While there are various studies looking to determine exactly how many hours a day the average person spends on their phone, they all draw a similar conclusion – around 3.5 to 4 hours. That’s nearly a quarter of time spent awake, not to mention phones are usually the last thing we connect with before falling asleep.
What does this mean for businesses?
It means everything must be designed with mobile in mind. There’s a very high chance that when your target market sees your website, e-newsletter, or digital advertisement, it will be from their phone or tablet. So from marketing strategies to user experience, to graphics, mobile design needs to be a priority.
Good news! This shocking amount of ‘screen-time’ = a massive opportunity for your business to shine and to connect – as long as you’re thinking ahead and staying up to date on trends in the mobile design world.
So what’s #Trendingnow in Mobile Design?
1. Voice Interactions
Hands-free interactions speed up processes, getting the job done easier, and leading to satisfied consumers. Uber’s recent integration with Siri is a great example of how voice interaction in mobile design can lead to better user experience. In addition, voice search is now being used to find businesses and information. Learn how to maximize your voice search results by reading our recent blog.
2. Personalization
Engaging with users in a personal way will help you to connect better. See Spotify. Spotify’s playlists take into account which songs users like and dislike and then curate playlists based on their findings. With the rise of machine learning and artificial intelligence, we’re seeing an increase in these kinds of tailored experiences. Recommendations and ads now pertain to the specific user and location is playing a role. Geo-location, geo-targeting, and geo-fencing can help you achieve your goals by connecting with the right consumer about what exactly they are looking for. Behavior-profiling is another trend being used to learn and anticipate your market’s needs. The more you know about the user, the better.
3. No More Buttons
The home button is being phased out by Apple and Android’s newest releases follow suit. This is speculated to be the first step towards virtual interfaces based on gestures only. Phones are becoming giant screens which means more space for information and better for watching video content. Cue video content on social media… & spark a community.
4. Passwordless Experiences
Remembering passwords adds friction to accessing information and slows down the process. Mobile design is catering to this by integrating Face ID, fingerprints, one-time temporary passwords, and texting codes to your phone.
5. Gradients
Gradients are back. Vibrant and bright gradients add dimension to the user interface and provide a fresh sleek look. However, minimalism is still ‘in’, so limit the number of different color gradients you use and be mindful that they represent you well. Color can also be used to divide up space on the screen, highlighting different features all on one page.
6. Rounded Corners
Round corners have been trending for a while now. Take a look at your google search results on your phone, did you notice the curved corners? It’s all about making the user experience native and seamless and in this case, easier on the eye.
7. Emotional Intelligence
Whether it’s the gesture of swiping right, sharing a post or using the iPhone X’s Animoji feature, emotional intelligence is being incorporated into mobile design. Instagram recently added a feature to share posts to a ‘story’ drawing more traffic and love to posts, all while making the user feel like they can express their emotions towards what they find. Double tap for that!
So, let’s face it, people are addicted to their phones and this is making mobile design very important to think about when creating.
The common theme in the current mobile design trends = user-centered design. This idea of putting the user first should be central at all times when thinking about marketing strategies, user experience, and graphic design. The more user-focused you become, the better results you will get, but be aware — users have ever-changing needs. Factor that into your strategy and you will always be one step ahead.
See Also:
Are You a Business Owner Who Focuses on the Buyer or the User?
