2020 UX Digital Strategy Signposts

2020 UX DIGITAL STRATEGY SIGNPOSTS FOR HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN

ONE  VISCERAL INTELLIGENCE – the ability to sense, predict and act upon knowledge of an environment or situation.

• Visceral intelligence uses animation, voice, gestures, and other bio-mechanical cues in accomplishing digital tasks.
• An intentional interface aligns with the intuition, expectations and desires of humans.
• The expectation is that a site/ ecosphere will be unique – and user is competent enough to navigate. Complex does not have to be complicated.

TWO  REAL CHANGES OF STATE – Users expect to be moved and anticipate movement. 

• Call and response is pervasive. Each site, app or platform should feel alive, even those without social notifications.
• The hands and eyes of users are prepared to operate a virtual journey, engaged in a particular ecosphere, created by your business.
• Colors, animation and font tell a story of the journey, acting as clues/ signposts for what is ahead.
• Action/ reaction satisfies those who need personal affirmation, as well as those who require affirmation.

THREE  WASTE REMOVAL – An acknowledgment that the journey is paramount.

• Minimalism has resulted in: removal of non-value added content and waste. Nothing should stand in the way of Users’ Journey to Destination.
• Standardizing/ reduction of variation has taken a backseat (and now resides in the subconscious), so consistency of the basics are expected to be universal and ubiquitous.
• Users expect error-free websites. Clean websites inspire confidence in the company.

FOUR   THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE – Individuals are ‘accepted’ for unique preferences.

• User preferences during the past two decades have transformed usabilityThe degree to which an object or relationship of objects is used efficiently; the quality of being sufficient. More standards. The old heuristic of “belonging” has been replaced by a need to be fulfilled. Users want to get the job done.
• Scrolling is preferred to clicking, since it’s faster. There should be multiple ways for users to arrive at destinations. It’s the sweet spot between just enough and too much.
• Basic “good rules of thumb,” like Content Chunking have expanded. Concepts like blocks are now pervasive. Every floor of a user interface tells a story.

FIVE  DISRUPTIVE UBIQUITY – Users expect omnipresence. 

• Today’s marketplace is saturated. Users are well aware that they have choices, many of which they’ve yet to discover. They expect you to be everywhere available.
• Brands should have a full deck of digital assets, easily accessible on all platforms and devices, without hiccup.
• Produce Delight – The user experience should be enjoyable, and leave a good, lasting impression. This isn’t a new thing, yet it’s more crucial than ever before.