The Next Big Thing In Mobile UX: Trends To Watch Out In 2020

You might have heard of the dark mode, it is a move away from the conventional white-dominant backdrop for most mobile apps. A feature theme that almost every single app is adopting, from Twitter to Instagram, no brand is taking the risk of not integrating this mobile design trend.

The reason behind the surprising rise in this trend has to do with science.

Not only does Dark Mode conserve battery by making the pixels fire less brightly, but it also reduces eye strain on the user. Prompting top mobile app companies to accept the trend.

User experience (UX) is the basis of quality software products, whether it be web or mobile apps. If you are not providing a good user experience to your visitors, you might end up losing all your audience soon.

Vital Statistics About Mobile App UX Industry

• The mobile app industry is expected to hit $188.9 billion in revenue by 2020. It wouldn’t be bold to say that the number one trend of modern design is context.
• Statista expects growth of up to 29.5 billion (USD) in the Virtual reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) market for 2020.
• MarketAndMarkets expects an even greater growth from $7.9 billion (USD) in 2018 to 44.7 billion (USD) in 2022.
• As per a survey from TechCrunch, 1 in 6 Americans now own a Smart Speaker.
• As per a report from Comscore, by 2020, 50 percent of all searches will be voice searches.

Top 6 Mobile UX Trends to Watch out For

To make things simple, we are putting together a yearly prediction of mobile UX trends. Here is what to expect from design trends in 2020.

1) Minimalistic Design – User Interface

Of course, the user interface (UI) design is essential to UX, so which UI approach will dominate the market this year? The answer quite simply is – Minimalistic Design.

The minimalistic approach avoids big pictures, big headlines, a fancy background and so on, an almost stark approach actually inspired by design with paper and ink.

It would be essential to mention Material UI, developed by Google. Material Design is based on Google’s design philosophy that defines how apps should look and work on mobile devices.

Material User Interface follows the minimalistic design to the core. It creates a consistent experience for  Google users whether it be google app or web service. It prefers a dynamic and engaging design with emotional meaning. The best part, it’s open-source.

Everybody is quick to follow the same suite as the giant, In 2020, we would expect apps to move towards lighter and simpler aesthetic approach. If it’s well thought out it brings a break from the stress of information and design overload. Rather than trying to grab user attention with loud elements.

Moral-Keep Things Simple!

2) Data security

You may think what does data security has to do with UX, we think that is wrong.

Think about it. Logging in to an app or a product is not exactly fun. So informing users that they are at risk without completing certain procedures is not the way to go if you want to build strong lasting relationships with them.

As an app designer, you want your users to identify and authenticate securely while maximizing their usage and enjoyment of the product. And with the rise of intelligent speakers (Alexa, Siri) that ‘live with us’ and save every voice command, the topic data security gets more important than ever.
 
The appearing trend in UX Data security is usability, ‘If it’s not usable, it’s not secure’.

So instead of asking for passwords, apps are moving towards Biometric authentication. Scan your finger or face and you’re in. The idea is that by simplifying UX and minimizing friction, you can help users to make better choices for their security. 

A good UX leads to great security!

3) Seamless Experience

Let us assume that you go to a new Walmart that you have never been to.

But everything there is so well organized that you can promptly reach the desired
food and head for the checkout.

Isn’t that simple?

A seamless user experience does the same for the users of a mobile application.

It is further supported by cross-platform support over different devices ensuring that the user or customer gets the same experience no matter what device they use.

It also doesn’t matter if the user visits the website or the offline shop. They see the same branding, structure, tone, and information. In the coming year, we expect to see a rise in the practice of creating a more satisfying and memorable experience for the users. A seamless UX creates Brand cohesiveness over different channels.

4) Augmented reality

Have you ever played an AR-based game like Pokemon Go? We played the game and we loved it, don’t judge us.  For catching a Pokemon in the game, we turn on our camera which goes into AR mode and we see the Pokemon sitting in our room, on the street or wherever we are.

Augmented Reality (AR) is about merging the real world and virtual reality. The user doesn’t enter a new world but he can interact with digital content in the real world.

Huge corporations like Apple are following the same suite. As per the Bloomberg report, as well as a report from Kuo, they are already working on an AR headset that could be produced in Q4 2019 and ready to sell in 2020.

Some of the social media apps that already use AR filters to enhance the experience:

• Instagram
• Snapchat
• TikTok

In the next year, we expect more AR-enabled apps locking horns to capture the most user base.

5) Virtual Reality

A good mobile app makes life simpler for its users and the experience, immersive.

Integrating Virtual Reality (VR) into app designs offers designers and developers with an opportunity to create a more personalized and immersive UX, which results in maximum user engagement.

VR is a totally immersive experience. Giving a user the ability to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions and becomes part of a virtual world.

VR app headsets block out the current surroundings and ensure that the user’s vision is focused on a mobile device screen.

Examples of apps making use of this technology are Virtual Speech and New York Times (NYT) VR app. In particular, the NYT VR app turns standard journalism into an immersive experience by placing readers directly into news stories and subject matters.

While this is technology is still in infancy in regards to how it is being used.

As advancements continue to be made, we can expect to see these technologies appear in Gaming, Education, Therapy and more sectors.

6) AI and Voice Search

Text-based inputs and tapping buttons are growing ‘old’. Now we are surrounded by “smart speakers” like Alexa and Siri. But the impact goes far beyond that.

One of the most prominent trends of 2020 will be Voice-Based Search. As it makes life simpler, even for people with disabilities. It is of great help to Blind people as it removes the need for text-based input. Anyone can order food, turn off the lights, play music by voice commands and the list of its use cases goes on.

In addition to this, a rapidly growing implementation of chatbots makes support and queries to be addressed smoothly and efficiently.

These systems are becoming more intelligent with each passing year. PwC said that in one test, 27 percent of its customers were unsure if their last customer experience was with a human or a chatbot.

Integrating Smart AI-powered digital assistants and voice-based inputs into your apps will provide opportunities for designers to take the UX to the next frontier.

This will bridge the gap between human and AI and pave the way for an interactive UX with technology.

This trend is expected to sell like hot cakes in the next year.

Conclusion

We hope this article provides you with great insights regarding the mobile UX trends that will make it big in 2020. From Minimalistic UI to AI-based voice search, what do you think will be the top UX trends for 2020?

Let us know in the comments.