Interactive Design Trends 2013

Web designers constantly have to tweak their style to stay fresh. Smart phones have become the most popular devices for web access. With the recent (in the last few years) boom in the app industry, an interactive design trends pop up every day. Here is a look at some of the more popular ones.

User Centric Design Approach: If the user cannot navigate the site, the website is as good as garbage. The user centric design approach aims focus more on the user experience rather than including unnecessary bells and whistles. Web pages and apps for mobile platforms are some of the new techniques for implementing the user centric design approach. To take interactive design to the next level, web developers are turning towards online personal assistant apps like Google Now. As a developer, this means making the website as functional as it is pretty.
Emphasis on Story Page Rather than Home Page: The homepage is not the only way to enter a website. Users are looking for independent sources of entry into the site. This makes the story page just as important as the landing page. Web developers are designing web pages, keeping the user connection in mind.
Cater to Cross Device Supply: Studies show that by next year, mobile phones will generate more hits on websites than any other platform. Designers are constantly trying to create strategic web experiences for the mobile platform and not just cater to small-screened devices. Websites need to be intuitive enough to adapt to the user’s needs across all tablet and smart phone platforms.
Touch and Gestures vs. Mouse Movements: With an increase in the number of touch-enabled smart phones and tablets, interactive design includes touch-specific movements for web page/ app navigation. The mobile version of Google Maps has even included a frustration shake to enable feedback generation. This obliterates the use of a mouse or stylus altogether giving organic movement better control over navigation.

Content is the new interface in interaction design. With focus on authentic designs and engaging content, interaction design is here to redefine our web experience for good.