11 Leading UI/UX Trends for 2021

What design trends to expect in 2021? The user interface is the most trending element that constantly keeps improving. Over the years many UI/UX trends have been changed. However, there are long-term trends that determine the industry's approach for several years.

The UI/UX is a significant part of any website or app which needs to be engaging and functional. It is evolving like any other area, new features and trends appear all the time and we should be aware of them.

In this article, we’ve collected the most popular UI/UX trends. So, which web design trends will be on the top over 2021? Let’s figure it out.

Dark Mode

Dark mode has become one of the design trends in 2020, and it is expected to get further momentum in 2021. It is perceived as trendy, dark UIs usually look stylish. Designers are adding a dark mode option to their projects, as black provides the perfect dark background to make design elements pop from the screen.

The dark mode is extensively used by Instagram, Apple, and Android. And this trend will certainly continue to exist throughout this year.

Dark mode is a cutting edge design that visually creates a deeper picture. It not only gives a cool effect to your website and makes design elements more visible, but also provides a comfortable viewing of content in the dark and ease the strain on your eyes. Moreover, if your smartphones have OLED displays, dark themes can also prolong battery life.

3D Graphics and Animation

3D technologies are actively influencing web design styles. Though animation and 3D graphics are not new to user interface design, this trend is sure to get an even bigger boost this year owing to the high demand for augmented and virtual reality technologies. Webpages with 3D get more depth and volume, that bring users an immersive experience.

3D is widely used in animations, illustrations and other elements. For example, in macOS Big Sur, designers have added three-dimensional graphics to a set of icons.

3D in web interfaces is definitely eye-catching and can help a website to stand out. However, one of the key requirements for the successful implementation of 3D is a high performance of your website. Unless your platform is poorly optimized, it won't be able to support and display such heavy content smoothly. As a result, your website may experience slow response and lags.

Glassmorphism

Glassmorphism combines the effect of frosted glass and background blur, bright colors and floating objects. It is the latest UI trend that rapidly has been growing in popularity. But it is not something new. The background blur effect was introduced in 2013 with the release of iOS 7. This style was called neomorphism. It re-emerged when Apple brought the effect back with its latest MAC OS Big Sur update in November 2020. The Fluent Design System, innovated by Microsoft, employs Glassmorphism as well. It is presented as a brush called Acrylic that creates a translucent texture.

AR and VR Technologies

Virtual and augmented reality gives new dimension to UX design. In 2021, the popularity of virtual and augmented reality technologies will grow, and these technologies are likely to impact web design and development.

While AR & VR are mainly used for entertainment, there are options for using AR & VR for promoting products and services. More and more companies are thinking about implementing AR and VR into their products.

For example, the IKEA Place app lets virtually furnish a room with just one tap or find the perfect product. An excellent solution to promote your product. Besides, there are interactive VR travel apps, AR apps for museums, and more. AR & VR seem to become more commonplace and remain one of the biggest trends in the upcoming years.

Minimalism

Minimalism has been creating trends for many years and is not going to lose ground. Simplicity and convenience will always be trendy. For UX, there is nothing better than a simple, minimalist and readable interface.

This trend is a good example of how fancy designs are not necessary to make a product look amazing. Minimalism looks aesthetically, it is based on using only the essential elements – white space, clean text, simple sans serif fonts. Pastel colors are the perfect complement to the trend of minimalism and simplicity in modern UI design.

Outsized Typography

Big and bold typography is becoming more and more popular. Designers are using text as the main “art” for designs and actively adopting bold typography in interfaces. The fact is that most users pay attention to the page title first. For this reason, it is important to grab attention by using outsized typography for headings. It can help you make your site clearer by highlighting certain essential elements such as your products, services, categories, etc.

Advanced Microinteractions

Microinteractions would continue to rise in popularity this year. This UX-element adds a unique tone and sound to your site and improves user experience. Microinteractions are small design elements that affect the way in which users interact with websites or apps. By adding motion to icons, buttons, icons, menus, and other UI elements, you can trigger user response much faster. Microinteractions dramatically improve user experience as they enhance engagement, retain users, and provide feedback.

Illustrations

Illustrations are a great way to create attention-grabbing designs and stand out among competitors. Designers integrate hand-drawn elements into web interfaces. Custom illustrations are especially popular now as they help to reflect the personality of the brand. Illustrations are used by various companies, including Buffer, Mailchimp and others.

Voice User Interface

Voice user interface is an alternative interface that allows users to navigate through the website. The ability to interact with the digital interface using voice commands opens up new horizons making daily operations more comfortable and offering the best experience.

Virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant are driving this trend. While VUI is not common for most websites and apps, it is expected to trend in 2021. We can see more websites and apps with voice-activated search.

Pantone Illuminating and Ultimate Gray

It’s worth mentioning colors of the year – Illuminating (yellow) and Ultimate Gray. This color pair works great. The yellow is impactful and youthful while gray keeps it from feeling overwhelming. According to Pantone, practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, the union of PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray + PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating is one of strength and positivity.

ID Authentification

Custom navigation and simplified signing are also expected to dominate in 2021. Most users often forget their passwords. Therefore, sometimes it is hard to remember it. Recent user interface design trends offer users a variety of other options, such as fingerprints and face authentication. So in the future, we can see more biometric locks and robust data encryption tools making their way into mainstream UX/UI markets.

Final Thoughts

Web design trends are constantly changing. At the same time, there are some that remain the same for years. The ultimate goal of a product is to help users achieve their goal. As a designer, you need to be aware of the design trends. However, don't try to overload your design by blindly following trends, instead apply the ones that suit the business needs the best.

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