Emojis everywhere
You might have noticed that emojis are present not only in your WhatsApp messages. Mobile app designers are actively using emojis in their solutions. These are universal symbols, well-known to most of us. Users immediately recognize the mood and meaning behind each symbol and, in such a way, the app’s design becomes understandable for us even without the extensive UX texts. All of this makes navigation in the app quick and easy.
What is more, emojis bring friendliness and lightness to the product. They communicate your brand as “easy-to-deal-with” and don’t bother the users with too much seriousness. When thinking about sprinkling an emoji here and there in your UI, remember about your application’s purpose and target audience. And, of course, don’t overuse this trend to keep your design unique
Funky 90s UI
Minimalist UI design is not a way to make your users happy anymore. Of course, it doesn’t mean that your app should be a cluster of too many features and an excessive amount of colors. The point is that there are way too many similar simplistic two-color applications out there, so it’s time to roll out something funkier.
While in 2020 and 2021, the 80s-style UI was trending, now, the 90s aesthetics is making a great comeback. Vivid colors, bold fonts, visible shadows, pixelated typography and pictures, Memphis style — all these elements will likely occur in mobile UI designs in 2022.
Whether it’s the 70s, 80s, or 90s, nostalgia is always a powerful way to evoke positive emotions. Even if your users never interacted with the authentic 90s design. Visual trends are cycling back and forth at all times, so who knows, maybe in 2022 or 2023, we will see the early 2000s style rebound.
Animation is still trending
Animation continues to be among the top UI design trends year after year. No wonder — it’s a perfect tool for catching the user’s eye. Be it a microinteraction or a full-scope illustration, a bit of animation is always engaging and fun.
When it comes to animation styles and approaches, your creativity is the limit. You might get your typography moving, add unusual illustrations to the onboarding screens, or make the in-app navigation simpler. Pay attention to 3D animation: it will be especially trendy in 2022 as it still has a somewhat unusual look to it.
With the rapid adoption of 5G over 2021, designers don’t have to worry about slow internet interrupting the animation, so 2022 is definitely a good time to try out some more complex ideas and unleash your imagination.