Top 5 Mobile Design Trends of 2014

July 25, 2014

Our team at Prototype Interactive works with mobile apps, user experience design and user interfaces day in day out and recently we spent Iftar discussing some of the major trends we have noticed forming so far through 2014. Below you will see the 5 top trends that the Prototype team have been working with so far this year and the reasons why we are fond of these developments. Do you have your own favourites? Share them with us below in the comments or on our Facebook and/or Twitter.

1)    Circles

We don't really have much of a rationale to explain what we like about circles other than we just simple like them. The circle seemed to pop up in web design in 2012/13 and the mobile design world has followed. Facebook Messenger, Uber and Foursquare are now all using circles for parts of their interface and we like it. Passing trend or here to stay? Only time will tell.

2)    Flat design

Flat design, when implemented correctly, looks incredible. It feels fresh, sleek, modern, professional and clean. It is also a welcome break from the congested design of the past. Flat design does not get in the way of form or function and helps users to enjoy an easy and clear experience. Flat design includes light colours, clear fonts and a fair amount of whitespace. The list is endless of apps that have flat design, but to name one, Vine has amazing mobile flat design and has likely made flat design a permanent fixture in the mobile design world.

3)    Interface design to include gestures

At the beginning of mobile design, designers were often trying to replicate website design onto the little screen however with the introduction of touchscreens a whole new era of gestures are available at our finger tips: swipe, pinch, stretch, press, hold and so on. Successfully adding these gesture interactions into an app is difficult and many apps haven't been successful in the past. 2014 saw the revolution begin to shine with apps such as Tinder and Blue using gesture based interactions.

4)    Contextual awareness

This is a theory that has been surprisingly slow to take off but will be a big hit in the coming years. It refers to smart apps becoming even more smart than they already are; they will know where you are and at what point in your day you are at and how you are feeling and will be able to tailor your experience to merge with these factors. Nest is an example of a mobile app getting traction from this idea.

5)    Large images

Imagery on mobile apps is absolutely beautiful. Think about apps such as Airbnb, Fotopedia, Flipboard and Instagram. They have images that look incredible with high resolution, vibrant colours and an ideal brightness. Everybody loves beautiful imagery and it is very attractive to the human eye. This trend is bound to be a household favourite for, well, ever, but the crispness of imagery has really taken off in 2014.

What mobile design trends have you noticed in 2014? Tell us below in the comments or over on our Facebook and Twitter.

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Written by
Alexander Rauser
Alexander Rauser

CEO

Alexander Rauser is the author of Boardroom Guide to Digital Accountability and Digital Strategy: A Guide to Digital Business Transformation, and creator of the DSX Program, a digital strategy and transformation program for Enterprises.

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