By Deepika Dutta Kapoor
2024 brings an exciting opportunity for new beginnings and a fresh start. After the pandemic, the digital world evolved faster than ever. New-age technology was the primary focus in 2023 with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). We saw amazing developments from OpenAI’s ChatGPT and DALL-E, Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, Google Bard AI, and the recently announced Google’s new multi-modal Gemini AI – a big step towards unifying advanced AI functionalities.
These advancements aren’t merely technical achievements; they are reshaping user behavior and elevating human expectations. A perpetual state of ‘divine discontent‘ exists among us – a continuous chase for better experiences that drives us forward.
2024 looks great and has exciting things in store for us. Five trends will shape the digital world next year.
1. Zero UI: The Future of Invisible Interfaces
Zero UI is set to revolutionize the future of enterprise user experience (UX). Moving away from conventional touch interfaces, this emerging pattern is about enabling seamless interactions through voice, gestures, and environmental cues. Sophisticated voice assistants, smart devices, and a growing preference for natural, touchless interactions drive it.
We see evidence of this trend in the rising adoption of voice technologies. The projected growth of the voice recognition market is expected to reach $26.8 billion by 2024, according to a report by data reporting and analytics solutions provider Demandsage.
Fun fact: Advertising and marketing agency Palo Creative claimed that about 65% of 25 to 49-year-olds speak to their voice-enabled devices at least once daily.
Consider an executive’s onboarding process at a bank. Instead of navigating through multiple screens and forms, the new employee engages in a conversation with an AI-powered chatbot, like a companion. The chatbot gathers relevant information through voice interaction and contextual clues, providing personalized guidance and completing tasks seamlessly.
2. Empathetic UX Testing: Sensing the Unspoken
In 2024, empathetic UX testing will start taking baby steps. We must shift from observing user behavior to understanding their emotional and cognitive states during interactions with digital products. By using advanced sensors that can track changes in heart rate and stress levels, we can get deeper insights into users’ unspoken experiences. It is about creating products that resonate functionally and emotionally with users, ensuring a more holistic, user-centric design process.
In the context of a banking application, imagine testing a new feature for online transactions. Traditional methods would assess ease of use and efficiency. However, empathetic UX testing can utilize sensors to track subtle indicators like changes in heart rate or increased brain activity, signaling stress or confusion during specific steps of the journey. This data can help identify aspects of the application that might be causing cognitive load or uncertainty. These insights can enable designers to build a more reassuring user experience. As a result, we will see an efficient banking application that can be emotionally in sync with the users’ needs, thereby building trust and satisfaction.
3. Smart Dashboards: The New Decision-Makers
We will see a transformation in the enterprise and B2B dashboard design landscape in 2024. These dashboards will evolve from static displays of information to dynamic tools for decision-making. C-suite leaders (CIOs, CTOs, and CXOs), Operations Managers, and Business Analysts will no longer passively view information. Instead, they will actively engage with dashboards to get actionable recommendations and choices based on AI-driven forecasts and analytics. This will assist in faster, more informed actions for business growth and resolution of issues.
Imagine a dashboard used in a hospital, particularly to manage patient records. Traditionally, a content management dashboard may display patient data and treatment history. However, in 2024, this dashboard may evolve to predict patient health trends and suggest preventive care strategies. By analyzing patient history, the technology may help flag potential health risks and offer timely medical intervention.
4. Low-Code Evolution: Advanced Integration
Low-code platforms have already transformed the business landscape. The upcoming year would see refinements to these platforms and advanced integrations, especially with AI and machine learning. Sophisticated AI-powered applications will be able to handle complex enterprise tasks more efficiently.
For example, personalizing customer experiences and predicting shopping trends in 2024 will be a breeze. A mid-sized retail company will have the flexibility to use an off-the-shelf low code platform to create an AI-driven application that will integrate with their customer and analytics database. It can then predict upcoming fashion trends by analyzing social media data and past purchase patterns. It can also send personalized promotions to customers based on their unique preferences. Organizations will be able to rapidly develop an entire solution without extensive coding, granting a competitive advantage to the company.
This evolution in low code platforms represents a significant shift in the software development landscape, promising to make application creation more accessible, efficient, and aligned with the fast-paced demands of modern business.
5. Conscious AI: Pioneering Ethical Design
In 2024, the focus on ethical design in AI will intensify. This involves creating digital products that make moral choices resisting ‘dark patterns.’ Ethical AI design advocates accessibility, ensuring that digital experiences are inclusive and considerate of all users.
This shift is vital in an era where digital products are part of our daily lives. The responsibility of designers is to create efficient and effective solutions committed to ethical principles and user welfare. The essence of ethical AI design lies in building experiences that are smart, helpful, fair, transparent, and respectful of user privacy and rights.
Consider an AI-driven banking app designed ethically. This app would be accessible to a diverse range of users, including those with disabilities. Its AI algorithms would be transparent and unbiased, focusing on providing genuine financial guidance without compromising user data or pushing unnecessary products. Such an app illustrates how ethical AI design can create trust and inclusive digital experiences.
I’m eager to see all these predictions become a reality. I’m confident that 2024 will be a landmark year where technology will center around users, ethical design is necessary, and accessibility is not an afterthought but a fundamental aspect of innovation.
(The author is Head – UX Practice | Top UX Voice of LinkedIn, Newgen Software Technologies Ltd., and the views expressed in this article are her own)
