App Design Trends To Look Out For In 2021 & 2022

Valere
5 min readNov 18, 2021

Like every design field, app design is also subjected to trends and tech advancements. With better devices and internet bandwidths, the possibility of what one can access on their mobile devices is infinite. However, it’s important to not only stay relevant but also look relevant when it comes to the design of your customized mobile app. To keep you at par, here’s a list of what all to look out for in 2021–2022.

ANIMATED ILLUSTRATIONS & ICONS

With better devices and better internet access, we can now explore beyond simplistic 2D designs that were made to consume less space & bandwidth. Animation can be used to create from subtle effects to mind-blowing visuals within an app and vastly affect the user’s experience on it. With the right kind of animations, you can leave lasting impressions and create great brand recall.

CALMING VISUALS WITH ROOM TO BREATHE

With the year we have had in 2020, people are now looking forward to things that bring them peace or a sense of calm. This isn’t just limited to better self-care or mental health awareness but also the information we consume & how. The content or product that we are pushing might fit the bracket but the way we are pushing might not. This means that the app’s design should also reflect this ideology and give a calming vibe with more breathing space, soothing colors, etc.

ENGAGING INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES

Animation isn’t the only way to add a zing to your user experience. Another way is to use interaction design to create interesting user flows which makes it fun to use your app. This will act as a positive reinforcement for the users to interact and explore your app more and build brand loyalty & recall over time.

ANALOGUE/ RETRO INSPIRATIONS

With detailed visuals back in trend, analogue or retro-inspired iconography & illustrations are making a comeback. Mixtapes, analogue clocks, calculators, etc from the late 20th century are coming back as elements along with art styles that are synonymous with eras gone by. They are still clean design elements but not necessarily the same minimal aesthetic we have become all too familiar with.

NEUMORPHISM

Neumorphism is a new take on skeuomorphic design. Skeuomorphic designs are designs that replicate the real-world appearance of objects in a digital format which can be 2D or 3D. Using a calculator as the icon for the calculator app is one such example. However, this year Neumorphic design is something that has made waves. While Skeuomorphism deals with the literal representation of objects, Neumorphism adds an element of whimsy to these representations. For example, the same calculator icon when created in a single colored 3D design, or a monotone flat design, etc would become Neumorphism. It’s visually a very riveting way for users to experience an app and something that should definitely be tried by app creators.

3D DESIGN INTEGRATIONS

Earlier 3D design was only used by big tech companies like Apple & Samsung to introduce & sell their products. However, 3D is now being used by more & more products companies to sell their wares. Given that e-commerce is now seeing its biggest boom, when the products can’t be seen by customers physically, it’s best to help them visualize it via 3D. This helps them make faster purchase decisions while having a very awe-inspiring e-retail experience.

AR & VR INTEGRATIONS

These are fairly new ways to sell a product but when to comes to discovering spaces, they have been around for a while. Many museums across the world offer VR enabled virtual tours, for example. Similarly, AR & VR can be used to aid education by helping students understand concepts and lessons from the comfort of their own homes especially for subjects like science & history.

CREATIVE & INTERACTIVE DATA VISUALIZATIONS

The things we understand by reading versus the things we understand visually will have very different retention. That’s because the human mind processes and stores visual cues much better than something that we have read and then had to visualize on our own. If your app is something that might be dealing with data, then it’s imperative that you work on creating creative ways for the users to interact and understand the data.

A customized app that integrates these design ideas will elevate your user experience a lot. With the right kind of research & expert developers like Valere in place, your app will not only have a higher number of users & better brand value but also better sale numbers. You can get an estimate of the kind of budget you might need with our App Development Cost Calculator to get started on your app now.

Valere is an award-winning software development agency that has built over 300 top-rated applications for startups and Fortune 500 companies in all verticals like healthcare, finance, sports, fitness, education, and more. Their apps have been featured by the New York Times, and have been consistently recognized as Apple App Store’s top featured apps, TechRadar, and Google Play Store’s top featured apps! Schedule a call with us today to learn how we can help your team create the perfect software or application that can Accelerate Your Business Goals!

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Valere

A top-rated agency that takes a best-of-both-worlds approach to domestic & offshore development across a multitude of technologies & industry verticals.