User Interface Design Trends of 2016

User experience with virtual computing is encompassed within information architecture, interactive design, and visual design. Information architecture is the structure of information on a digital medium. Interactive design is what lets users contribute to or manipulate that information. Finally, visual design is the communicable interface between information architecture and interactive design. A user interface design, then, is the sum of these three components. Simply put, user interface (UI) design or user-centered design serves the purpose of making a user’s interaction with a machine simple and efficient. So be it a website, software application, mobile application, or an appliance, a good user interface (UI) design makes user experience aesthetically pleasing.

Tech products have two underlying constituents- User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX). The basic difference between these two is that UX is more technical and analytical, while UI is closer to graphic design, albeit slightly more complex. A simple analogy explains the difference better. If we replace a tech product with the anatomy of a human body, then organs in the human body would represent a UX design – crucial for supporting life functions. And UI design would be the outward presentation, senses, and reactions – the interactive finishing components.

With the emergence of mobile as the primary medium of engagement, user interface design has leveraged technology to revolutionize web design.  Every enterprise, big or small, is fast becoming ‘mobile ready’ with responsive UI designs. Let’s take a look at some popular user interface design trends of 2016.

Vertical Scrolling Patterns:

With the increase in adoption of mobile technology, more users are likely to access the web on their smartphones. This means more websites and applications are developed with vertical user flows. A few years back this trend in user interface design was a hotly debated topic, but wide penetration of smartphones and its benefits has proven vertical scrolling patterns to be the most relevant interaction tool.

Flat User Interface Designs:

Along with vertical scrolling and the need for space optimization, developers are focusing on simpler and straightforward UI’s. Simplicity is the key to deliver a range of information across different mediums. A flat user interface design is composed of two basic layers. The first upper layer consists of contextual information, such as images, text, etc. and the second or base layer is usually a solid color background. Such a design can be simply modified and transition easily into different sizes with the same order of information architecture.

Card Layouts:

Pinterest is the best example of a card or grid style user interface layout. The foremost benefit of such a design is that it allows room for a reorganization of cards in multiple ways. A user or developer can stack the card one atop another, vertically arrange them, or even organize them side by side with different tags. For developers, it is one of the most adaptable and simple ways to deliver a lot of information neatly. Easy accessibility and capability of seamless transitioning make this the trend to stay in user interface design.

Typography:

Google’s change in its logo typeface from Standard TT to Sans-Serif was a significant news. This also marked the beginning of a trend of streamlined typography in UI’s, which surged this year. Minimalism in user interface design has led to the development of uncluttered and slim fonts. Simple typefaces deploy better readability and so are user-friendly for mobile websites and applications. Besides, they are aesthetically matched with other elements to denote proper hierarchy.

Better Animations:

User interface designs have come far away from rudimentary two -dimensional animations. Nowadays, 3D illustrations and sketches are prevalent and are not just for children anymore. These illustrative designs impart a personal touch and can go a long way in creating a connection with the users. Combining art with tech, user interface designs now depict smaller animations in the form of icons, loading tools animation, hover animation, ghost buttons, etc. which make the website design graphically rich and highly appealing.

Enhanced Product Displays:

With better animations, users demand more in terms of product information. So a mere image does not fit the bill anymore. E-commerce players are the major anchors of this trend in India. A user interface design with the focus on personalizing technology augments interest in products. This also reduces the gap between physical attributes and the online demonstration of products. Further, novel additions, take for example Facebook’s new 360 video feature, create a medium for more immersive experience for the users.

It is then evident that the mobile first mentality and changing dynamics of communication are major reasons behind the development of user interface design trends of 2016.

Pic courtesy: www.pixabay.com