Published on: 30/07/2019 | Updated on: July 30, 2019
In any industry, the user experience will always be a major determinant between making a sale and being overlooked in favor of your competitor.
You could have all the latest and greatest technology but if your product or service falls short on the user experience end, there’s a big chance that a prospective client is going to look elsewhere.
After all, user experience is the culmination of all your efforts in the presentation of your product. You could have a humble product made from simple resources but if you’re able to provide an experience that’s worth so much more, then your product might be the one winning the sales.
Trends, much like the direction of the wind, tend to change without warning and without much of an accurate prediction. What could be deemed fashionable and trendy this week could be obsolete by next month, or even next week.
This is even truer when you consider the rate at which technology evolves. And this, in itself, is a good thing because it gives us a chance to innovate and create new methods in approaching a problem.
We are forced to adapt to new situations constantly and the realm of user experience is no different from others.
Now, without further delay, what are the user experience trends that you should be applying to your next project?
User Experience Trends: Voice User Interface
Some prime examples of voice user interfaces (VUIs) are Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri, and Bixby (the smart assistant nobody asked for). As sufficiently explained by their name, VUIs are interfaces that allow their users to interact with a program or product with voice commands.
The main reason that VUIs is going to be a big boost in user experience lies in the fact that voice commands can be given so much faster than if they were typed.
In the time that it took me to type out this sentence, I could have spoken two to three sentences of the same length with significantly less effort than typing on a keyboard.
This perceived seamlessness and ease is what’s going to give users the convenience that they seek through technology. The less effort dedicated to doing a certain task frees us up to do other tasks more efficiently.
Storytelling-Focused Content
Let’s face one fact. Everybody in the marketing game is aware of the importance of user experience. This is to the point that it’s no longer special to have a solid interface. It’s no longer an achievement but rather, it is now an expectation.
The sole element that’s going to help you stand out from the crowd is the way that you’re able to present your brand’s story.
We are naturally engrossed by stories. The entirety of our values is actually formed by stories. Rather than simply being an addition to design, user experience can be used to help present a story better, whether it’s through allowing your users to interact with your website or product or if it’s in adding other details that make your story (or rather, its presentation) more alluring.
The most convenient route to take is to work with user experience experts like the professionals at EraserFarm Tampa.
Wearable UX
During the past few years, we’ve seen how the demand for wearables has risen. You’ll find that more and more people have taken to wearing smartwatches alongside their smartphones.
Just as smartphones exist so we can bring them where we can’t bring our computers, we have wearables so we can bring them where we can’t bring our smartphones.
In the same manner that every tech company puts a heavy emphasis on their smartphones, so, too, should they do so for their wearables.
The fact that we use our wearables to track our wellness should also count as a major opportunity for user experience to make an impact on a user’s life. The beauty here is that you can more or less design your UX to target a niche market.
When you’re able to define who buys these wearables (usually people with above-average income and who also live active lifestyles), you also enable yourself to derive not just a UX for them, but an entire marketing campaign for it.
Just look at how Samsung makes use of their Galaxy Watch Active product line.
Artificial Intelligence Integration
It would seem that the right question to ask now is: “Is there anything that artificial intelligence won’t be changing?” With the integration of artificial intelligence in UX design, platforms can be made more personalized for your users. This, in turn, gives off the vibe that the product or website was designed specifically for one user.
This is important because people are much more likely to value something that’s theirs versus something that they share with others.
This attachment is also going to transfer to the brand because now, the relationship between the brand and the customer is going to be perceived on a personal level rather than on a transactional level, and this is what gets a business its loyal customers.
UX-Focused Business Campaigns Should Become The Norm Rather Than A Mere Trend
While I may sound like an idealist with this statement, many of the most successful businesses have put this to practice and it would be a waste if we still fail to learn from these companies that have been able to establish a fiercely loyal customer base.
You don’t always need to make use of complex additions to your product or website. A prime example of how simplicity in user experience can yield a loyal customer base can be found in the form of how Apple makes iOS incredibly smooth, versus how Samsung tends to pack in as many features as possible into their smartphones.
The former sticks to the essentials and delivers on them extremely well, while the latter, while a stark contrast, also performs well. The truth here is that customers today know exactly what type of user experience they want.
The most effective UX design is one that is able to deliver an experience that is based on what its brand promises to deliver to the customer.
Even with all these trends that surface, knowing what sets you apart from the competition and capitalizing on that uniqueness by basing UX design on it, is what’s going to get your sales at the end of the day.
Belayet Hossain is a Senior Tech Expert and Certified AI Marketing Strategist. Holding an MSc in CSE (Russia) and over a decade of experience since 2011, he combines traditional systems engineering with modern AI insights. Specializing in Vibe Coding and Intelligent Marketing, Belayet provides forward-thinking analysis on software, digital trends, and SEO, helping readers navigate the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Connect with Belayet Hossain on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or read my complete biography.