5 Big Mobile Design Trends of 2015

I remember the predictions back in the late 2000’s:

Mobile internet will outstrip ‘desktop’ use by 2014 - The Guardian

They sounded a little outlandish at the time, but it’s 2015 and the predictions were right, kids! In fact Comscore had us passing the 'tipping point' early last year. While it no doubt varies from site to site, for general purposes we can think of desktop users as a minority - in some sense a 'fringe group'.

So, it follows that if mobile is now the majority viewing device, ‘designing for mobile’ is now just plain ‘designing’ now. With that in mind, today we are running down five big trends that you can expect to see through mobile design in 2015. If you’re looking to redesign your apps or create a new one I suggest you check out the list.

Subtle Color Palettes

While it is quite likely that you will be seeing bigger and bolder colors used in web design, the exact opposite will be occurring as far as mobile apps are concerned. Since mobile design seems to be taking a step in the direction of minimal design it isn’t a surprise that designers will be dialing back on the color.

Simple, subtle color schemes will now take the place of bold and flashy palettes. From a psychological standpoint this is a smart move in design for while bright hues can grab attention they can also be a distraction. Subtle colors can help draw in users and allow for focused concentration.

Don’t let the talk of subtle color palettes fool you, there will be plenty of contrast to be had. The only difference is instead of the typical fire hydrant reds and neon greens colors will be more “warm” in nature instead of “hot”. This will make flat design more optimized and elements more interactive thanks to subtle colors being implemented in mobile interfaces.

Animated Elements

Facilitating more interactions seems to be the new plan as mobile apps continue to expand. Nothing seems to draw more response than animation so don’t be surprised to see more of it being introduced as far as mobile is concerned.

Instead of just being used to make an app stand out from the competitors you should expect to see animation used in a more functional and motivational role opposed to purely visual. Animation will be used to steer users for a more pleasant and effective experience. Implemented properly users will also have an easier time deciphering what is interactive and what is purely for show.

With animation, mobile design will be able to take on more of a realistic approach to coincide with typical human behavior opposed to mechanical and “dry” experiences. Using animation will hopefully provide not only more entertainment but also more personality to the app itself which conversely will help apps stay relevant to its targeted users.

More Scrolling

Now we have already seen scrolling taken to another level with web design but in 2015 expect to see it used to the fullest in mobile design. Scrolling in mobile apps is already a thing so it only makes sense to take an everyday feature a step further. I’m talking about introducing one of web’s biggest trends, parallax scrolling.

Parallax scrolling will help take animation and more interactive storytelling in mobile design to the next level. With traditional design being more flat and one dimensional, parallax implementation will add depth to mobile design that we haven’t experienced before.

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by Gabrielle Gosha via SitePoint