Top UI Design Trends To Use In 2021
By: Maria Kharmandaryan
Tags: Design Thinking, Ui Ux Design, UI Design, Trends, Ui Trends

New 2021 Year is coming and with the end of 2020, design predictors have begun making their projections for what the world of UI/UX design might look like in the year to come. During 2020, some trends became outdated and in 2021 they will move beyond, but other tendencies will gain ground.

Let’s now explore the leading UI/UX design trends of coming 2021 year in details.

1. 3D Elements

Nowadays 3D elements are getting more and more presence in web and mobile interfaces. They allow UI and UX designers to prettify their websites. Modern 3D hyperrealistic visualizations can blow one’s mind with their lifelikeness and beauty. The 3D design makes the user experience even more engaging, attractive, and informative. No doubt, integration of various 3D graphics into mobile and web interfaces is quite a challenge that requires specific skills and artistic eye to be crafted well, but the benefits are really worth considering:

a. it is definitely eye-catching and users will never pass by,

b. the 3D renders often look photorealistic which is a big advantage for user interface design,

c. if you need to set the futuristic vibes, nothing can help better.

3D Elements by Edvinas Narbutas

2. Pastel Colors

Color is the main component of every design. Even it may seem like colors always remain the same, it’s actually something that is changing day by day. And as a result, it makes way for new color trends every year.

The color trend of 2021 will make you feel calmer and more assured. In the coming year you’ll see lots of single-color designs, muted colors, colors found in nature and palettes that easily blend together, in one word: pastel colors.

Pastel colors are colors that have enough white mixed into them to take away the saturation and turn them into a pale version of colors. All these tones look great in every design, it seems to emit a soothing aura that draws people to them.

3. Simple Geometric Shapes

There’s an art to producing something ingeniously memorable from basic shapes, and it’s something to look out for in 2021.

What’s interesting about shapes is that they can make us feel a certain way. This means that you can use them to create graphic design materials that evoke particular emotions.

Sometimes the best way to create a compelling design means reducing it to its most basic shapes. Simplicity may be the answer. They can work as a standalone design if you need to send a direct message. Otherwise, they work as an accessory, for various visual marketing materials such as presentations, infographics, or social media visuals.

Modern Design with Geometric Shapes by Diana Hlevnjak

4. Big Typography

Functional typography in web design is, of course, key to usability. But functional does not have to mean boring. Big, loud and attention grabbing typography can attract and win over most visitors. They send assertive messages and convey them in a loud manner, whether you use them on their own or in combination with picturesque graphics.

Website Design with Big Typography for SRG

5. Frosted Elements

Although the filters such as contrast, saturate, and blur have existed in image editors for many years, it can be said that the effect of ground glass or in other words, the glassmorphism, will definitely be growing in its popularity in the UI trend cycle over the 2021 year.

Glassmorphism is a term used to describe UI design that emphasises light or dark objects, placed on top of colourful backgrounds. A background-blur is placed on the objects which allows the background to shine through — giving it the impression of frosted glass.

The style is heavily influenced by similar concepts that have been first introduced by Apple in 2013 with iOS 7. It re-emerged when Apple brought back the effect with its latest update, MAC OS Big Sur in November 2020.

The Ground Glass Effect by codepen.io

6. Dark Mode

Dark mode is one of the biggest trends in design for coming new 2021 year. Many world-class brands like Apple and Instagram have already jumped on the dark mode design train.

Dark mode is a low-light user interface (UI) that uses a dark color — usually black or a shade of grey — as the primary background color. It’s a reversal of the default white UI that designers have used for decades. The Dark Mode not does only conserve mobile phone and tablet energy by asking screen pixels to fire less brightly, but it also reduces eye strain for users.

Dark Mode Dashboard by JB Eudeline

7. Realistic Textures

After several years of ethereal gradients and smooth isometric objects, textures come back. More and more sites and applications are using subtle textures to give their design a more distinguished look. This trend has great potential in 2021.

The wise use of subtle textures for backgrounds and other elements can add a lot to a design, making it feel more real or physical. A solid color feels very flat in the digital world because it is completely clean, but the second you add a texture, it comes alive — the surface suddenly has depth.

Website Design using Realistic Textures by The Glyph

Final Words

The world of UI/UX design is a world that is experiencing unprecedented growth, a world in which if you want to be on top you have to keep running. Tastes change, technology moves forward, and we as designers, creators and artists must catching it up or we will not push onto the front.

Hope this article will inspire you to craft meaningful, compelling and authentic ideas for develop visual solutions.