The user interface of any mobile app, computer system or website plays a crucial role in its success. One of its primary functions is to reach the hearts & minds of users through enticing visuals and compel the audience to use the application.

But there is a question. Are all users able to glean the benefits the system provides?

If not, did the designers and developers think about enhancing the app’s features?

2019 is coming to an end and its time to make the app user’s journey comfortable. For this to happen, app designers and developers alike need to not just research on what the UI of apps would look like in the future, but also examine the tips and trends that will take its UI forward into the coming years.

Most app developers this year focused on providing top-notch services with value, by designing and developing apps that offered the best user experience. Taking this fact into sights & consideration, the same phenomena next year will most likely to continue moving in that very direction.

And before we discuss the emerging trends for the user interface, let us take a recap of the benefits user interface has to offer for you and other app users.

How important is UI?

A user interface is the very first thing of the app a person interacts with (thus becoming a user). If the interface of such is not pleasant, then the person will not use it.

The more pleasant and responsive the interface of an app is, the likelihood of the audience actually using and engaging with it increases.

App developers have been using advanced technologies in the design & development processes. Today, we have some groundbreaking & breath-taking technologies at our disposal; such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Biometrics and the like.

These very technologies have set the footing for user interface design for mobile apps for the year 2020 and beyond. These technologies are crucial to the user interface of mobile apps, as it also has the potential to touch and win the hearts of users.

The top trends for user interface app developers must follow for the coming year

Now that you have understood what a user interface is and how important it is, it’s time for mobile app development professionals to adopt & implement these upcoming trends to help their apps’ UI stand out tall from the rest:

1.  The Next Level Conversation-based Interface

The next level of conversation experience is aided by chatbot development, which will help in delivering the next level of conversation experience to users of various apps.

CNN has helped create a unique conversational experience through its chatbot. It has been delivering personalized news via Facebook messenger. It has eased the way users find & initiate a conversation with CNN.

In fact, the Chatbot is known to ask questions to deliver users a personalized experience. It takes requests from users for particular news items, and users can anything from Sports to Cars, and relevant news appears in an instant.

2.    Overlapping effects

Overlapping an app’s elements with colors, fonts and illustrations, when consolidated with shadows; will make the entire mobile app interface designs more beautiful. It also helps create a spacious feeling on the screen.

Color Therapy is an app renowned for its overlapping effects. It uses HD images in black & white so that users can color with ease. The app uses overlapping effects in its interface and in its coloring functions as well.

The app not only has more than 2000 stunning coloring pages but also has more than 2000 solid colors & their gradients. It is also a gathering place for millions of artists worldwide.

3.  Improved Typography

This year and the next, improved typography in designing an app’s UI will be reflecting on three-dimension and motion-based effects.

Such an example can be observed in FIFA’s mobile app. It has used Miso for typography in its app’s UI, albeit in different font sizes. Such is due to the fact it aims to bring improved emphasis on elements of particular content.

If users wish to see match reports, then font sizes will be adjusted accordingly to improve the readability of such reports, and vice versa.

4.  Opacity And Transparency well balanced

Setting the opacity & transparency of various parts of a mobile app’s interface helps create a unique ascent & a fantastic design. Such design leads to aesthetically pleasant effects and improving user focus on the app’s main parts.

The New Music App by Amit Rai has a control panel which is subtle in sense. It also helps raise an easy feeling when the app is used. The app uses a narrow yet elegant interface with white bold icons, giving its UI a delicate yet comfortable touch.

5. Voice supportive interfaces

It is predicted that by the year 2020, 50% of searches made on search engines will be done by voice. Hence, interfaces supporting the voice will become one of the best mobile application design techniques which will deliver greater value to users.

Amazon’s Echo Spot is its latest smart speaker which combines a voice user interface (VUI) with a graphic user interface (GUI). It uses Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa, which can be found in smartphones as well, especially the iPhone.

6. Minimalism

Minimalism was popular back in 2018 and still, users are not over it. In mobile app user interface design, it helps prevent confusion among users because it simplifies their app usage by reducing design elements.

The minimalistic design approach makes the entire user experience of an app simpler and easier. It is also applicable to an array of colors. One common technique used is to select a color and use it with its varying shades.

Google Tasks is a task organizing app which is light on the phone, Thanks to its minimalist design. The app helps users add & track things on their daily to-do list. It is also integrated with other Google apps allowing seamless synchronization across devices and also providing users convenience.

It is available on both iOS and Android.

7.  Customized interface for illustrations

Illustrations are key to mobile app UI design. It helps establish a foundation of artistic harmony & uniqueness. It also helps create visual triggers that deliver the app’s intended message in an instant. Moreover, a customized interface for illustrations also helps create an aesthetically pleasant UI.

In the future, brands, designers and developers alike will go towards using customized illustrations in their apps. A prime example of such is none other than Uber. It not only uses minimalistic elements through the colors black and white but also uses them to position itself as a prime ride-sharing service providing app.

8.  Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence is set to bring a major impact to mobile app UI design.

It will not just help designers create many versions of landing pages and screens but will also help them add personalized elements supported by research and visual analysis.

Mezi for travel is an example of an app that has integrated artificial intelligence. The app uses machine learning and natural language processing in determining the preferences of users, which then offers users recommendations for fashion, gift ideas and traveling which they may like & find useful.

9. Usage of contrasting font colors and shapes

Here, app developers will integrate contrasting colors & shapes in the UI design to create something different and make user interactions more surprising.

Mobile app for meditation Calm uses analogous colors such as blue and green, to help its users feel calm, relaxed and at peace.

10.  Integrating Augmented Reality (AR)

User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design experts will be favoring integrating augmented reality (AR) in order to create realistic interactions.

This will help integrate modernized technology to add an immersion effect to apps and other products. It will also help users understand information more easily and effectively.

The ‘Civilisations Augmented Reality App’ from BBC gives users the ability to admire an array of historical artifacts. It helps them locate, rotate and resize them as they see fit. Whether it’s about the Corinthian Helmet, an Egyptian Mummy or the first-ever airplane, the app also has an X-ray function.

11.  Incorporating Virtual Reality (VR)

Incorporating virtual reality (VR) in the design of mobile app UI has helped redefine healthcare, amplify marketing, and gaming industry. It is now expected to boost user interaction level upwards in an app’s UI design.

VR is expected to emerge as a ‘top internet and app experience’ by letting users feel the app’s elements as if they are in the real world

Google Daydream is one of the best official apps from Google using virtual reality. This is a high-spec app and is a replacement for Google’s Cardboard app. For this to work, users need a phone that is capable of running Daydream as well as a Daydream View headset.

The Daydream app acts as a portal for other virtual reality content supported by Daydream. Users can find VR based videos, other Daydream-supported apps and configuration for setting up their Daydream headset.

12. Integrating Storytelling in the app’s UI

Mobile app designers will be adding more effort in crafting a story showcasing the purpose of the app which makes users feel like a part of it. They will then use the best visual storytelling guides, tools and methods to make a story keeping their audience on the app’s platform.

An example of such is Starbucks. The American coffee chain hooked in walk-in clients to order from its mobile app (as it was an early adopter of such). It helped align itself with the way customers preferred to make purchases and offered them convenience as well.

By 2015, Starbucks had close to 13 million mobile app users and catered to over 7 million mobile transactions weekly. It had also rolled out a mobile ordering service letting users pay, tip baristas and even participate in rewards-based programs.

Even today, Starbucks mobile app keeps users’ offline experience lively without compromising their daily dose of beloved Starbucks Coffee.

Conclusion

A few of these trends are currently in use this year. Next year will see all of these techniques rise and help mobile app user experience evolve, thereby embracing a futuristic look and a humanistic touch.

We are hopeful that these trends will bring app users a realistic, captivating & pleasant experience in using a mobile app.