2023 Trends in the Enterprise UX Space
How risk and AI are changing the landscape...
2022 was a year of many changes in the UX industry and could be described as the year of re-exploration. We saw companies reimagining digital domains like the Metaverse, get serious about accessibility, and even wider acceptance of consumer preferences like dark mode. While this designer is especially happy about that last trend, 2023 is already off to a fresh start with new exciting trends. 2023 may be the backdrop of one of the most rapidly changing UX landscapes we’ve seen yet.
This year the way we work with technology has been the biggest cord connecting the trends we see emerging, making it a crucial time to pay attention to what is happening for enterprise technology.
The top trends for enterprise technology spaces in 2023 we will cover here are:
Artificial Intelligence
No Code & Ship Fast
Specialised Content Writing
Superapps
Standards & Accessibility
1. Artificial Intelligence
There is possibly no way to discuss what is happening in the enterprise UX industry without talking about artificial intelligence. There is hardly a sector of technology and public fascination that has yet to be obsessed with how entities like DALL-E and Chat GPT are growing in capability and availability.
The conversation about how to harness these powerful tools has been at the forefront of their almost universal acceptance. For designers, this means content generation and inspiration gathering, cutting back on hours of desk research. So far, AI has provided a ‘head-start’ for individuals and agencies.
For companies looking to improve their employee efficiencies, we are seeing AI algorithms harnessed to streamline the completion of internal tasks. There is no way to know how heavily we will come to rely on rapidly evolving AI tools, but for now, its presence is undeniable. At 100 Shapes we are committed to being among those harnessing the capabilities presented by artificial intelligent augmentation of our work internally and with our clients.
What are the low-hanging fruits that you could benefit from being taken care of by AI technologies?
2. No code & Ship fast
The next trend which cannot be ignored in 2023 is the growth of no-code builds that gained momentum in 2022. The tech space is seeing an expansion of risk-preferring ship-first mentalities that are pushing the design industry to work and deliver faster. This means that design teams rely on past learnings' expertise and lean user insight gathering.
While this is also going hand in hand with a trend for full stack and more strategically minded design asks, no-code apps are emerging as the fast, low-cost weapon of choice to meet demand. Modern businesses cannot complete a checklist of presence building without establishing a digital footprint. With the looming economic situation globally, fast, cheaper solutions are becoming more common than the comfort of slow, methodical technology offerings. This may be why we are seeing more and more low or no-code solutions being pursued. As user-entered professionals, we are committed to meeting this demand with insights that ensure the success of whatever a company may produce.
How might you benefit from a lean mean prototype?
3. Specialised Content Writing
In light of the trend towards higher generalisation, however, the role of a content specialist is seeing an emergence. This person combines thoughtful copywriting with brand awareness to ensure that your platforms exude the voice of your company's personality.
As we enter an era of greater technology standardisation, how we ask a user to ‘click this button’ can be the difference in making an impact or blending in. Hiring a specialist to know when, how, and where to change a “Click here” to “Smash this like button”, “Proceed with fun times”, or a simple “Continue” is trending to be highly desirable by companies wanting to stand out from the sea of platforms in 2023.
Could your technology benefit from a bit more personality or copy streamlining?
4. Superapps
Speaking of a sea of platforms, users are facing technology fatigue in 2023 higher than ever before. This exists at equally high rates for internal systems used by employees, where we see all too often the strain of managing multiple platforms. It has become almost commonplace to include an exploration of one’s browser toolbar in user interviews to understand how many different endpoints they frequent.
In response, we are seeing the emergence of more ‘super apps’ in both enterprise and consumer technologies. For internal teams, this is looking more and more like the breaking down of silos and platforms that incorporate multiple task journeys into one place that allows continual editing.
Streamlining internal systems with thoughtful workshopping and exploration is where UX gets to shine as an industry committed to solutions, not just interfaces. Finding a way to help teams work together is our bread and butter, one we’re proud of. Seeing this trend gain more visibility is exciting because we know how much efficiency there can be in combining systems.
Are there multiple work streams in your company that would benefit from a technological merger?
5. Standards & Accessibility
In 2022 we saw accessibility get even more of its much-deserved attention, backed up now by increasing legal requirements. These legal requirements have made space for many design teams to better refine the ways we build experiences. The above trends all outline the underlying theme mentioned at the start, the way we work with technology is the biggest trend of all 2023.
This year the way we work with technology has been the biggest cord connecting the trends we see emerging, making 2023 a crucial time to pay attention to what is happening for enterprise technology.
Design systems and establishing patterns are as much a part of the industry today as it was for early websites learning how to build navigation elements. We have supported company after company to understand how to build their patterns in a unique and memorable way for their brand while fitting the needs of their users, who are increasingly familiar with tech in their daily lives. This being said a peek into the world of UI trends does see us utilising grids and cards more often to separate the information in a progression from the neo-brutalist website design of 2022.
How can your company benefit from a close look at how you streamline technology creation and accessible UIs?
These are just a few choice trends you should be aware of in 2023 that are emerging as vital facets of our space. Let us know how we can support you in understanding more about any of these areas, and keep your eyes peeled for more trends as the year progresses.
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