UI design has come such an incredibly long way over the past twenty years, from the development of the first touch displays to the introduction of swipe gestures instead of simple tapping. Despite all that we’ve achieved with regards to application development, however, there is still absolutely far more that we’re yet to do, and UI designers are keen to see the practice of user interface design continue to develop alongside emerging technologies.
When it comes to user interface design, the golden question for many of us is ‘what innovations can we expect to see in our lifetime?’. Whilst holographic interfaces (like ‘Minority Report’-style) that allow users to interact with elements by simply tapping them as they appear in the open air, is still considered to be a space-age concept, the actual technologies required in order to construct this kind of ethereal UI isn’t actually too far away from us as we stand currently.
In fact, a lot of really exciting, groundbreaking user interfaces are being designed as we speak, using cameras and other sensor technologies that continue to develop through personal tech and smart home product innovations. We’ll be breaking down some of the technologies emerging here as the foundation for our deeper exploration into what’s really in store for the future of user interface design.
Gesture recognition
Starting off with one of the most exciting emerging UI capabilities, gesture recognition is the multidimensional continuation of gesture swiping. Whilst the latter essentially requires a touch display for easy gesture navigation, gesture recognition requires no actual physical contact with a tech device in order for that device to follow through on a user-initiated action.
For instance, if you’d like to adjust the volume on a smart home speaker that’s fitted with a motion sensor for gesture recognition, then you could potentially adjust the volume by making a ‘winding up’ or ‘winding down’ motion with your hand rather than having to make physical contact with the speaker itself!
Naturally, gesture recognition has become even more of a priority to tech developers following the COVID-19 pandemic, as zero-contact alternatives to procedures like tapping the pedestrian button at traffic lights or even opening the doors to a train, can effectively bolster any society’s defences against bacterial diseases. In essence, gesture recognition has become a flourishing market in itself and this UI capability is likely going to become a highly prevalent feature both in future personal technologies as well as in urban infrastructure.
Virtual reality and augmented reality
When it comes to ‘Minority Report’-esque user interfaces which use projected holographic environments with interactive elements, it’s worth noting that there are actually multiple technologies required in the development and production of this style of highly multidimensional user interface. The first is gesture recognition through cameras or sensor tech, and the second is augmented reality capabilities.
Augmented reality differs from virtual reality in just one aspect, this being that augmented reality takes existing physical settings as they appear to us (i.e. your bedroom, your office space, etc.) and fills it with interactive elements that only exist within the confines of the tech that you’re using. Pokemon Go is an evergreen example of augmented reality, alongside every sci-fi film that depicts a team of intergalactic navigators sitting at control panels with holographic gauges.
Virtual reality, on the other hand, exists in a world all on its own, constructing a new reality from scratch that may appear just like ours, or may be designed to transport users elsewhere. The gaming industry has adopted virtual reality with zeal, developing VR headsets for immersive FPS and other first-person character experiences, like driving, golfing, and other action-heavy activities. Augmented reality design principles may still find their way into VR environments, in the form of interactive floating buttons on game menus.
But can VR make its own mark on UI design too? Well, potentially. User interfaces that are developed for VR experiences can be used as inspiration when developing UI for other industries too. The alternative environment and design considerations for VR can inspire UI designers to think in different ways, and therein lies the secret recipe for innovation, after all. At any rate, it’ll definitely be interesting to see just what impact that both VR and AR hold on UI in the near future.
Voice user interfaces
Another highly exciting avenue of exploration for UI designers is the incorporation of voice-based user interfaces. These are basically user interfaces that incorporate voice recognition and smart assistant technologies in order to provide a UI that’s powered by AI.
The development of voice user interfaces (also often referred to as VUI) has predominantly been spearheaded for accessibility purposes, in order to provide user interfaces that can easily be used by older users, individuals with limited mobility, visual impairments, or other factors that may restrict their ability to interact with all aspects of a multidimensional UI. It’s likely that we’ll see VUI in spaces like hospitals or aged care facilities in the near future, as well as in primary, secondary, and tertiary classroom spaces.
VUI may also become quintessential tech in every household in the near future too, as many homes across the globe currently possess their own smart home tech equipped with smart assistants.
Expanding on the capabilities of IoT connected devices
Speaking of smart home tech, it’s likely that all of these emerging UI capabilities will be trialled on consumer goods before being integrated into our daily procedures and interactions, meaning that you could potentially enjoy capabilities like gesture recognition at home on a smart speaker or other IoT device before you see them on your public transit system or in other public spaces. This is exciting for fans of personal consumer tech, yes, but it can also be highly beneficial for tech developers, as working with the capabilities of IoT connected devices can potentially allow for innovations in user interface design to occur organically, and maybe even collaboratively across the globe.
Having designers pinpointing growth areas together and then developing UI designs to target individual users can provide large-scale UI design projects (like developing control panels in cars, ships, planes, and maybe even rocket ships) with a solid structural foundation.
Every innovation that mankind can ever credit themselves with has started from humble beginnings, and UI is no exception to this rule. Whilst many of the capabilities we’ve outlined on this list may have emerged first from dreams well before they could’ve even entered our reality, we will very likely live to see some if not all these technologies become a part of our everyday lives sooner than we may realise.
