10 design trends 2015 - ux & ui trends for mobile solutions

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10 DESIGN TRENDS 2015UX & UI TRENDS FOR MOBILE SOLUTIONS

DID WE SAY MOBILE FIRST?WE MEANT MOBILE ONLY!

Our last mobile UX/UI trends report reached over 100,000 readers

and we hope that this year, you will find it even more interesting and

exciting. It’s our ambition to help guide business developers, project

managers, developers and of course designers to understand and

implement better UX/UI design for mobile.

Last year we spoke about “Mobile First”, this year we dare to talk about

“Mobile Only”. What we mean by that is to reach your users, a strong

mobile presence is more important than ever and for many of our

customers it’s the only interface towards users. Examples of this include

consumer services such as Über and HotelTonight as well as enterprise

applications such as the 3M WaterDealer and Warburtons Red Insight.

At the same time Google is elevating the importance of mobile in search

by giving priority to websites that are properly optimized for mobile

from April 2015. It is indisputable that this type of action from one of the

biggest players in the industry sends out the unmistakable message

that the threshold to mobile only has been crossed.

Enjoy!


1. OMNICHANNELThere are so many ways and possibilities to engage with users today,

mobile being the primary interface. The expectation from customers

is a seamless experience across web, mobile and in-store. Some

examples are in-store experiences using tablets, beacons, NFC,

personalised touch screens and of course the customers’ smartphone

through an app or mobile web.

WHY DO IT?

An app or mobile web is a great start, but what is there beyond that?

With research and customer experience mapping we can understand

both business and user needs. Our job as UX/UI designers and

Business Strategists is to then make sure that the needs are met.

With all these possibilities to ensure a seamless experience, bear in

mind it’s not only about your customers or your competitors’ customers,

it’s about all users.


2. PHABLETS - ADAPTIVE DESIGNMost mobile apps or webs have the same layouts applied for both

Phablets and Smartphones. However, the layout for a Phablet and

Smartphone should ideally take full advantage of different screen

sizes. Phablets frequently replace tablets and therefore the design is

expected to be as rich as tablets. For Landscape mode we should also

consider displaying a different layout if it adds value to the service.

WHY DO IT?

The introduction of phablets has opened another door for adaptive

design. Whereas before we could have considered the smartphone

as more of an on-the-go device, and tablets perhaps more for leisure

or home use, the widespread adoption of the phablet has blurred this

line. This puts more challenges on UX/UI Designers, Developers and

budgets as we now need to consider the multiple use cases for the new

larger screen size, and ensure the best user experience can be created.

In reality, it’s about making the most of the new opportunities presented

by this in-between device, so always keep in mind how a phablet is

actually used.


3. DESIGN FOR A 3D SPACE & MATERIAL DESIGNLast year we discussed layered interfaces and the importance of well-

made animations and transitions. With Material Design, Android have

taken many of these design principles on board and created a great

concept of their own. ‘Meaning with motion’ and layered interfaces are

a big part of Material Design and are excellent ways to guide users

through the experience. We still need to highlight that ‘Meaning with

motion’, if not well-executed, can end up being ‘Annoying with motion’.

WHY DO IT?

Designing for a 3D space and using layers in the z-axis gives the user

a very clear idea of the app’s hierarchy and is a great way to guide the

user throughout the experience. An example of guiding the user is the

highlighted Floating Action Button which clearly indicates where the

user needs to tap for the next step.

When applying ‘Meaning with motion’ we guide and clarify navigation

to the user, which actions the user has performed and which actions are

expected next. When implemented as part of the flow, the user learns

while using the app rather than from a tutorial meaning that app use

becomes intuitive.


4. GEOMETRIC ELEMENTS & DYNAMIC LAYOUTUsing geometric elements such as a diagonal lines as dividers to

separate between sections, images or texts creates a dynamic layout

and also nicely lead the user forward from one section to the next.

We will see more geometric elements such as hexagons or triangles

as background patterns or to highlight information in addition to more

traditional circles and boxes used. This trend is simply the next step in

the UX evolution, and with content being so dynamic it is only natural

that this is reflected in the User Interface.

WHY DO IT?

It is natural for designers to try and break the mold and experiment

with new visual solutions. These trends appear frequently and while

many are adopted as they strike an aesthetic chord, not all have been

devised with improved functionality in mind. However, dynamic layouts

are something that have emerged recently to break standard layout

patterns and as a way to guide the user through the experience. This

approach needs to fit well with the brand and may not be suitable for all

solutions, nevertheless it is an interesting approach to consider.


5. FONTS WITH A PURPOSEWe love fonts and to use the right font or style for the right purpose is

a big part of the UX/UI Design. Headlines should stand out and longer

paragraphs should be easy to read. Sans Serif typefaces (Helvetica,

Open Sans, Roboto, Avenir) are in general more legible than Serif

typefaces (Playfair, Garamond, Times New Roman) on a digital screen.

Kerning, leading, styles and sizes are all important factors to take into

account when creating and implementing your designs.

WHY DO IT?

The right use of fonts is as important as the right use of images,

colours, and icons to create hierarchy and contrast between headlines

and paragraphs, to organize the content and most importantly, for

readability and call to action.

Serif fonts for paragraphs are more readable for print and are used

almost “by default” for newspapers, magazines and books. However,

in digital the legibility when using Serif fonts decreases depending

on the screen resolutions. Even though many of the latest devices

have high screen resolutions, Sans Serif fonts are still often used and

recommended for digital formats.


6. BIOMETRICSThere is a world out there for biometric mobile integrations. Fingerprint,

heartbeat and voice authentication, retina and face scan, brain activity

measurements, physiological values indicating health read by skin-

like patches and many more. Even though many are still in Beta phase,

we expect to see a huge rise in the number of biometric mobile

integrations this year. There has been a great deal of focus in Research

and Development within this sphere, and exciting use cases in both

mHealth as well as Security are being investigated.

WHY DO IT?

Biometric mobile integrations make us more efficient. Even though

fingerprint authentication is no longer 100% safe (Apple’s Touch ID was

hacked by photographing a user’s fingerprint from a glass surface and

using the captured image to verify the login credentials), it is still a very

efficient authentication method for mobile. Heartbeat authentication is

in Beta phase and seems to be 100% safe and just as efficient. This has

the ability to change the UX for any action which needs authentication,

such as payments, mobile banking or even as simple as a private log in.

Biometrics used for controlling your health is another step in the right

direction and is indicative of how technology is now becoming such an

integral part of our daily lives, that it becomes invisible. The constant

monitoring of health and fitness values will not impact on our daily

activities, but the the results and findings will allow us to address them

by changing our habits or take other measures. In the long-run, we are

looking at a future where the wide-ranging benefits will mean healthier

lives.


7. CARDSCards are an intuitive, efficient and attractive way to group information in

an outlined box. It makes it clear what information is related to the card

and what actions you can take. Most frequent card types are Records

(Apple Passbook), Teasers (Pinterest) and Alerts (Tinder). Most common

layouts are Boards (Pinterest), Feeds (Social networks) or Stacks (Apple

Passbook)

WHY DO IT?

Cards are used to group together information in a very intuitive way and

permits for a very fast UX, meaning users can easily scan through a lot

of content and pinpoint information that is relevant to them.

Cards should be used where it makes sense and once a card has

been selected by the user, the information should be highlighted

and become a point of focus. Pinterest is an example of a great Card

solution due to the simplicity of it and how intuitive it is to use. Having

removed the navbar, the app utilizes the full screen for displaying

content/cards. Navigation is thumb-focused: swipe and scroll to

browse through content, bottom tab bar to select categories, and also

the hidden but genious long press for action accessible throughout the

whole app. Simply a very well-made Teaser Card App.


8. WITH LESS PATIENCE, SIMPLICITY IS MORE EFFICIENT. As mobile app users we are getting less and less patient and if the

concept or functionalities are not clear and straight-forward we will

most probably not use the app and uninstall it from the device. It is

important to always focus on the essence of UX/UI elements included

in an app or web. Rather remove functionalities and features than add

something that does not bring any real value for your business and your

users. Less...

WHY DO IT?

...is more. Solutions should be simple to use. Communicate with an

image, a short headline or video instead of long, often-ignored copy,

Use motions and hints to guide the user and always focus on few but

meaningful features that bring value to your business and to your users.

There is a lot of psychology involved in why it is important to keep it

simple. Here is an example. If you are given the option to choose 1 of

10 things you will probably have a harder time deciding which to select

than if you were only presented with three choices. You would also

probably not feel as comfortable after having made the choice as you

would have preferred choosing from fewer options. When choosing

from only three things you would probably feel more convinced you

had made the right choice as well as generally feeling better with

yourself about the decision.


9. THUMB-FOCUSED NAVIGATION. TREND OR STANDARD?Thumb-focused navigation for standard-sized smartphones includes

so many great UX principles so we like to call it a standard rather than a

trend. A solution that lets you navigate through the app using only one

hand a often a well-made thumb-focused navigation solution. Even

though Phablet users do not mind using two hands, thumb-focused

navigation is simply a great UX approach to keep in mind when creating

any mobile solution.

WHY DO IT?

Since we all have different sized hands, with this approach we can

create a similar experience for all users. This great UX approach

includes user interaction principles such as:

1. Swipe to left and right to navigate through the app.

2. Scroll up and down to navigate, to close articles or to reload a page.

3. Different length swiping to access multiple options such as delete,

save, share or mark as read.

4. Bottom tab bar to switch between categories.

5. Long press to activate options such as share, like or access menu

and with a continued movement of the finger pressed, select the option.


10. PRIVACYHow do you feel when an app wants to access your private content

such as photos, location or contacts? We are in general very protective

of our private information and it’s crucial to build trust in this step

of the process. We believe in transparency. When asking for private

information explain to the user the reasons why it is needed and what

value this brings. Rather than slowing down the experience we believe

this can create trust and make the user feel comfortable about sharing

private information.

WHY DO IT?

We believe that honesty and transparency are key in showing users

they can trust a solution. App users that feel comfortable sharing private

information and understand what they gain by sharing this information

will feel better about their experience and most likely stick with the app

and keep using it. When requesting a credit card number for an in-app

payment feature, explain the reasons why this data is required and what

the user gains by allowing access to their personal information.

BONUS SECTIONWHAT’S COMING!

To this year’s trends deck we have added a quick preview of what we

hope and believe we will see in the market this decade.

Exciting times!


FLEXIBLE BRACELETWe are very much looking forward to seeing this wearable device and

believe it will be a revolutionary product. The idea is to manipulate the

shape of the bracelet to either wear on the wrist or use as a regular

phone. With the sim card integrated in the bracelet there are no

dependencies on other mobile devices. Usability, size and comfort are

all critical factors that need to be solved to ensure the success of this

product.


INVISIBLESInvisibles are wearables that in a near future will be discretely

integrated onto, or into, our bodies such as MIT’s contraceptive chip or

Google’s contact lenses. Invisibles can be used for health and fitness

but we also see big possibilities for other areas as well such as security

and payments. Invisibles will be a key element in making the User

Experience as seamless and unobtrusive as possible. Technology will

simply be an integral part of ourselves and our daily lives.


PROJECTIONS & HOLOGRAMSCicret is now developing a prototype that reflects the device display on

your arm. We think the approach is very interesting however visibility,

contrast as well as interaction are variables that still need a lot of work

if this device is to become commercially viable and successful.

It would also be interesting to see a UX/UI for this device without any

dependencies on other devices.


KITS & MOBILE MULTI USEThe most common Kits today are HomeKit, HealthKit, CarPlay and

similar. The list of what can be done with these kits is long but currently

it is difficult to find hardware to use them with. However this will change

as the market gradually catches up. Imagine controlling your TV, Doors,

Lightning, Heating with your mobile device. Monitor your health to

manage long-term ailments or improve fitness, with tracking data shared

directly with your doctor. Or with CarPlay that assists you throughout the

whole driving experience for a safer and more efficient drive.


AUTODRIVEN CARAutodriven cars are being tested in different parts of the world and it

is inevitable this will become a part of our daily lives in a not so distant

future. Since your mobile device and the car can be connected there

are a lot of UX/UI possibilities, both for your mobile device and for the

car dashboard or windshield. Call on your car to come and pick you up

or set the mood inside of the car controlling lightning, music, engine

settings etc.

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