Designing for Tomorrow: Top Trends in UX Research & Design for 2023 and beyond

As technology continues to evolve, so does the world of UX design. From emotional design to inclusive design, there are many trends and concepts that are shaping the future of user experience.

In this blog post, we will explore some of the top UX design trends for 2023 and beyond, giving you valuable insights into the latest trends and how they can be used to create better user experiences.

Generative AI

Currently on the rise, generative AI is increasingly being seen as a threat. But you know what they say; keep your friends close and your enemies closer. There’s no denying its inevitability. The global artificial intelligence (AI) software market is forecast to grow rapidly in the coming years, reaching around 126 billion U.S. dollars by 2025. AI-generated images are even winning competitions in the art industry, and people are worried.

However, 2023 and beyond should be about utilising AI as your partner, to help keep you up to speed. AI can be used to improve your workflow and let you focus on the creative aspects, whilst it churns out the things you usually spend hours on in only minutes. For example, a generative model could analyse user data you have collated and suggest a new homepage layout that will enhance the user experience based on your findings.

In terms of user research, AI could put together a list of questions to be used in user interviews and surveys quickly – allowing you to work more efficiently and focus on the interviews themselves and your UX designs.

By seeing generative AI as an aid rather than a replacement for your own human creativity, you will find you are working more successfully.

Inclusive design

Inclusive design is a concept that has been gaining momentum in the world of UX design in recent years, and for good reason. Simply put, inclusive design is about creating products and experiences that are accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.

We know already that inclusive design is a big part of Google’s Core Web Vitals, using the accessibility of a website as a factor in its SERPs. But how is it shaping the future of UX design?

There are gaps in representation in every team, but establishing a proactive partnership or consulting strategy can help bridge them. UX research needs to have a broad range of testers to catch things you don’t realise you’re missing, including people with assistive technology needs.

When products and experiences are designed with accessibility in mind, they tend to be more intuitive and user-friendly for everyone. This is because inclusive design often involves simplifying complex interactions and providing clear, concise instructions. By making things easier for people with disabilities, designers end up making things easier for everyone – so it shouldn’t be overlooked.

Emotional design

This is something we are all familiar with in the UX industry; designing with the user’s emotional response in mind. You want to design your website to create an emotional connection between the user and the product or service.

Following on from a rise in A/B testing and optimisation, businesses will soon be realising the true potential of having their site adapt to individuals and groups of users. By using data and insights, you can create a personalised experience depending on the specific user. If you’re providing relevant content and recommendations, addressing people by name, and providing targeted offers – this will ultimately help increase engagement and customer loyalty.

A great example of this is Netflix. Everybody’s Netflix homepage will be different depending on what they’ve been watching and how often.

This is a great way to make sure the train never stops running. It gives you your ‘% match’ with a programme, enticing you to want to carry on using the service.

Another feature is as soon as you’re done with one series, it instantly gives you 3 trailers to 3 things you might like – already bringing you onto the next thing before you’ve even had time to digest the last. But we love it! – and this is now what we’re used to. This level of personalisation is becoming what we expect to get, and when we don’t; we’re unknowingly disappointed.

This means it’s only going to get bigger, and should be something that is looked at in all future designs. With the rise of AI, data can be analysed quickly to create personalised experiences catered to user needs and preferences. Spotify, as another example, has been using AI to curate playlists for years. Essentially, there are 248 million versions of the product, one for every user.

(Here’s an example of part of mine)

As AI continues to rise, the potential for personalised experiences catered to user needs and preferences will only increase and continue to shape UX design in the future.

Design tools to keep an eye on

Framer – allows users to create interactive and high-fidelity prototypes that are similar to the final product.
Twill – users can create and manage content on their website without having to know how to code.
Mural – a digital whiteboard that’s designed to help teams collaborate and brainstorm ideas.
Haptic – Haptic feedback is a form of tactile feedback that’s used in smartphones and other devices to provide users with a sense of touch. With Haptic, designers can create prototypes that simulate the feeling of touching and interacting with objects on the screen.
Supernova Studio – a design and development platform that’s designed to help designers and developers work together more effectively.
Proto Pie – for hi-fi prototyping, it allows designers to create complex interactions and animations without having to write any code.

Pop predictions

Adam (UX Analyst)

“There’s bound to be a wider adoption and consideration of AR (Augmented reality) especially in eCommerce. This will allow users to view products on their table tops or within their rooms, tackling the long standing issue of a lack of physicality when shopping online, getting a feel for the size of products from home.

UX design will involve more respect for users, moving away from overloading users with multiple attention grabs and distractions and focusing on allowing the user to complete their goals. Users and shoppers are becoming blind to popups and widgets, closing them without even thinking about them. Businesses will need to be considerate and deliberate in their placement of offers, sign ups and contact methods, working these into the user’s journey rather than trying to hijack their experience when landing on the site.”

Sophie (UX Copywriter and content creator)

“I think a big sector that will develop in personalisation is the fashion industry. With the rise of buying online, one thing that influences people to buy in person is being able to try on the clothes (including myself). If I didn’t have to go to the shop to see what they’d look like, I would 100% not do it. Virtual fitting rooms will accelerate and people will be able to use their phone cameras to try on clothes.

It will go beyond just the targeted ads of ‘we think you’ll like this’ or ‘others who bought blank also bought’. I think AI will be able to put together a personalised outfit from the homepage. This could incorporate what’s new in, things on sale or seasonal trends.”

By keeping up with these trends and incorporating them into our work, we can create more effective and user-friendly experiences for our clients and their customers. Inclusive design, emotional design, and generative AI are just a few examples of the many areas where designers can make a real difference in the coming years.

If you want to stay ahead of the curve and ensure your designs are always cutting-edge, get in touch with Pop Creative today.