What Are the 6 Interaction Design Trends Shaping 2018?

Design solves human problems, so the 2018 interaction design forecast focuses on refined emotional experiences, new interaction media, efficiency, and emerging scenarios, revealing six major trends.

All‑Sense Experience

Combining all five senses creates immersive, memory‑rich experiences; 2018 will see more virtual‑plus‑physical combos delivering auditory, olfactory, and haptic feedback.

Examples include the voice‑controlled game Starship Commander paired with VR goggles, the haptic Hardlight Suit with 16 vibration points, and the force‑feedback glove VRgluv that simulates touch for actions like shooting or brushing hair.

Beyond the Screen

Interaction media expand beyond traditional displays, using projection, voice, AR/VR, and other “screen‑less” interfaces to broaden user interaction space.

Notable cases are Sony’s Xperia Touch portable projector that turns any surface into a touchable screen, Google Assistant’s conversational voice service, and the lightweight AR glasses Vuzix Blade with touch‑pad and voice controls.

Personification / Emotionalization

Hardware is increasingly designed with emotional warmth, turning devices into companions rather than mere tools.

Examples include Sony’s aibo robot dog with lifelike movements and AI learning, the therapeutic My Special Aflac Duck that reacts to touch and emotions, and the reading robot Luka owl that interacts with children.

More Natural Voice Interaction

Voice interfaces are becoming conversational, context‑aware, and multi‑turn, reducing user friction.

Examples are Baidu’s voice‑only mobile app that listens continuously without wake‑word, Nomi’s in‑car AI that understands fuzzy commands, and Tmall Genie’s friend‑like dialogues for music, weather, and more.

AI‑Based Personalization

Personalized recommendation systems leverage big data and AI to move from simple filtering to cognitive, associative, and predictive models.

Netflix tailors movie‑poster styles to individual tastes, China Merchants Bank’s MoJie ZhiTou uses machine learning for investment advice, and Summit Public Schools’ platform offers student‑centered, adaptive learning paths.

More Efficient, Lower‑Cost Interaction

Advances in biometrics, speech recognition, and AI reduce learning curves and operational costs, freeing users to focus on creativity.

Examples include Vivo’s under‑display fingerprint Clear ID , Samsung’s iris scanner, Apple’s FaceID, Microsoft’s Seeing AI for visual assistance, and Adobe Sensei’s AI‑driven design asset search.

Online‑Offline Seamless Fusion

Future experiences will blend digital and physical touchpoints into a unified service loop, powered by data, AR/VR, and sensor tech.

Amazon GO links online accounts with in‑store vision‑based checkout; virtual‑reality “real‑scene GO” recreates home environments for product browsing; and smart fitting mirrors scan users to instantly display personalized clothing options.

Design aims to solve problems efficiently and delightfully; the HJUX team wishes designers a prosperous new year and encourages continual focus on user‑centric experiences.