5 UX Trends for 2020 & Into the Future

2020 is coming so brace for the over abundance of “hindsight is 20/20” articles and visions of the “perfect visions” of the future. We’re not jumping on the cheesy titling bandwagon, but we will take a look at the UX trends to come in 2020 and that will last well beyond the coming year. The future will be about the use experience.

The predictions you’re about to read about aren’t going to be perfect, but then again predictions rarely are. This is especially true when predicting how users will interact with designs or technologies in the future because of technological innovations and cultural shifts can happen unexpectedly and quickly. AI and VR were predicted years ago and just now are coming into common use. Other purported revolutionary technologies haven’t lived up to their promise (Remember Google Glass?).

The 4 trends that we’ll be looking at in this post have attained a consensus amongst the UX/UI community as being possible and important to the future work of marketers and digital communicators.

1. More Interfaces – More Places

More and more devices are connected to the internet. Because of this consumers will expect seamless integration across digital touchpoints. We will need to move beyond the responsive designs for desktop and mobile devices. We will need to begin thinking about a user’s entire digital ecosystem to include:

Watches & other wearables
Automotive dashboard
Advertising screens
Kiosks
Exercise equipment
Home appliances

By no means is the above list comprehensive and there are really no bounds to what may require renewed consideration for upcoming UX trends. No matter the device or product, there will need to be an emphasis on consistency and presentation. The world will be a digital experience and not just the device held in a hand.

2. Voice Input & Voice Control

Voice input and voice control will have a significant influence on UX trends in the future. This especially true with the prediction by Comscore that about half of internet searches will be initiated by voice in 2020.

Designs will need to be developed to be engaging through voice and audio, and not only visually.
Identifying the proper level of information to surface for voice searches.
Planning for appropriate voice functions and how the functions will be synchronized with other channels.
Interpreting and error checking to match with user intention.

Voice assistants will grow increasingly more capable and people will be using them more to accomplish more tasks. This functionality of course will require support through increasingly robust AI (see below). For these reasons it’s time to seriously consider where voice-driven functions can be included, as additions and be used complementary to visual solutions.

3. Personalization Through AI & Machine Learning

AI continues to become more sophisticated, and is it does it will be capable of more sophisticated user engagements and conversational. The increased personalization that will be available is a key benefit that will allow for a better ability to interpret more varied user inputs to satisfy user needs and meet user expectations.

In terms of UX, this means the goal will be to not design systems that are all things to all users but to instead design them with al flexibility with an orientation to the individual user. This means components and content can be driven by observed behavior and available data such as:

Environment
Location
Past behavior (e.g. purchases)
Communities (online and offline)
Personal calendar
Events, and special occasions

UX design will need to evolve beyond a static page and tapping location and instead deliver appropriate variable content.

User interactions with AI systems are becoming more natural and conversational. For example, chatbots offering online help must parse full sentence queries and produce outcomes that feel “human” and also can anticipate user needs beyond the initial question.

4. Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR)

AR and VR are more than just buzzwords. A Gartner survey in 2018 revealed that by 2020, 46% of retailers expect to integrate VR or AR technology into their customer’s shopping experience. This statistic appears to ring true as the application of these technologies move beyond entertainment gimmicks and niche games.

In the short term we can look for ways to leverage these technologies, especially augmented reality and the merging of the real world with those of the virtual or digital world. Some of these experiences and applications already exist.

Scanning products for information and pricing in warehouses
Identifying names of products in the real world
Mapping and location using the camera of a phone
Translating signs using a phone’s camera
Overlaying new interior design concepts virtually over existing real world spaces.

One of the greatest challenges with VR and AR will be the increase in user gestures and how they can be appropriately incorporated into the user experience. What UX designers will need to be wary of is to not go overboard with interactions. Use of AR and VR should be in the service of a function as an improvement.

For example, just because waving a hand in front of your face is possible, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better than tapping a button on traditional interface.

5. Flexible Content

Content will definitely be of primary importance to drive engagement with your audience. New delivery methods will expand a user’s digital ecosystem. This means content and design will need to be available in as flexible of a manner as possible.

For example, the same piece of content might be delivered through voice on a smartphone, stereo voice on a dual screen device, and in a modal window on a smart TV. Although there will be changes, UX should continue to maintain its focus on serving communication needs, and then on the delivery formats where users will engage with the content.

There will be a requirement to break content up into digestible sizes that allow for easy consumption across a variety of delivery methods.

What Does This Mean for UX Trends?

Attention spans are decreasing so it might not be best to allow for users to explore on their own. Instead UX designers will need to present content as a full experience. We will be seeing less standalone elements that require deep exploration. Instead animations and video will be accompanying other content. UX designers will need to deliver full experiences to an audience that is engaged, maybe not even fully, for a shorter duration of time.