Wednesday 7 June 2023

Shopify Editions Winter 2023: The Biggest Updates

As a leading e-commerce platform, Shopify is constantly innovating and introducing new features to help merchants grow their businesses. And the Winter 2023 Editions update is no exception, with hundreds of new features and improvements that promise to make it easier for merchants to manage their online stores and sell more products. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most exciting updates from Shopify Editions Winter 2023. From improved checkout experiences to new product bundle apps, we've sifted through them all, highlighting the ones that have piqued our interest and that we believe will have the most significant impact on merchants.

Boost conversion

One-Page Checkout

Checkout changes are a crucial aspect of Shopify’s latest Editions, and the new one-page checkout is a major overhaul inspired by Shop Pay’s high conversion rates. With fewer fields to fill out and pages to go through, this optimized experience is expected to reduce friction and increase conversion rates – a top priority for merchants.

However, this comes with a cost - checkout.liquid customizations are now deprecated and will be replaced entirely by Checkout UI extensions, public & apps, and Shopify Functions. This means if you have any customizations on your checkout, including look and feel customizations, you’ll need to migrate this before August 13th, 2024. Nevertheless, the new Checkout UI extensions and apps are expected to provide a better experience for merchants and their customers, so a worthwhile change that we can support you with.

Ciphers Lab is a USA-based Digital Product Studio, that provides services like Web App design & development, Mobile Application design & development, UI/UX, Chatbot development, E-commerce development, Designing & Branding, Social Media Marketing, and virtual CTO. For further information. get connected now

Customize with Metaobjects

Metafields vs. Metaobjects

Metafields are additional custom fields that can be added to any Shopify component, such as products, collections, and more, to store and display extra information that might not be natively available in the platform. For example, think of information such as product ingredients, care instructions, related products, or other specific data on a product page.

In contrast, Metaobjects are a brand new feature, launched with Shopify Editions, that allows merchants to create and manage custom content within their store. Shopify's new Metaobjects aim to simplify content management for merchants. They can be used to extend Shopify with multi-field content like size guides, product highlights, lookbooks, FAQs, and much more.

By using Metaobjects, you can conveniently generate and modify your content in a centralized place without worrying about updating your store's design or layout, all while streamlining your content management workflow.

Sanity Integration

With Shopify preferred CMS partner Sanity, Shopify has been able to connect custom content models directly into Metaobjects. So, if you're a Sanity user, you can now sync products and collection data to and from Sanity to power your Liquid storefront, creating performant stores with rich content.

Shopify Product Bundles App

Shopify has launched a new native product bundle app, Shopify Product Bundles, allowing merchants to easily create bundles of products and variants – free as part of your Shopify plan subscription. While there are lots of product bundle apps out there, Shopify's native version will provide a seamless integration streamlined for merchants who want to keep features like this under Shopify and use third parties for bigger elements like subscriptions and reviews. Additionally, Shopify Functions can be used by third parties to develop their own bundle apps as part of the update.

Go Global

Newly expanded global infrastructure

Shopify has recently expanded its global infrastructure to provide users with a faster and more efficient experience no matter where your customers are shopping from. With 270 points of presence worldwide and continuous deployment of additional locations, Shopify efficiently routes traffic and renders sites as close to their location as possible. As a result, merchants are already seeing their sites respond twice as fast, significantly improving their user experience.

Check out this article for more updates on global features like Markets Pro.

Expand with B2B

B2B updates and Improvements

Shopify launched their B2B offering in 2022, which, at the time, was a great feature for Shopify merchants selling B2B, but it lacked some essential features. Until Winter Editions, when Shopify made some well-needed improvements.

One of the new features of Shopify B2B is the ability to create unique quantity rules for products and variants, which allow merchants to set minimum and maximum order quantities for different customers. This feature could increase the Average Order Value and reduce shipping costs by selling in bulk, making it more cost-effective for merchants to serve their B2B customers. Additionally, you can create B2B catalogs to customize the buying experience for your customers by including all products or only a specific subset of your products, setting different prices per catalog. Plus, the latest reordering feature simplifies the process, allowing customers to place repeat orders quickly. Finally, B2B invitation emails make it easier for merchants to invite their customers to join their wholesale program.

To read more about Shopify B2B and get detailed information on the updates, check out our article. And discover how to create D2C experiences for your B2B customers on Shopify.

Sell across channels

Sync and Sell on YouTube

With "Sync and Sell on YouTube" you can now display your products through live streams and on-demand videos. This feature is a game-changer – enabling merchants to sell their products directly to viewers while they watch a video. Of course, we’ve seen this in some video streaming apps before, but having this integration directly into YouTube will be extremely useful for merchants, particularly with the rise of social commerce as a direct means of purchasing. With this feature, brands like Gymshark, with their vast community, can leverage it to offer live workouts and sell related products simultaneously.

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Now, brands can increase engagement and sales by reaching customers where they spend their time - on YouTube. For more on Social Commerce, check out our article covering this e-commerce trend that’s only increasing in popularity.

POS Updates

With Winter Editions came POS Go, Shopify’s latest mobile POS device, and other exciting new POS updates for merchants selling online and in-person. First, let's start with POS Go – an all-in-one mobile hardware that enables you to process payments on the go without needing a separate device, everything can be completed using one device (currently US-only availability).

Additional POS updates:

Gift cards now integrate with POS; you can assign and edit gift cards through customer profiles and issue physical and digital gift cards all from POS.
Shopify POS is now available in 15 more markets, including Finland and Singapore.
Centralized support is now available for over 1000 retail locations from a single store.
Track incoming and committed inventory; merchants can now get on-hand updates of in-stock, out-of-stock, and unavailable inventory set aside for online orders.

Run your business

Shopify Magic

We’re all well-versed in AI-generated content, from Microsoft’s Chat GPT to Copy AI. Now, Shopify has introduced their own AI-generated storefront content, automatically generating product descriptions based on selected keywords and features. The feature, called Shopify Magic, is designed to help merchants save time by creating product descriptions more quickly and efficiently. Additionally, Shopify Flow has recently been updated to allow merchants to use OpenAI for automatic content generation. With the help of AI-generated storefront content, merchants can focus on other aspects of their business, knowing that their product descriptions are created efficiently and effectively.

Build with us

Hydrogen 2: Built with Remix

Shopify has recently released Hydrogen 2, the latest version of its web development framework built with Remix, a popular web framework that Shopify acquired in October of last year. Hydrogen 2 is designed to help developers build performant, dynamic, and unique storefronts faster and more efficiently. With Hydrogen 2, developers can take advantage of the latest web development technologies to create high-quality storefronts that meet the unique needs of their clients. By incorporating Remix into its development framework, Shopify is providing developers with a powerful tool that can help them create beautiful and functional storefronts optimized for speed and performance. For more on Shopify’s Hydrogen, check out our article.

Increased API rate limits

Next up, Shopify has increased API rate limits for its users. Unthrottled API calls are now available for the newly launched Shopify Commerce Components, allowing users to access data easily without being restricted by rate limits. Read more on Commerce Components here.

Built for Shopify

There are over 8000+ apps available to merchants on the Shopify app store, many of which offer excellent solutions. However, some aren’t up to scratch. To address this issue, Shopify has launched the ‘Built for Shopify program,’ which incentivizes app developers to improve the quality and standards of their apps for merchants. As well as providing apps that do meet Shopify standards, greater visibility, and increased trust with a seal of approval badge to add to listings. Badges are now offered when apps meet Shopify’s safety, performance, and usefulness standards – great news for merchants who rely on third-party apps to enhance their store's functionality and features!

Final words

So there you have it, just some of the most exciting and impactful updates from the many Shopify Editions Winter 2023 launches. Of course, if you want to delve deeper into all the Shopify Editions updates, you can check everything out here. Plus, if you want to talk through any of the key updates we’ve mentioned above or any of the Editions updates, reach out to our experienced Shopify team — we can get you set up with any of the latest features and updates from Shopify.

Why Should You Consider Migrating to Shopify in 2023

Why Should You Consider

Migrating to Shopify in 2023

Shreya Khanduja

A turnkey solution to build robust eCommerce sites with features like ease of use, scalability, safe and secure transactions, and more. And, with over 1.75 million[i] active stores on Shopify, it certainly holds a significant position in the eCommerce industry.

Your eCommerce store might be hosted on some eCommerce platform already. And, if your online store is thriving, you might want to explore the sustainability of your eCommerce platform.

That’s where Shopify for online stores comes into the picture.

In 2022, the number of Shopify stores grew by 200%[ii], bringing it to a whopping 2.5 million active users. And, this trend is expected to continue in 2023 as well.

Let’s embark on this trip to understand why Shopify is still relevant in 2023!

Better SEO Ranking

SEO plays a crucial role in how easily users are able to find your store. The higher your website ranks in SERPs, the more traffic you’ll be able to drive to your eCommerce site. This leads to increased conversions and sales.

Keeping this in mind, Shopify offers many built-in SEO features to optimize your online store. With Shopify, you can:

Optimize Your Shopify Products Pages & Site Structure
Improve the User Experience
Rank Higher With Content Marketing
Build Links to Your Store
Use the Best Shopify SEO Apps and Tools

Though migrating to Shopify will change the URLs of your products, it is not going to affect your SEO rankings.

If you prepare and migrate your site carefully, it’ll be easier to create page redirects, minimize on-page changes, monitor duplicate content, and keep your page performance intact.

In fact, migration may actually contribute to better SEO rankings as it provides an opportunity to use high-performing keywords, shorter URL strings, etc.

Supports Multiple Payment Methods

The first thing that a customer notices while shopping online is the number of payment options an eCommerce store offers. Thus, it’s important to provide your customers with all the available payment options other than cash on delivery.

However, setting up various payment gateways manually can be a tedious process.

This is why Shopify lets you set up multiple payment gateways in a few simple steps. It also offers three gateway options to choose from based on your specific business needs – major, international, and additional payment gateways by the country.

Moreover, with a user-friendly dashboard, you get a holistic view of all the payments, which makes it easier for you to manage everything seamlessly.

Host of Themes for Design and Development

Shopify offers a variety of free and premium themes designed by world-class designers. Choose a theme that meets your brand’s needs and build a responsive and attractive eCommerce store in a few clicks.

It has 11 free and 105 paid themes and templates to choose from. These templates and themes can be easily customized with little to no coding.

Secure Hosting and Securer Transactions

Shopify is a hosted solution that runs on its own servers and does not require users to buy web hosting or install software to use it. It comes with a free 256-bit SSL certificate. This means that all the pages, content, card details, and transactions are safe and secured by the same level of security used by banks.

Moreover, Shopify stores follow industry standards to deliver a secure customer experience. For example, Payment Card Industry Security Standard that organizations are required to follow while handling credit card and debit card transactions.

Shopify meets all the six categories of the PCI standards and is certified Level 1 Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant.

Ease of Scalability

Handling high volumes of data and sales is one of the major challenges faced by eCommerce stores.

Thus, it’s crucial to choose a scalable and robust infrastructure that can help you serve more customers, and handle complex operations and integrations.

Shopify servers are designed to handle thousands of transactions per minute. You can rest assured that increased traffic and transactions will not affect your store’s performance. Plus, Shopify offers 3,200+ extensions to deliver what your customers expect in terms of performance, features, and usability. Simply put, Shopify scales with your business as you grow and increase your customer base.

Customize Your Store From Scratch

Customization is the key to creating engaging and profitable user experiences on your eCommerce store.

Customizing your store gives you an edge over your competitor as it allows you to personalize the user experience and influence consumer behavior.

And, Shopify’s built-in, easy-to-use theme editor lets you customize your store’s color, fonts, and section placements. From customizing the visual representation of your store to significantly improving its performance, Shopify allows you to customize almost everything from scratch.

24/7 Customer Support

Shopify offers comprehensive support to its customers. Their help material is available in over 20 languages.

Besides, you can get in touch with their customer support executives who are available 24X7. You can contact them via email, phone, or webchat. Additionally, there are a number of community forums of Shopify experts where they engage in meaningful conversations, provide relevant solutions, and help eCommerce professionals around the world.

Easy to Use

With Shopify, you can launch an online store in a few hours. It does not require any technical expertise or development costs at your end.

It offers a clean and user-friendly drag-and-drop interface that makes it easier to get your website up and running in no time. Moreover, Shopify hosting is faster and more secure as compared to other platforms and thus, can easily accommodate spikes in traffic. So you can focus on selling instead of worrying about technical issues.

No Hidden Costs

Shopify Basic is available for $29/month which is an excellent option for enterprises with a tight budget or businesses that are not looking for a long-term commitment.

Shopify offers you open and completely transparent pricing plans. Thus, you can rest assured that there are no setup fees and hidden costs when you develop or migrate your eCommerce store to Shopify.

Wrapping Up

Apart from all the listed benefits, moving to Shopify is a great way to introduce robust features and usability to your customers. It indicates that you are putting efforts into improving and growing your online store, consistently.

Moreover, Shopify rolls out new features and services at regular intervals to make the life of entrepreneurs easier.

Thus, Shopify eCommerce is an ideal solution if you are looking for an easy and quick way to set up a professional online store.

Monday 5 June 2023

Top 10 UX/UI Design Trends to Watch for in 2023

Angila Luis

Sr. Business Development Manager at Protonshub Technologies

18 articles

March 30, 2023

The new year holds fascinating ideas and developments that will advance and revolutionize user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design.

One of the most intriguing UI design trends for 2023 is buttonless UIs, which is followed by storytelling and personalization. In keeping with the intriguing trend towards larger displays, more and more trends are coming up in UX/UI.

Are you still wondering how UI/UX design services are changing and what exactly are the new trends happening in 2023? Or are you the best UI/UX design company looking for new trends in 2023?

If you are a UI/UX design company in the USA then go through this blog as it will walk you through all the latest UI/UX trends to watch for this year.

Top UI/UX Design Trends That You Need To Know

Motion Design

I have no doubt that as time goes on, animations will become more and more prevalent in designs, not only to make them more dynamic and aesthetically pleasing, but also to make the user experience more seamless and to wow them with amazing micro-interactions.

The user interface is entirely driven by UX. Providing a new depth to the interaction design, it makes the experience feel more natural.

2. 3D and Animated Visual Elements

To make websites and apps more attractive, UI/UX development companies are reverting to photos (but editing them to make them lively and vibrant), utilizing clumsy graphics, or adding 3D objects.

Considering that VR/AR technology is directly associated with the development and adoption of the latter, I expect it to continue to grow throughout the upcoming year.

3. Gradients

Gradients are a significant trend that has been widely adopted (and accepted) this year and that, in my opinion, will continue for the foreseeable future. We'll have a lovely, colorful procession of screens, packaging, and more shown around us, along with how individuals are employing more upbeat, multicolored palettes as if to combat the exhaustion Covid has induced.

In particular, strong, contrasting colors and gradients are becoming much more popular once again in website design for UX/UI.

4. Personalization Tools

As we move more and more toward a digital world, users frequently report feeling lost in a sea of data. You may make them feel welcome on your website if you include these personalization options. A website that is built with the user's experience in mind will make people feel like they are speaking face-to-face with you.

Trending Ui/UX trend and include features that make your site more personalized, such as location-based recommendations and results or suggestions based on visitors' browsing habits. You may provide clients with that experience.

5. Immersive Scrolling

Most designers think about how users would scroll through different websites in terms of the order of the material. Immersive scrolling has created a wide range of opportunities for presenting compelling stories, and I'm confident that many businesses will take advantage of this to captivate their consumers.

We can now deliver content in a more strategic, narrative-centered manner since UI UX design agencies have control over what content to display and how it will appear to users.

6. Light and Dark Mode

UI/UX design services company offer personalizations with both light and dark settings available as it simplifies and resolves the ongoing argument over which is best for eyesight.

Those that are comfortable using light mode may continue to use it. Those with visual impairments or people who prefer dark mode can switch to it. Those who are reading in light mode can simply switch to dark mode when outside or at the beach and switch back to the light mode when they go home.

7. VR And AR UI Design

The demand for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) will keep on growing this year. In augmented reality (AR), the user is presented with an enhanced version of their everyday reality that is overlaid with user interfaces, blended with effects, edited, and in some other ways presented to them.

In contrast, a virtual environment that can be configured in whatever the product team pleases within the bounds of the platform the program is operating on completely replaces reality in virtual reality (VR).

8. Modern Minimalism

By breaking its taboo in 2023, minimalism is utilizing vivid colors in novel ways. Users seem to already be fully receptive to brilliant colors in minimalist design, thus you can see that they are growing in popularity.

Despite the fact that minimalism should value simplicity, sometimes designers fail to pay attention to minor details.

9. Brutalism

Brutalism is distinguished by its experimental nature and straightforward raw appearance. It's a trend that is gradually returning to the forefront of innovation in UX and UI design for 2023.

Brutalism is a minimalist design philosophy that prioritizes features over form and aesthetics.

This more straightforward methodology returns to the key element of early web design: code. System typefaces, underlined hyperlinks, web-safe colors, geometric elements, borders, and lines are some of its features.

10. Interactive Navigation

Another top UX design trend is interactive, crazy navigation, which is embellished with animations, amusing menus, hover effects, and wacky layouts. These distinctive navigational elements enhance user engagement by creating the impression that they are on an adventure while using your website.

It enlivens your dropdown menus and interactively leads your user as naturally as possible from point A to point B.

Conclusion

With so many cutting-edge technologies at our disposal, we have the chance to create engaging stories with beautiful, approachable designs. Following the most recent trends can elevate your user experience and put you ahead of the competition in your field. With the new year, many new trends came into use, and it's becoming crucial to be updated with all new trends. The above-mentioned are some top-notch trends that are in demand for UI/UX. Websites will be more attention-grabbing than ever in 2023. These trends are initiating a revolution by defying the rules of user experience, and we support them.

UX/UI design trends to look out for in 2023

7 design trends to look out for in 2023.

We’re constantly seeing the potential of technology, and as it evolves, digital design trends follow. With 2023 only around the corner, the new year promises exciting concepts and technologies to improve and transform user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design.

Why the latest UX/UI design trends are important

As an experienced digital innovation studio, we build digital products from end to end. Providing this as a service means that we stay up-to-date with the latest technologies that can influence user expectations—from colour theory to inclusive design. When creating a digital product, such as an app or website, it is important to remember that the user’s initial impression of your brand or company is heavily weighed on the product’s UX and UI, so ensure you’re meeting industry standards.

7 UX/UI trends to look out for in 2023

A human-centered design will consider the latest techniques in UX/UI to improve overall usability, functionality, and visual appeal.

Here’s a look at seven cutting-edge design trends for 2023 that you can consider:

Mixed Reality + Augmented Reality
Motion Design
Immersive Scrolling
3D Imagery
Gradients
Brutalism
Wellness

1. Mixed Reality + Augmented Reality

You’ve probably noticed the hype into virtual worlds thanks to Meta and the proliferation of VR chat due to the many Covid lockdowns. We even had our first VR Fashion Week this year. Aside from that, many other companies are also developing solutions for socializing in a digital world or even merging our physical and digital experiences into hybrid workflows for different industries. Some examples of these use cases are decorating and painting an empty room with AR before buying furniture; AR business cards; doctors being able to iterate the separation of con-jointed twins in real-time from different locations using VR before the actual surgery; and supply chain operators navigating a warehouse in real-time with AR to maximize order picking efficiency.

With how AR/VR technology is being developed and commercialized, it’s likely to become more accessible for everyone to adopt and popularize. As experienced designers, we have to consider how these interactions will come to life and how to keep the individuals who use these tools safe as we fuse their digital and physical environments more and more with each tech milestone that is achieved. Ask yourself:

How immersive should these experiences be?
How do we keep users aware of their surroundings to prevent accidents?
What ergonomic and health considerations will we need to take when designing mixed reality solutions that can be used throughout the day—for example, will using a headset for a prolonged period cause headaches or sight deterioration?

The development and regulations of these technologies will provide a fun challenge for us in the future.

TTT Studios AR business card proof of concept. — *Credit: Designed by TTT Studios.*

2. Motion Design

In the past, developing animations for web and applications was complex, mainly because teams had to keep making trade-offs between animation quality, the performance of their sites, or the size of their apps. Many things have changed since then. We have bandwidth changes (Hello 5G!) and the inclusion of libraries like Lottie Files that allow designers to create stunning animations while keeping file sizes low and running smoothly.

Adopting these tools has allowed experienced designers to include motion design in their tool belts. From now and in the future, I’m confident we’ll be seeing more and more animations, not only to make designs more dynamic and visually appealing but to create a more seamless experience and delight users with awesome micro-interactions.

Guitar tuner app demo. — *Credit: Designed by* TTT Studios.

3. Immersive Scrolling

Immersive scrolling (check out this site example) has much to do with the previous point—motion design. Traditional scrolling behaviour had most designers thinking about scrolling through sites in terms of the content order. For instance, what order was best for users to understand the message, and what type of hierarchy could be used to tell the stories their clients want to share? Things were static, even with the occasional animation or video.

With Javascript, animation libraries, or native implementations (such as linear interpolation methods), creating smooth animations and adding component behaviours on scroll has become easier than ever. Designers now have control over what content to display and how it will appear before people’s eyes, and we can now present content in a more strategic, narrative-centered way. Immersive scrolling has opened a world of possibilities for doing great storytelling, and I’m sure many companies (primarily focusing on landing pages) will capitalize on this to engage their audiences.

4. 3D Imagery

3D imagery is something I’ve especially noticed through social media. Still, I think the ‘friendly corporate illustration’ look prevalent from 2020/2021 will start to fade away and leave the path open for something new. I see designers increasingly trying to find more exciting ways of showcasing images by going back to photos (but edited to be colourful and dynamic), imperfect illustrations, or using 3D objects in websites or apps to decorate or complement the information. I believe the latter will continue growing to the next year as it goes hand in hand with the development and adoption of VR/AR tech.

Shop Studio Live. — *Credit: Designed by TTT Studios.*

5. Gradients

You might have seen the popularity of gradients due to social media and fashion, but it seems the 80-90s are returning. In fashion, this means more groovy clothes and exciting colour choices. In the digital space, this has translated as the comeback of gradients, the adoption of brutalism and colourful palettes, among other things.

Gradients are a big trend that has been heavily adopted (and accepted) this year and that I believe will remain with us throughout the next few years. Paired with how people are using more happy, multi-coloured palettes—as if to fight the exhaustion Covid has caused—we’ll have a nice, colourful parade of screens, packaging and more displayed around us.

Funtastics app design concept. — *Credit: Designed by TTT Studios.*

6. Brutalism

Brutalism is another trend of the past that has come back to our screens this year, and I believe it’s here to stay with us in its pure form or some subvariant like Kitsch or Neobrutalism. With the wave of nostalgia, we also see nods to the web design past, where things were more personal and organic and less corporate. There’s the return of browser default fonts, gradients, high-contrast colours, boundaries, and nods to old graphics/illustrations mixed with real-life photography. You know, all those things that made the web a quirky place to surf but with all the UX learnings to keep things as readable and accessible as possible.

Around the World design concept. — *Credit: Designed by Giorgi Chikhladze. Sourced from Dribbble.*

7. Wellness

The pandemic era and the normalization of the home office made many realize the need for mental health and general wellbeing. People learned that it’s ok to prioritize self-care. I believe this translates to people paying more attention to their daily rituals, habits, and emotional/physical wellbeing. I also think this behaviour will translate inside the Design Industry as the development of several trends following this same theme. This could mean a more significant adoption and development of wearable technology for both mental and physical health tracking or maybe the inclusion of muted “calming” colour palettes on screens.

Does this mean we will see more mindfulness, nutrition, and tracking apps? A greater focus on Data Visualization and Analytics? Yes. But with the appearance of Smart Textiles, hearables, and other wearable tech, we might also see new and exciting (maybe screenless) interactions in our future.

Concluding remarks

With so many cutting-edge technologies at our disposal, the opportunity for beautiful, friendly design and captivating narratives is at our fingertips. Keeping up with the latest trends can take your interface to the next level and give you a good lead in your industry.

Written by Diana Ramos Fusther

Saturday 3 June 2023

8 UX Trends for 2023

Written by: Jadan McCullough• January 2, 2023

Our digitally savvy society demands engaging user experiences at every touchpoint. UX designers are tasked with delivering unique products, services, and experiences that add value and delight users.

In 2023, UX design will focus less on products and more on users and how to prioritise their needs for simplicity and sophistication.

Check out our list of the best UX trends set to change the game in 2023.

Super-apps

Super-apps are like digitised Russian Dolls where one app has many smaller, mini-apps included. Users can consolidate multiple features, services, and functions of various apps into a single ecosystem that delivers consistent and personalised experiences. Businesses are starting to use super-apps for employee use to support a composable business systems.

WeChat and Grab are perhaps the most popular super-apps currently with huge adoption in China and the East. They both have messaging, video call/conference, shopping, taxi/ride services, food delivery, and many other functions all rolled into one large app.

Super-apps will soon include mobile and desktop experiences for businesses, including collaboration, workflow, and messaging platforms. Gartner predicts over 50% of the global population will be daily active users of super-apps by 2027.

Design systems

Design systems are collections of reusable components guided by clear standards to be used to build coherent elements. They help creative and strategic teams achieve consistency and develop uniform components.

Google’s Material Design is an example of a popular choice among SMEs and enterprises alike for its simple interface, expansive functionality, and cross-collaboration ability. Project components are stored in single library available to all team members, encouraging simple information transfer across departments and locations for consistent collaboration. Design systems allow businesses to create at scale across organisations and 2023 will see the continued rise of and refinement of design systems used by brands.

Mobile-first design

Most people prefer to browse the internet and apps on their mobile devices more than their tablet or computer, making mobile-first design a non-negotiable to reach more users in 2023. Mobile-first design prioritises simplicity and convenience, trimming features to their core elements and leaving only relevant components in a minimal layout.

In 2023, online marketplaces will favour mobile-first design with user-friendly CTAs to increase purchases as more people shop using their mobiles than any other device.

Inclusive and accessible design

As society aspires to greater inclusivity, so too must our UX design. Focussing on user’s needs, inclusive and accessible design prioritises race, gender, age, socio-cultural background, language, disabilities, etc. in each design process. The aim is to make access to digital tools and services safe and comfortable for every user.

UX design in 2023 will continue to drive accessibility for everyone by adding manually adjustable layout, display, audio, transcription, voice, and many other elements that help people access information according to their specific needs.

Metaverse and Web3

Now that the metaverse is gaining traction, UX designers will begin to shift focus from 2D to more immersive 3D experiences. Thanks to Meta’s remote work app, organisations can hold virtual meetings using avatars in the metaverse, allowing businesses to create virtual worlds and bring their brands, products and services to life. Virtual user experience designer will become a specialist role in 2023 as the VR and AR-enabled metaverse and Web3 worlds edge closer to becoming a normal reality.

UX writing and “scrollytelling”

Users today want to be seduced by narrative. Brands are finding new ways to captivate audiences through great storytelling and the power of interactive scrolling. “Scrollytelling” is a creative way for brands to tell a story in small portions that engage the user by continuing the text with each scroll. It brings text-heavy blogs, websites, or applications to a new level.

UX writing and microcopy help brands show off their brand personality. While UX design is aimed at aesthetics, UX writing is how your website or app sounds. Microcopy is often brand-specific which means a great opportunity for brands to engage emotionally and directly with their audience.

AR, VR & 3D elements

In 2023, brands will continue to leverage the engaging and emotive power of immersive 3D design elements. With Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) taking centre stage thanks to the metaverse and Web3 gaining momentum, the use of 3D elements in the metaverse, website, and mobile app design will grow in 2023.

Intricately crafted 3D elements immerse your audience into your brand and offer a welcome change from static 2D design and copy, adding a dynamic mix of mediums on your site which drives engagement and attention.

Get experimenting and experiencing

UX design in 2023 will focus on user needs over products to create enjoyable digital interactions defined by simplicity and accessibility. As technology and user expectations evolve in tandem, UX designers must continue to create meaningful digital experiences that charm and excite users.

Need a UX specialist?

Are you looking to add any of these trends to your business’ website or mobile app? Get in touch with us today to see how WeAreBrain can help.

Author info

Jadan McCullough

Jadan is our permalance copywriter, helping to create much of the creative and technical content for our blog and website. When he isn't frantically tapping away at his keyboard, you can find him sipping on piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.

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Hot Design Trends for 2023

Friday 2 June 2023

A UX designer sitting at home, browsing UX blogs on a tablet

The Best UX Design Blogs

by Emily Stevens, UPDATED ON DECEMBER 6, 2022 9 mins read

Are you curious about UX design and keen to learn more? Perhaps you’re a designer in the making or a seasoned expert looking for cutting-edge content and solid career advice?

No matter what stage you’re at in your UX journey, the internet is bursting with free resources—and UX design blogs should be your first port of call. The wealth of blogs out there can be a bit of a double-edged sword, however; with so many options, how do you know which blogs are really worth reading?

To save you hours of scrolling and sifting through search results, we’ve compiled a list of the very best UX design blogs out there right now. We’ve got:

Ready to discover the best UX design blogs the internet has to offer? Let’s go.

1. The best UX design blogs for beginners

In this section, you’ll find high quality, beginner-friendly UX design blogs. These blogs are ideal for gaining a solid introduction to the field and for learning about key UX design processes and principles.

CareerFoundry

The CareerFoundry blog is ideal for anyone considering a career in UX design, as well as for those who are already learning UX or just starting out in their UX career. You’ll find clear explanations of all the key principles, such as design thinking and human-centered design, and simple step-by-step guides to all aspects of the UX design process—from conducting user research and defining user personas to creating your first wireframes.

You’ll also find lots of content to help you figure out if a career in UX design is right for you, together with industry insights such as up-to-date salary guides, interview tips, and advice on your UX design portfolio. The CareerFoundry blog offers expert content written in a user-friendly way, making it an excellent starting point for budding UX designers.

UX Planet

UX Planet is branded as a “one-stop resource for everything related to user experience”, offering everything from beginner’s guides and career advice to thought leadership articles. If you’re just starting out in UX, head to the UX for beginners section where you’ll find all sorts of introductory content to ease you in—including a UX primer for non-designers. The great thing about UX Planet is that it has a diverse range of contributors who have entered into UX from a variety of different backgrounds. So, on top of the usual guides and how-tos, you’ll also find words of advice, encouragement, and plenty of “real talk” about what it means to start a career in UX.

The Nielsen Norman Group

The Nielsen Norman Group was founded by Jakob Nielsen and Don Norman, who are both widely recognized as gurus in the UX field. In fact, Don Norman is credited with having coined the term “user experience” back in the 90s. The “articles” section of the Nielsen Norman Group website provides an overview of all the key topics you’ll need to read up on if you want to work in UX, and while it might not be the most eye-catching blog out there, you can be sure that the content is both comprehensive and credible. You’ll find clear, no-frills explanations of key UX techniques and tools, as well as coverage of important topics such as accessibility in design, web usability, and the psychology behind UX.

XD Ideas

Powered by Adobe XD, XD Ideas is a relatively new addition to the UX blogosphere. It was launched specifically to appeal to a beginner audience, and is quickly growing into an all-encompassing UX hub. The blog is divided into logical sections, making it easy to find what you’re looking for—including handy guides for learning the basics, key design concepts and principles, and beginner-friendly career tips. Just like UX Planet, XD Ideas has a good variety of expert contributors, so you’ll benefit from a range of different voices and perspectives.

2. The best UX design blogs for industry insights and career advice

This section features some of the best UX design blogs for advancing your knowledge and keeping up-to-date with what’s going on in the industry. These blogs are ideal if you’ve already got an understanding of the basics of UX and want to learn more about how it’s applied in the real world. Most (if not all) of the blogs featured here also offer excellent career advice.

UX Collective

The UX Collective is the largest design publication on blogging platform Medium, founded and edited by award-winning designer Fabricio Teixeira and fellow designer Caio Braga. In their own words, UX Collective seeks to cut through the noise, to curate the most valuable UX content, and deliver it to the community in a more structured and digestible way. You’ll find loads of insights and learnings shared by professional designers, strategies for applying UX design in the real world, and thought-provoking reflections on the design of well-known products and services—not to mention career advice, portfolio tips, and general hacks to help you become a better UX designer. If you want a bird’s-eye view of the UX industry, you can also sign up for the UX Collective weekly newsletter.

Inside Design

You may be familiar with InVision, one of the most popular design and prototyping tools. Well, InVision also runs an industry-leading blog which goes by the name of Inside Design. If you’ve already got a foot in the UX industry, you’ll find all the content you need to broaden your horizons on the Inside Design blog—especially if you’re interested in optimizing your UX processes and teams, and in gaining an overview of the wider product design and development process. They’re always adding new content, so this is a great place to keep an eye out for the latest UX trends, tools, resources, and events.

Curious about a career in UX design?

The UX Blog

The UX Blog, also available on Medium, does exactly what it says on the tin—delivering up-to-date content on UX design, user research, and design thinking. You’ll find articles covering absolutely anything and everything design-related, including interviews with industry leaders, interesting new takes on traditional UX practices, and a good dose of content around visual and interactive design. The UX Blog also offers a little something extra in the form of a podcast, with all episodes directly accessible from the blog. If you’re keen to keep up with the latest developments in UX and want to gain insight into how other designers are working, the UX Blog is one to read.

3. The best UX design blogs for inspiration

This section is dedicated to what we consider to be the best UX design blogs for getting inspiration and ideas. If you’re working on a UX project and need a little help sparking your creativity or solving a particular problem, the blogs featured below will help you think outside the box.

Awwwards

Although the awwwards blog may look very UI-heavy at first glance, it is also a great source of inspiration for UX designers. In the UX / UI section of the blog, you’ll find a wealth of content and case studies to fuel your creative fire—like this post on creative and unusual e-commerce experiences which showcases unique approaches to things like microcopy and website navigation, or this UX portfolio case study. Every piece of content comes complete with visual examples and illustrations, helping to bring the theory to life. If you’re interested in both UX and UI design, or how the two work together, awwwards provides a good mixture of both.

Muzli

The Muzli blog is jam-packed with UX design case studies, making it an excellent resource if you’re in need of inspiration or just want to see how the theory of UX is applied to real projects. The case studies featured come from a wide range of designers, providing first-hand insight into how a UX case study should be laid out, as well as the kinds of challenges that UX designers face in their day-to-day work. This is especially valuable if you’re new to UX design and working on your portfolio. You’ll also find a curated list of weekly design inspiration and semi-regular content providing tips and advice.

Facebook Design

Another must-read when it comes to UX inspiration is the Facebook Design blog. This is where Facebook shares a behind-the-scenes look at how its design team operates, providing plenty of food for thought and actionable takeaways for your own work as a designer. The content is not purely Facebook-specific, either; there are dozens of general tips and insights that everyone can make use of. Some of the more thought-provoking articles will also get you thinking about the social responsibility that comes with being a designer—like this post on using thoughtful design to beat bullying on Instagram, or this article on designing with compassion.

4. Bonus: Additional UX design blogs to check out

So far, we’ve shared ten of the very best UX design blogs to grace the blogosphere. In addition to our top ten, here’s a list of even more UX design blogs that are worth checking out:

Wrap-up

In this post, we’ve covered ten of the best UX design blogs out there. Whether you’re just starting out in UX design, have been working in the field for a while, or are simply curious about the industry, blogs are a quick and easy way to build your knowledge and stay informed. If you’d like more resources for learning about UX design, check out the following:

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