Mobile UX Trends for 2020 that You Can’t Miss

AI Technology and Voice Control

Text-based inputs and clicking or tapping buttons is kind of “old”.

One of the most important talking points for 2020 is the voice. Smart systems like Google Home, Siri for Apple and Alexa are already known, but the number of these systems is growing rapidly. It is expected that by 2020, 50% of all searches will be voice searches.

And these systems are becoming more and more intelligent. PwC said that in one test, 27% of its customers were unsure if their last customer experience was with a human or a chatbot.

Don’t know what AI is? Take a look at the following video.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/2ePf9rue1Ao

Voice Input is not just “trendy” and “nice to have”, it can really improve your life. Switching the light on and off or playing music with voice is much faster than walking around the house and doing the same thing.

But it’s not just that! My favorite feature – and that’s why voice input for me is on place 1 – is that it can make life easier for people with disabilities like blindness. The benefits of voice input are incontestable.

Virtual Reality (VR)

I know what you’re thinking. Virtual reality is far from new.

VR began marketing to the mainstream in 2016. VR can support apps, videos, game consoles and even educational classes.

During my research concerning VR, I’ve found a very interesting thing – a kind of therapy – which was really fascinating for me. VRT (Virtual Reality Therapy) is used to help people to overcome anxieties. If you want to learn more about it, watch the following video.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/D0rePj6n0AA

Can we expect more from VR? I’m sure we can!

Reports expect that the VR market will explode. Statista expects a growth of up to $29.5B (2020). MarketAndMarkets expects an even greater growth from $7.9B (2018) to $44.7B (2022).

VR won’t just stay in the gaming and education branches. It will improve and spill over into other areas such as communications.

Augmented Reality (AR)

You’re maybe wondering about the difference between AR and VR.

I’ll explain the difference in some short sentences:

Virtual Reality (VR) is about creating a new virtual world, a new reality. It should be designed in a way that the user can’t tell the differences between the real world and the CR reality.

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

Do you remember PokemonGo? Don’t judge me, I loved this game (as well as millions of users around the world). When you wanted to catch a new Pokemon, you could turn on the AR mode and see the Pokemon sitting in your room, on the street or wherever you were.

Source: Warren R.M. Stuart

Big players like Apple follow this hype. According to a Bloomberg report, as well as a report from Kuo, Apple is working on an AR headset that could be produced in Q4 2019 and ready to sell in 2020.

Both VR and AR have their advantages. In 2020 UX designers will find a balance between both. As a result we can expect a completely new way of interacting with our environment.

Seamless User Experience

How many different mobile devices do you have? Two? Three? Five?

In 2015 the average number of connected devices per person was “just” 3.47. In 2020 it is expected that the average number of connected devices will rise to 6.58 per person. Google found that 90% of consumers use multiple devices to reach a goal.

With the growing number of devices per person, and the tendency to use different devices simultaneously, a seamless user experience becomes more and more important.

But what does seamless user experience mean exactly? It means that the user or customer gets the same experience no matter which device he uses. It also doesn’t matter if he visits the website or the offline shop. He sees the same branding, structure, information and tone.

Data Security

You may think that data security is an old hat, nothing new, nothing special. I think that is wrong.

Okay, the General Data Protection regulation (GDPR) got implemented in May 2018. It’s not really new.

But with the rise of intelligent speakers that “live with us” and save every voice command, the topic data security gets more important than ever!

User Interface

Sure, User Experience involves the design of the User Interface, too. What will be the next big thing in the user interface design in 2020? Well, I think it’s quite easy: everything is allowed, nothing has to!

My favourite trend which is coming (or partly already there) is the minimalistic UI design. To explain this I have to tell a small story: when I prepared a self designed website in school, some years ago, I designed it very minimalistic. Symbols, icons, some selected colors, not too colorful and not too shrill. in short: minimalistic design. The feedback from my teacher was: It’s too boring, websites need many pictures, big headlines, a fancy background and so on. I was just ahead of time.

Minimalistic design doesn’t have to be boring. If it’s well thought out and thought through, it brings a break from the stress of modern life and the information and design overload. Rather than trying to catch the user’s attention with loud elements.

What do you think will be the top UX trends for 2020? Let me know in the comments!

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