcases how much you care about users’ interactions with your products and services. And if we believe the report shared by Fortune Business Insights, the global market size of UX services is expected to grow at a CAGR of 37.8% and reach $32.95 billion by 2030.
As the digital world expands, transformation and advancement in UI/UX to meet user demands are also expected. So, let’s dive into some of the latest UI/UX design trends that will be unpacked this year.
What are the top 10 latest UI UX design trends in 2024
Top 10 trends that as a UI/UX designer you must ensure to incorporate in your next project are as follows:
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Minimalistic Look
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Artificial Intelligence
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Microinteractions
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Neomorphism & Glassmorphism
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Voice User Interfaces
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Advanced Cursor
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Complex yet Interactive 3D illustrations
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Spatial Design to Empower AR & VR
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Retro UI
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Sustainability
You might have understood a few or even the whole elements from the list. But do you know how they are gonna impact the user experience? Well, let’s dive deeper into each of these trends, learning what they are and what makes them cardinal.
Read: How to hire a UI/UX designer?
1. Minimalist Look
Designers who approach minimalist UI often get surprised with the time, skills, and effort required to create a minimalist product. Minimalism has slowly emerged in the past few years and has become one of the aesthetically pleasing ways to design the user interface of the web. If we look at the following examples, one is bombarded with multiple colors, elements, and hues while the other is focused on using minimal yet essential elements.
Given the above two, it's not even a question about which one you would go for. In minimalist design, minimal is more. Put simply, minimalism is all about removing elements to just the barest to keep what’s necessary for the design to function. Therefore, in 2024 we will see designers focusing on creating compelling UI layouts that let the content stand out.
2. Artificial Intelligence
In 2023, we saw AI dominating the majority of the sectors, be it healthcare, finance, marketing, supply chain, manufacturing, automotive, or others. And UI/UX design is not an exception. Artificial Intelligence has made personalization easier leading to a better user experience (UX). It is going to be the engine behind anticipatory interactions and customized experiences, making websites more efficient and spontaneous.
How? Well, AI will help designers analyze trends, design patterns, user preferences, and other data to provide recommendations and insights into users’ preferred typography, color schemes, layout, image/graphic editing, and more, helping them make more informed design decisions.
Read: Software Development Trends in 2024
3. Microinteractions
These are subtle but essential elements of UI/UX design that impact the overall interaction of the user with your website. We as a user see and interact with micro-interactions on a website even when we have no clue what they are. Some of the simplest micro-interactions we interact with are the scroll bar, pull to refresh, Facebook’s Like button, interactive error page, progress bar, ability to see ‘typing’ in messaging apps, animations, notifications, hovering, and more.
Every micro-interaction on UI sets the environment, tells a story, and establishes a brand persona for the users. It allows designers to experiment with new looks and designs for the web to come up with ideal interactive designs that appeal to and engage consumers.
4. Neomorphism & Glassmorphism
Neomorphism and Glassmorphism designs will be trending in 2024 among UI/UX developers. While neomorphic design combines a monochromatic color scheme with shadows that give a concrete appearance, glassmorphic design mimics a translucent glass look with a captivating shadow and border giving an impression of mounted sheets of glass.
Neomorphism can be applied in the UI to give a 3D but realistic effect to interactive elements of the web page. It will look something like shown in the below image:
On the other hand, unlike traditional design styles, glassmorphism does not have a fixed set of designing principles, however, there are a few features (such as multi-layered style, frosted glass-like appearance, shadows, border highlighting, and colorful background) that can be easily identified with glassmorphism. For example:
The aim behind adapting neomorphism and glassmorphism in the UI/UX design is to keep the UI smooth, natural, and less demanding.
Read: User Experience Trends in Web Application Design
5. Voice User Interfaces
Voice User Interfaces (VUIs) popularly known as speech recognition technology have steadily made their way into almost every website and are here to stay. VUIs allow end users to give voice commands when communicating with their smartphones, PCs, and other devices. Some of the renowned examples of VUIs are Siri by Apple (a smart assistant), Alexa by Amazon (a smart home device), and the voice search options of YouTube and Google.
Given that, it won’t be wrong to conclude that the demand for hands-free interactions will continue to increase, persuading UX designers to focus on building easy-to-use voice interfaces in the web/native applications.
6. Advanced Cursor
A mouse cursor on every website is a fundamental element of each interaction of the user with the web page. It is what allows users to navigate the web app and take required actions. While cursor functionality used to depend on functionality, from this year we will see the cursor as a sophisticated element of UX design.
Read: UX Design Problem For Students And Enterprises
7. Complex yet Interactive 3D illustrations
To draw the attention of users in 2024, designers will have to work on 3D animated illustrations. It will also help businesses showcase complex data in more visually appealing elements. 3D illustrations will not only catch the user's eye but also add realism and depth that draws users to the products and services offered by your business.
However, one thing to note here is, that if as a designer you overly use 3D animations on the website, it will become overwhelming for the users. However, when done right it can create memorable experiences for the users.
8. Spatial Design to Empower AR & VR
AR and VR are blurring the lines between the physical and virtual worlds, whether it is virtual try-ons, gaming, educational content, or meetings. With augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) gaining popularity, UI/UX designers need to explore new possibilities for creating spatial designs that can offer enticing and engaging user experiences while bringing virtual elements to life.
Read: User Experience Trends in Web Application Design
9. Retro UI
Another trend that we will witness in UI/UX design is Retro UI where designers will mix old-school elements to bring 80s and 90s vibes into the website, making it look unique and nostalgic. In this trend, designers will focus on using bold typography, vibrant colors, retro patterns, and lively imagery with a modern twist.
10. Sustainability
With the increasing environmental concerns, UX designers will now prioritize sustainability and eco-consciousness. Therefore designers will opt for solutions that reduce carbon footprint and minimize energy consumption for a better environment.
Read: CMS Trends to Watch Out
Wrapping it Up
In conclusion, we as a user will witness some interesting changes in UI/UX designs. From minimal looks to spatial designs for AR and VR, there will be a lot happening in the UI/UX field. In 2024, designers will also focus on improving their skill sets to meet the changing needs of consumers.
If you are a business looking for developers and designers to create a visually appealing web or native app, then connect with us to book a free consultation today!