The purpose of every product is to be fully functional without forcing users to invest too much time and energy in the process. This is exactly why UX and agile methodologies play such an important role in the 21st century business – everybody wants to design a product that maximizes functionality while minimizing consumers’ efforts.
According to the report, every dollar invested in UX results in a return
between $2 and $100. Another study reveals that 32% of the customers would leave a brand they loved after just one bad experience.
between $2 and $100. Another study reveals that 32% of the customers would leave a brand they loved after just one bad experience.
In such circumstances, the only way to maintain the highest level of customer satisfaction is to follow the latest developments in the user experience field. In this post, we will discuss seven UX and agile trends to keep you on top in 2020.
No drop-down menus
If there is one thing modern users hate the most, it must be a drop-down
website menu. This is particularly the case with full-screen navigation tables that flash up only to disappear at the very moment a user would like to take action and choose a given item.
website menu. This is particularly the case with full-screen navigation tables that flash up only to disappear at the very moment a user would like to take action and choose a given item.
Jake Gardner, a website content professional at NSBroker, says drop-down menus will gradually disappear from the big scene: “Although highly practical navigation-wise, a drop-down menu seriously jeopardizes UX and interferes with visitors’ course of action. The feature will never disappear completely, but we are going to see a lot of websites opting for an alternative solution in 2020.”
Minimalistic design
Minimalistic design is by no means a novelty in the UX and agile universe, but it returns as a quintessential trend this year. The old proverb claims
that less is more, which is certainly the case with contemporary web and graphic design.
that less is more, which is certainly the case with contemporary web and graphic design.
Instead of adding multiple elements to the same page, you should concentrate on details that matter the most to you and your customers. It can be an image, a call to action, or any other element, but the point is to
emphasize this feature and neglect all the other details that might interfere with it.
emphasize this feature and neglect all the other details that might interfere with it.
Whitespace
The third trend on our list goes hand in hand with the previous one. Namely, whitespace perfectly corresponds with the rules of minimalistic design. How come?
Well, it turns out that whitespace is able to soften the background and
highlight the main element on a given page. Instead of distracting users, you can take advantage of whitespace to redirect visitors’ focus from irrelevant to important features.
highlight the main element on a given page. Instead of distracting users, you can take advantage of whitespace to redirect visitors’ focus from irrelevant to important features.
Mobile-first design
It’s no secret that smartphones started dominating the online realm.
First of all, there are over 3.5 billion smartphone users in the world today, which means that half of the global population browses the Internet on a mobile phone. Secondly, Google launched its mobile-friendly
algorithm a long time ago, thus stating the dominance of smartphone-oriented design.
algorithm a long time ago, thus stating the dominance of smartphone-oriented design.
What does it all tell you?
You don’t have to be a UX guru to answer this one. The point is to embrace the mobile-first approach and eliminate features such as keyboard text entry or mouse pointers. This year, a lot of companies – new ones in particular – will focus on designing a mobile site and leave a web interface only as the extra option for desktop users.
UX writing
UX and agile components are not only about design but also about
writing. What does it mean? Well, it means you should focus on writing a copy that is both clear and concise.
writing. What does it mean? Well, it means you should focus on writing a copy that is both clear and concise.
According to the report, a typical user will read barely 28% of the webpage content, while 80% of readers never make it past the headline. The figures are staggering and they lead us to the conclusion that you have to think about UX writing in 2020 and beyond.
The simplest way to explain it is to say that your writing has to be short and actionable. We prepared two sentences as an example:
Non-UX writing: An authentication error has occurred.
UX writing: Wrong password.
UX writing: Wrong password.
Inclusive design
Another very important UX and agile trend comes in the form of inclusive design. By definition, inclusive design is a design process (not restricted to interfaces or technologies) in which a product, service, or environment is
optimized for a specific user with specific needs.
optimized for a specific user with specific needs.
Such a strategy focuses on highly specific user groups that are often overlooked by design teams due to their current or permanent peculiarities.
If you think about it for a moment, you will realize that inclusive design is the only reasonable way to go in 2020 and beyond. After all, why would you exclude and group from the process and limit your market reach?
Password-less design
Do you know that more than 60% of users admit losing passwords across multiple websites? Passwords represent a true burden for way too many Internet users, so you definitely need to think about going password-less this year. It’s a simple step, but it will do miracles for your customers UX-wise.
Up to You
UX and agile development have become genuine buzzwords of the 21st
century business jargon because modern consumers demand effortless
experience along with maximal efficiency. It forces you to stay on top of the latest industry developments, which is why we discussed the most important UX and agile trends in 2020.
century business jargon because modern consumers demand effortless
experience along with maximal efficiency. It forces you to stay on top of the latest industry developments, which is why we discussed the most important UX and agile trends in 2020.
Have you already embraced any of these trends? Which one do you believe to be the most influential in your niche? Share your thoughts in the comments, so we can discuss this important topic together.