100 design lessons for 2021

7 min readDec 3, 2020

2020 was a strange year. What are some lessons designers can take as we embark on the year to come?

Fabricio Teixeira

3 days ago·2 min read

https://trends.uxdesign.cc/

Things are not ok. We are in the middle of a global pandemic that has taken the lives of more than a million people. Those of us who have been able to keep our jobs in the economic crisis have been working remotely, leaving us feeling isolated and struggling to remain productive while the world burns outside.

As if that wasn’t enough, state violence against marginalized populations has escalated, while the gap between the rich and the poor has widened. Across the world, we are seeing the rise of authoritarian regimes fueled by the manipulation of truth and the dissemination of alternative facts on social media.

Things are not ok.

As the year ends, we can’t help but ask ourselves: what’s next for Design? What should designers expect for the year to come?

In the next coming weeks you are probably going to start seeing a lot of articles shared online about “The Coolest Design Trends for 2021”, or “New Technologies Every Designer Should Know in 2021”. In the six years we have been publishing our end-of-year State of UX report, we have always challenged ourselves to discuss our industry beyond tactical visual trends or insular new technologies.

In this edition, we decided to expand even further.

Not trends, but lessons.

The things that are happening all around us shouldn’t have come as a surprise. The way this year has played out was nothing more than a culmination of different factors that have been in play for years and decades.

If we have listened more, we could have acted sooner.

So this year we decided to listen. To reflect on the lessons we can take from what we have been experiencing, seeing, and talking about this year.

Lessons on how to make an impact beyond our products, how to collaborate beyond Zoom calls, how to organize ourselves beyond our bubbles, and how to improve our craft beyond artboards.

Lessons from voices we still don’t hear from as often in the design mainstream — but we should.

Lessons that can help us all dive into 2021 (hopefully) a bit more prepared.

The State of UX in 2021

From the tools we’ll use, to our process, to the behaviors that will change the way we design — here’s a list of what…

trends.uxdesign.cc

WRITTEN BY

Fabricio Teixeira

By UX Collective

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I could already taste it. The enticing smell of those savory and perfectly seasoned fries was faintly calling me from a distance. I pulled into the drive-thru and ordered large fries from my fave southern fast-food spot. All I needed were those hot, crispy-soft fries to hold me over for the next couple of hours. I’m greeted by the friendly cashier who not only hands me the bag of steaming hot and unhealthy goodness but also offers me something else.

— “Would you like this root beer? We accidentally made an extra one.”

— “Um, okay sure.”

I took it knowing good and well that I don’t drink soda, but I was thrown off and figured I should politely accept. When I got home, I also found — to my surprise again — two small bags of sugar cookies. “When did they start doing this?” I asked myself. Anyway, I indulged in those tasty fries. The root beer ended up going flat after sitting on the counter for almost the entire day. What a waste of a drink. And those cookies were gross. Why did they give me those anyway? I guess they were trying to be nice. …

100 design lessons for 2021

2020 was a strange year. What are some lessons designers can take as we embark on the year to come?

Not trends, but lessons.

Written by Heatherjharris