Design is a tireless observer: it watches our behaviors and captures the changes that occur every day, transforming them into new forms of interaction.
At Digital Attitude, we take this approach to make UX and UI the two central tools for connecting technology and people, designing experiences that are increasingly attuned to their reality. To do this, we look to the future, starting with the UX and UI trends of 2022. Some of these trends are a continuation of 2021, while others offer a glimpse into new frontiers: devices, apps, and platforms that are increasingly integrated into our daily lives and attuned to our needs.
UI Trends for 2022
Dark Mode: A Balance Between Style and Accessibility
Among the UI trends of 2022 , “dark mode” certainly holds a prominent place and will become increasingly widespread. It’s not just about aesthetics: while it’s true that black goes with everything, it’s also true that it improves the visibility of interfaces for people with visual impairments and reduces energy consumption for the screens of many devices.
3D: Constantly Evolving
3D is becoming increasingly sophisticated, almost as much as the names of its latest trends: neomorphism—which, with its light colors and minimalist shapes, has long characterized many interfaces—is now enriched with shapes and gradients that enhance the three-dimensional effect and accessibility. In English, the term “claymorphism”—derived from “clay”—is already being used, because the three-dimensional elements are shaped to become increasingly simple, with a preference for circular shapes and shadows that create depth. This style of 3D has a softer visual impact than that of classic neomorphism.
Complexity That's Becoming More and More Intuitive
Super-apps are on the way! Google has integrated various apps —from Gmail to Meet to Hangouts Chat— into a single space under Gmail. Twitter followed suit with Spaces, and YouTube with Shorts. In 2022, companies will tend to consolidate more services and features into a single app. Designers face the daunting task of integrating them while keeping the interfaces intuitive and simple.
Minimalism and Brutalism: Toward New Forms
Tech companies feature simple, intuitive interfaces— we might call them “minimalist.” Think of Meta or Oculus; they’re just two of the best-known examples. This year will be no different, but some significant changes are already underway.
Clean design, well-defined lines, contrasting colors, and bold typography: this is what’s often called “brutalism” and is integrated into the minimalist style we’ve been discussing. But UI designers are increasingly moving away from one of brutalism’s most distinctive elements—the grid layout—in favor of more standard solutions, sometimes drawn from other styles. An example? This year’s Spotify Wrapped: intuitive yet visually striking.
Glassmorphism
Have you noticed blurred backgrounds, semi-transparent objects, and colors and shapes inspired by stained-glass effects ? Well, we’re talking about “glassmorphism,” one of the styles that’s winning over the hearts of designers and users alike, from Mac OS Big Sur all the way to Windows 11.
UX Trends for 2022
Inclusive Design and Accessibility
This is not a new requirement, but it remains relevant and, above all, necessary; among the UX trends of 2022, it will certainly be one of the most important. Apps and platforms cater to broad audiences, and all forms of diversity must be valued during the design phases —not only to ensure user-centered experiences, but above all to ensure that no one is excluded. The creation of emojis that represent diverse ethnicities and gender identities has been an important step in this direction. Content and language will also need to increasingly reflect this trend.
Accessibility is also key—that is, designing interfaces that are suitable for everyone, including those with visual or hearing impairments, for example. Companies will increasingly invest in a user experience (UX) that ensures full accessibility.
The Metaverse
Facebook has taken an important step and will continue to explore this area. The Horizon Workrooms app, in fact, allows users of Oculus Quest 2 headsets (a Facebook brand) to hold virtual meetings using their avatars. The metaverse is already poised to surprise us, and many companies are working on their own projects.
With the virtual reality of the metaverse, we will be able to “feel” digital experiences, interact in new ways, and develop new behaviors.
Immersive Experiences
Animations, colors, user engagement: scrolling should become less of a mechanical action and more of a way to immerse oneself in content and explore it. Many websites and apps have found effective ways to transform the exploration of an interface into a storytelling experience that sparks the user’s curiosity.
Microinteractions
Details make all the difference, especially when it comes to microinteractions. Their purpose is to guide users through apps with increasingly simple processes. Their role isn’t new; the goal is to make them increasingly intuitive and seamlessly integrated into an interface’s visual identity. The end result? Functionality and engagement.
Customize and Localize
The personalization of dashboards, notifications, and content is an irreversible trend. But UX professionals should also consider localization for each market.
People in every region of the world have specific behaviors. An example? In most Western markets, email is the preferred login method, while a cell phone number is the default in many Asian markets. In 2022, trade barriers and tensions will drive markets to adopt new solutions. For UX designers, this is yet another reason to study the “geography” of every interface.
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