Next Year’s Mobile App Design Trends (2021)

Design experts say the average life of a website is three years while mobile apps change interface every now and then, and keeping up with design trends is very important to get updated. Doing this allows you to make small tweaks today, such as updating your fonts and typography, so that your website or app won’t be out of date tomorrow. 

To help you create an on-point design plan for 2021, we’ve shortlisted the trends that we think you need to follow.

Implementing Dark Theme

The dark mode feature has been one of the hottest design trends in the past year, and many brands such as Instagram and Apple have successfully implemented it. The ability to toggle between dark mode and light mode is an in-demand feature you might not know you need. 

Why? Primarily because dark mode allows highlighting and popping other design elements. It also saves device battery power and aid in reducing a user’s eye strain.

More and more brands are implementing apps with dark designs, and this trend will continue to exist in 2021. 

Soft shadow and floating elements

Floating visuals and soft shadows put a softer feel and add a 3D effect on texts, videos, and images. 

Overlapping design elements on top of another is a thing among UI/UX designers nowadays. This design technique creates depth and dimension and provides an eye-tracking path from a component to the next in design projects. Combining floating elements, soft shadows, and layers give designers the ability to create a lightweight feeling whilst moving away from the flat and classic design world that dominated the websites of yesteryear.

Bold fonts

Bold fonts are not an innovation however, they have become a trend for the past year. 

Designers make use of bold fonts to attract users to read the website’s heading. Aside from giving a modern touch to the overall design, it also adds a highlight to main elements such as products, services, categories, and much more. 

Unusual colour combination

Many designers have been experimenting with colours that don’t harmonize well with each other – this usually captures attention and has been a hot design trend over the past year. The good news is, it truly works!

If your main goal is to get noticed, then we suggest to go wild and try new things such as giving neon colours a try to add a bold and futuristic twist to your website or app.

3D elements

3D elements on web and app design aren’t something new, and they have genuinely fascinated users over the years. And as AR and VR get more robust in 2020 and the upcoming years, more and more websites and companies will infuse them in their design in the form of hyper-realistic 3D visuals. These visuals offer visitors a unique experience as they stretch the boundaries that lay between real life and the digital realm.

Abstract data visualization

Databases, lists, and tables look unattractive and spoil the looks of a web page against the background of modern graphic design. Finding ways to show users valuable data can be tricky, and using abstract data visualization is the way to go. 

Many tech-oriented companies use this kind of technique, and it actually works. By using abstract data visualization, you let your users get to know your product or service in a lesser time possible, allowing them to navigate more on your site. This technique creates a feeling of depth and originality of the user interface. 

These are just some of the design trends, and our key takeaway is this: critical thinking will go a long way. Take all these trends with a pinch of salt and don’t rely on them too heavily. Again, trends are based on the current knowledge of the market and not on the author’s ability to see the future. These trends are only the beginning for how we’ll see app designers push boundaries and take old ideas in unexpected directions in the next decade, and we’re here for it!