Minimalism isn’t the only one on the list!
Marketing and design go hand in hand and it is incredibly important to that marketers keep up to speed with the design trends in order to stay relevant. Here are 9 of the trends that will be most important this year, according to Adobe.
1. Vibrant Colours and Dramatic Typography
Rich colors were already being introduced in the past few years, but vibrant hues will make interfaces brighter this year. Users will see a lot more exciting colours in user interfaces in 2017. We can expect lot more vivid color palettes, bold gradients and duotones gracing the UIs throughout this year.
Typography will be used to make a statement rather than just for reading. Like colours, strong typography can be used to evoke an emotion and attach a personality to your brand. It can be used as a simple tool to engage your consumers.
2. Next-level Minimalism
The clean and minimalistic trend has been around for some time now. In 2017, this minimalist trend will still go strong, but will be brought to the next level. Minimalist designs, now, aim to focus on bringing forth the user content rather than the UI through clearer visual communication.
Notice how Instagram went super minimalist with their UI by removing most of the blue and grey colour used throughout the app, making headlines bolder and simplifying the navigation? This sleeker UI allows the content and functionality to take centre stage.
In 2017, the next-level minimalism is all about improving communication between the content and the consumer. An easy-to-use, simple app, rid of all the unnecessary clutter can be a powerful mode of communication.
3. Even More Microinteractions
Microinteractions are certainly not new, but they are not going anyway in 2017. Typically in the form of subtle animations, microinteractions play an important role in User Experience (UX) design, especially on mobile devices. Microinteractions create memorable experiences by drawing attention to areas that you want to highlight, relaying status and changes and providing feedback for completed actions (as seen by the GIF below).
4. Long Scrolling and Parallax Technique For Websites
It is all about reinventing the navigation with this trend. Expect long scrolling to become the standard for websites. This technique translates especially well to mobile devices where the content can be delivered in a much more intuitive manner. Nobody wants to spend the time and effort to navigate between the pages on a tiny mobile screen, right? The long scrolling format is also more engaging as the users are able to consume large amounts of content without interruption.
Other than long scrolling, it is also predicted that more sites will switch to parallax scrolling. This technique is where the background images move slower than the foreground images, creating an illusion of depth and adding to the immersion. If executed well, it allows the designers to tell a story using graphics.
5. Video Content Is The New King
The dynamic nature of the video captures the attention of the consumers and, if done well, keeps it. Videos are convenient and efficient for the consumers as well. Visual storytelling is a powerful tool to tell a story in the short amount of time. Video marketing provides marketers with a versatile and extremely shareable medium to reach their audience. In fact, Cloudswave found that embedded videos on websites can drive traffic up by 55% and just by mentioning the word “video” in the subject line of an email can increase open rates by 13%!
6. Tailored Illustrations
Though traditional photography will still be used widely, illustrations are offering designers and marketers an alternative. Illustrations create a story that quickly captures the personality of the brand. Easily edited according to the brand’s needs, illustrations allow quick understanding of the brand’s message.
7. Cards Will Still Be a Big Thing
From Pinterest to Google to Facebook, some of the major brands have already jumped on the bandwagon. Cards are based on the idea that all the relevant information are categorized into a single chunk. This means that consumers are able to access the information they want neatly packed into a card, making it intuitive and easy to comprehend. The best part is, the cards allow you to create a versatile UI, which can tailored to fit small mobile phone screens to large desktop computers.
9. The Rise of Conversational Interfaces
Chatbots and artificial intelligence seem to be on every marketer’s mind right now, and for the right reasons too! For the past couple of years, the use of chatbots in consumer apps has proven to be successful by making it easier and convenient for the consumers to take a certain action. This year, it is predicted that the chatbot technology and conversational interfaces will be introduced to more industries. Holistic conversational solutions and products, like Amazon Echo and Google Home, are also set to take off in 2017.
So which trends are you exciting to try out this year?
