The U and the X and the I in 2024
The Christmas trees are out of the house, a few little remnants of Christmas decoration remain here and there, and the champagne bottles have been recycled. 2024 is up and running, and we’re already a couple of weeks in. But before we zone in too deeply into our daily tasks, let’s analyze some of the rumblings on various platforms and social media and predict some of the upcoming trends for UX and UI.
Artificial Intelligence – Another Step
No doubt, 2023 belonged to AI. With ChatGPT’s rocket start, already boasting 100 million users strong in January 2023, it not only became the public’s poster child for what AI could do for the everyday user but also sparked a frenzy of projects and startups.
Much like with the invention of the modern smartphone, a vast number of users are still exploring how to utilize this new technology. Similarly, there is a significant wave of thinkers and tinkerers considering how AI can be leveraged for new or existing businesses.
This left many people confronted almost overnight with a myriad of questions concerning the role of AI in and around art.
And for UX? While most might have initially looked to the art side, it seems quite clear that AI might play a huge role in research, ideation, and validation. Much like Github’s Copilot, it’s the assisting nature of AI that will be of most value in 2024. Usertesting.com allows us to analyze, transcribe, and summarize sessions, sometimes mixing and matching with ChatGPT. Figma’s Jambot is capable of generating all kinds of boards and brainstorm ideas, while Framer is generating responsive layouts and code.
The UX landscape is vast nowadays, and AI is poised to significantly boost efficiency and productivity for those forward-thinking enough to employ it. We won’t necessarily change the design process entirely but will make use of a lot of different AI tools.
No-Code
This topic has persisted ever since the first project manager pondered how he could bypass programmers and complete tasks independently without needing to learn or, even worse, keep up with the ever-changing landscape of programming languages, patterns, and frameworks.
Indeed, No-Code platforms are not a new concept. Squarespace’s $10 billion valuation 3 years ago showed that the complexity of the modern web is in strong need of solutions that take care of the nitty-gritty in between and all around it. Whereas the "older" platforms essentially required designers to revert to using HTML and CSS, we see the rise of Webflow and Framer filling the need to connect a lot of artistic control with a lot of no-code magic that makes sense.
AR meet VR, VR meet AR…again?
It has been over 10 years since the Oculus Rift Kickstarter reignited the dream of a future in VR. I remember vividly how, prior to the first Oculus Development Kit, I’d DIY myself my own VR glasses thanks to some internet
forum’s directions—cutting up ski goggles and various parts from Chinese sellers on eBay, like LED panels and fresnel lenses, among others. This only ended with me on the couch, completely sick with motion sickness after playing 20 minutes of the first-person shooter "Half-Life" on my poorly set up and calibrated VR rig, with cables and parts strewn everywhere.
We’ve come a long way since then. While VR has become much more accessible, its mainstream adoption still struggles, apart from a few niche use cases. But when it shines, it truly shines—hello fellow simracers! In the same vein, Augmented Reality never really surpassed the gimmick stage, except for a few niche applications, much like VR.
With Apple announcing and soon releasing its Apple Vision Pro glasses and visionOS, it is clear that we’re going to get yet another run at tackling VR/AR environments. Is there a new frontier coming? Beyond just interfaces looking like they are pasted on a floating glass surface? I think we’re going to have very fun UX challenges coming up with all the gestures, voice commands, eye tracking, and the likes.
Can I Touch That?
Which brings us to UI. In this "new" world, we’re going to step into spatial design principles. Depth is at the forefront again, motion and scale might break current patterns even more. The question won't just be "what am I looking at?" but "from where am I looking at it?"
Old school skeuomorphism served as a good connection between the real world and the digital at the beginning of smartphones and computers in general. But with the paradigm shift from buttons that resemble physical objects to the clean and flat designs of today, we may potentially move in a new direction, which some refer to as "Neumorphism." The blend between flat, minimalistic elements and the intuitive, familiar real-life counterparts with subtle edges and depth.
2024 shapes up to be an interesting year in design!