14 Hot Product Design Trends in 2024

As you already know, the world of product design is ever-changing, and keeping tabs on the product design trends in 2024 should be at the top of your priority list! 

The good thing is that most of these trends are exciting and bring fresh air into the product design sphere. They are also aesthetically pleasing and functional, elevating the user experience to new heights. 

That’s why we can’t wait to start implementing (or at least inspire ourselves with) them during the upcoming year!

The “Bento” trend, inspired by Apple’s innovative approach, is at the forefront of product design trends in 2024. Much like the compartmentalized Japanese lunchbox, this concept efficiently organizes information and design elements, offering a sleek and user-friendly interface. Apple’s influence in setting industry standards is evident here, making Bento a must-adopt trend for designers. 

In adopting the Bento approach, designers are encouraged to think beyond traditional layouts. It involves strategically placing elements where each section is designed to function independently and as part of a cohesive whole. This balance ensures users can handle information overload, enhancing the overall user experience. The compartmentalized nature of Bento allows for a more focused interaction, where users can easily find what they are looking for without unnecessary distractions.

We believe the Bento trend is not just a fleeting fad in the product design trends in 2024; it is a thoughtful and practical approach that resonates with the core principles of modern design: efficiency, clarity, and user-centricity.

However, Bento design poses a challenge in avoiding clutter. Overloading a small space with too many elements can overwhelm users. The key lies in balancing distinct, easy-to-navigate compartments without bombarding users with excessive information or choices. Effective Bento design demands thoughtful content layout and prioritization, focusing on core functionalities and information critical to the user’s journey.

Apple is using a bento grid for Keynote for iPhone 15 Pro Max

Gradients on titles have become a staple in product design trends in 2024, thanks to Apple’s Mac promotional video. This style, characterized by its cool and metallic vibe, is now a hallmark of modern design, particularly on design-related social media platforms. It’s a trend that combines vibrancy with sophistication. This style offers a fresh take on typography, breaking away from the traditional, solid-colored titles. It allows designers to inject personality and flair into their work, creating a connection with the audience through visually appealing and memorable designs. Whether used in website headers, mobile app interfaces, or digital advertisements, gradients on titles offer a wide range of creative possibilities.

Instagram creators using gradient titles

The evolution of glass elements in design has taken a sharp turn in 2024. Moving away from the soft, frosted look of the past, the current product design trends in 2024 are embracing a bolder approach with sharper, more colorful glass effects, embodying a futuristic aesthetic that’s both sleek and visually capturing. One of the most notable aspects of this trend is its ability to create a sense of depth and dimensionality. When combined with bright and bold colors, the sharper glass effects create a layered look that draws the viewer’s eye and holds their attention. 

This is particularly effective in user interfaces, where these elements can highlight important information or guide the user’s navigation through the design.

Designers can create these elements in minutes using AI generators

Artificial Intelligence has seamlessly integrated into the design process, making it one of the pivotal product design trends in 2024. Tools like ChatGPT, UIzard, Adobe Sensei, UXCam, and Khroma offer specialized AI assistance, revolutionizing how designers approach their projects.

ChatGPT, for example, can brainstorm with you, offering ideas or writing up content that sounds natural and engaging. UIzard turns your sketches into neat UI designs, which is fantastic for getting a quick start on projects. Adobe Sensei helps you refine your designs and makes helpful suggestions. UXCam is all about understanding how people use your designs, which gives you worthy insights while making user-friendly products. Recraft AI helps improve designs you’ve already created by suggesting how to tweak your layout or experiment with different colors or fonts. Moreover, it provides designers with vector images, which make your work look professional and polished. And finally – there’s Khroma, the color expert, helping you pick the perfect palette to help you “make it pop!” 😉

These AI tools are part of what makes product design trends in 2024 so exciting. They’re not just tools but collaborators that help bring out the best in your work. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting, these AI assistants can make your design process smoother, more creative, and fun.

So many helpful AI tools for designers

Somebody has to say it – static designs are passé!

The current product design trends in 2024 favor extensive interactivity, incorporating scroll effects, 3D elements, and layered compositions for a dynamic user experience. For example, 3D elements aren’t just for show; they make your designs feel real and tangible, like you could almost reach out and touch them. They add depth and a sense of reality to your designs, elevating the overall experience of anyone interacting with them.

But why is all this important? Well, in the world of product design trends in 2024, it’s all about keeping the user engaged and interested. With so many websites and apps out there, making yours stand out is super important. By adding these interactive elements, you’re not just showing information but creating an experience. 

Web is becoming an open canvas

In the palette of product design trends in 2024, purple rules. This color’s popularity in design galleries and community posts reflects its appeal and versatility, making it a top choice for designers looking to infuse their work with contemporary flair.

You might wonder, why purple? 

This color brings a unique blend of calmness and energy to your design table. It stands out without being too in-your-face. It’s got this cool vibe that says, “Hey, look at me, but no pressure.” 

Whether as a light lavender or a deep violet, purple will surely bring a touch of sophistication and creativity to your designs. 

I feel the lavender haze creepin’ up on me

Let’s talk about one of the coolest product design trends in 2024 that’s really taking the design world by storm – 3D design. The shift towards a bubbly 3D look reflects an effort to appear more approachable and resonate with younger audiences, marking it as a significant trend in current design practices. However, 3D is not just about resembling fun. In a world where everyone is bombarded with all sorts of visuals, an eye-catching 3D design can be just the thing you need to grab your users’ attention.

For designers, this trend is super exciting. It’s a chance to play around with depth, texture, and movement in ways that flat designs can’t match. 

Reddit has a refreshed 3D look

Creating custom images has never been easier thanks to AI, so we can safely add AI-generated images to our list of hottest product design trends in 2024. 

Here’s a heads-up: there’s a trap with AI-generated imagery. Because it’s so easy and fun to use, many people end up with designs that look the same – generic, highly surrealistic, and unrefined. So, here are two supercharged tips on how to make the most out of AI for your images. 

With these tips in mind, you’re all set to nail the AI-generated imagery as one of the hottest product design trends in 2024.

Incredibly helpful as placeholders, but can also work as actual visual assets with a little bit of effort

Typography as a decorative element continues to be one of the leading product design trends in 2024. This trend isn’t just about choosing fonts; it’s a deeper exploration into how text can be transformed into a central, decorative design element. 

The art of using typography as a decorative tool requires a thorough understanding of design principles. It’s about balancing form and function, where the text not only conveys information but also contributes to the overall aesthetic of the design. This approach elevates typography from a communicative tool to an integral part of the visual experience.

Designers are experimenting with custom fonts, altered letterforms, and unique typographic layouts. This involves playing with scale, spacing, and alignment to create striking visual compositions. Large, bold fonts are used to make a statement, while more subtle alterations are employed to add a layer of sophistication and finesse.

Selecting fonts that evoke specific emotions or associations is one of the most critical product design trends in 2024. Whether it’s a sleek sans-serif for a modern, minimalist look or a whimsical script for a more playful vibe, the font choice is crucial in setting the right atmosphere.

Big, bold, playful typography is one of the most crucial ui ux design trends in 2024

Augmented and Virtual Reality are no longer just buzzwords; they are realities in the product design trends in 2024. 

In 2024, AR will not just be used for games or gimmicky apps; it’s being used in more practical and impactful ways. For example, retail brands use AR for virtual try-ons, allowing customers to see how clothes or a pair of glasses might look on them without ever stepping into a store. In interior design, AR apps let users visualize how furniture or decor items would fit in their living spaces. This practical application of AR transforms the consumer experience, making it more interactive and personalized.

VR, on the other hand, immerses users in a wholly digital environment. One of the notable advancements in 2024 is the Apple Vision Pro, a VR device that represents the cutting edge of this technology. VR creates realistic simulations for immersive learning experiences in fields like education and training. For instance, medical students can practice surgeries in a risk-free, virtual environment, gaining valuable experience before performing real-life procedures.

To conclude, in terms of product design trends in 2024, AR and VR are reshaping the way designers think about user experience and interaction.

We can also see the influence of glass ui design trends in app icons.

Dark designs will permanently transition from one of the hottest product design trends in 2024 to standard practice. This style not only appeals aesthetically but also addresses increased screen time, offering a visually comfortable experience for users. 

Dark designs are easier on the eyes, especially in low-light environments or during those late-night browsing sessions. This is because dark backgrounds reduce glare and light intensity, which can help reduce eye strain. So, not only will your users enjoy a cool-looking design, but they also prevent additional eye strain. 

Another great thing about dark designs is their power efficiency, especially on devices with OLED or AMOLED screens. These screens turn off black pixels, which means dark designs can help save battery life.

Here’s another Supercharged tip for designers that’ll help you thoroughly master product design trends in 2024, such as dark designs: pay extra attention to contrast and legibility when working with dark designs. You want to ensure your text and design elements stand out against the dark background. This means playing around with lighter text, vibrant accent colors, and ensuring enough contrast for readability.

Dark designs are becoming a standard practice in UI design, especially when combined with the color purple.

Sustainability is a crucial focus in product design trends in 2024, with Apple leading the way. This approach involves creating energy-efficient, long-lasting, and environmentally friendly designs, contributing positively to the planet.

One of the key aspects of sustainable design is energy efficiency. This can be seen in the way digital products are created and operated. For instance, energy-saving features like auto-adjusting brightness or dark mode options in apps and operating systems can significantly affect energy consumption. By reducing the energy required to power our devices, designers are helping to reduce overall carbon emissions.

Sustainable designs also encourage eco-friendly user behaviors. For example, apps might include features that help users make more environmentally conscious choices, like tracking energy usage or finding eco-friendly alternatives.

Simply put, sustainable design in 2024 is about creating designs that positively impact the world. 

Apple’s goal is to make all their products carbon neutral by 2030

Large UI elements are a defining feature of product design trends in 2024. Enlarged buttons and text make designs more immersive and user-friendly, especially on smaller screens, exemplifying a blend of aesthetics and functionality. On smaller screens, like smartphones and tablets, bigger buttons and text are much easier to interact with. 

With larger elements, everything is more accessible, which is a huge win for user-friendliness.

This design approach also aligns with the growing need for inclusive design. Larger UI elements benefit users with visual impairments or those who struggle with fine motor skills. By making key elements more prominent and easier to interact with, these designs cater to a wider audience, ensuring that more people can easily enjoy and use digital products.

And finally – yes, the aesthetic part. Large UI elements allow designers to use bold typography, vibrant colors, and creative layouts. This can result in visually striking designs that stand out in a crowded digital landscape. It’s a chance for designers to create something that’s not only functional but also visually exciting.

Massive UI elements are one of the biggest product design trends in 2024, but stay cautious. It’s important to balance these large elements with the rest of the design to avoid overwhelming the user. The key is using space smartly, ensuring the design doesn’t feel cluttered or chaotic. This might involve using negative space effectively or carefully considering the layout to create a harmonious and coherent user interface.

Massive typography has already arrived, and now enormous UI elements are emerging

Retro and vintage trends bring a playful, nostalgic feel to the modern design landscape. It’s a creative blend that adds a unique charm to designs, making it a notable trend in the design community.

By infusing modern design principles with elements from bygone eras, designers create a unique fusion that resonates emotionally and aesthetically with a broad audience. Retro and vintage are some of the prominent ui ux design trends in 2024 because there’s something inherently comforting about these designs, perhaps because they evoke memories of simpler times.

Incorporating retro and vintage elements into modern design also allows for storytelling, enabling brands to connect with their audiences more personally. The retro and vintage product design trends in 2024 are more than just a throwback to the past – they celebrate history and nostalgia. 

Modern technology combined with a vintage aesthetic creates an amazing UI.

This is our list of hottest product design trends in 2024! 

If you’re a product designer seeking to stay ahead in your field, we hope this article will serve as a roadmap. 

Embracing these trends (while exercising caution) will drastically improve the aesthetic appeal of your designs, modernize them, and – most importantly – ensure an inclusive, engaging, and user-friendly experience. 

If your goal for 2024 is to significantly broaden your UI expertise and knowledge, explore our Ultimate UI Mastery Bundle – a comprehensive collection of resources tailored to elevate your design skills and enhance your projects.

Packed with expert insights and tools, this bundle is perfect for designers seeking to supercharge their creativity and efficiency.

Take this opportunity to refine your UI design craft and take your designs to the next level!