App Design Tips and Trends for 2021

2020 was a busy year for app design and development, with new trends taking over the market. 2021 is no different. This year, you’re sure to see app design tips and trends that are new and exciting.

At CraftedNY, we are a highly experienced app development company with 10 years of experience. We have helped multiple companies translate their ideas into functional and responsive apps. We can help you too.

Our team of experienced app developers always keeps themselves abreast of the latest app design and development tips and trends. You can trust us to help you leverage the latest technology and insights. This will help you create an app that is easy to maintain and which your users will love.

Contact us to get the conversation going. In the meantime, look at what new app design and development tips and trends we can expect in 2021.

App face rounded aesthetics

Many devices these days have lost that boxy appearance. If you look at the latest iPhone or Android models, you’ll see most have rounded edges. In 2021, we’ll see more designers and developers adopting a similar aesthetic for apps too.

In an effort to match the aesthetics of the app with that of the phone model, app developers will release “rounded apps.” This will certainly be a breath of fresh air and will make apps look friendlier.

AI & ML driven UI/UX personalization

The age of one-size-fits-all UI/UX is long gone. Already, companies have started tweaking their app UI/UX for different target customer groups. But in 2021, we will see app personalization go to a completely new level.

Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have made it possible to customize the UI/UX for each individual app user. Now you can offer personalized content/product information to each user, depending on their cross-channel browsing history.

No more dependence on password/passcode

It can be cumbersome for people to remember a password or passcode to access highly secure apps. The more applications you have on your phone, the more challenging this task will be. The answer to this problem lies in not depending too much on passwords/passcodes.

In 2021, you’ll see a greater number of apps adopting biometrics access like fingerprint locking, iris identification, and facial recognition. This security will prevent app users from remembering a long list of passwords/passcodes. Additionally, it will improve the security of the app since only a single individual will have the power to access it.

Mood-matching app backgrounds

Not everyone likes bright colors. This was what led to the creation of dark mode for mobile apps. But in 2021, designers will take this a step further, with mood-matched app backgrounds.

Developers are building in an option where users can choose which background color they want to retain on the app. Categorized on various moods such as “morning mood” or “lunchtime/midday mood” or “sleepy mood” etc., the background color and lighting automatically change to create a soothing effect.

Apart from providing users a wide color palette, app designers are offering different gradients of each color. Now users can customize the way their apps look to their bespoke preferences.

Faux 3D and 3D come to mobile

The use of Faux 3D and 3D elements in desktop applications has been well-received. App designers in 2021 are planning to take these features onto the mobile platform. This opens up a lot of opportunities for brands, as Faux 3D and 3D elements add a sophisticated aesthetic to the app design.

Combine with advanced animation features; these elements can pop on the app screen and attract user attention to key features of your site.

Gesture-based swipe

Many of the latest smartphone models have done away with their primary button. This has changed the game completely for app development as well. With no buttons available to navigate around the app (and even between apps), designers are choosing to use gesture-based swiping. The extremely seamless and graceful nature of gesture-based navigation is sure to be very well-received by app users.

VR in EdTech and gaming apps

The domain of education and gaming are two of the fastest-growing markets today. They’re also two markets which have very tech-savvy and demanding customers. It stands to reason that Virtual Reality – the latest development in the world of technology – makes its waves in these industries.

In 2021, you’ll see more EdTech and gaming apps powering VR content. For example, students using an EdTech app might be able to see the VR image of a dinosaur that looks like it’s within touching distance. Gamers might be able to project their characters in front of them while they change their attire or load them with weapons.

As the scope of VR increases each day, all the possibilities are very exciting.

Localized chatbots

More people around the world are choosing to speak into their phones to perform functions. With conversational chatbots in use already, this trend has moved onto apps as well. But, 2021 will see more people speaking to chatbots in their local languages than in English.

App designers are mindful of this. Apps are being developed to take into consideration the user’s language, tone, context, vocabulary, sentence structure, and emotions.

Inclusive UX

Diversity has become paramount to a brand’s survival. Not only will this improve your brand image, but an inclusive mobile app will help you access newer markets.

In 2021, greater emphasis will be placed on making apps more inclusive and accessible for people with all types of disabilities. This includes screens that are designed for people with poor vision, in-built screen readers in apps, static navigation features for people with gesture problems, etc., to name a few.

Greater emphasis on visual storytelling

Finally, 2021 will see app designers and developers master the art of visual storytelling. In the previous years, only certain elements on the app were made highly-visually-compelling. But now, you’ll see that there is a method to the madness in app design as well. Right from the fonts used to overlapping text boxes to the racial features of the animation adopted, everything will tell the brand’s story.

This is expected to increase customer engagement tremendously. Plus, this visual storytelling will make it much easier for brands to translate their offerings to customers in an easily understandable manner.

For more information or to consult CraftedNY about our app design and development service, contact us today.