The SaaS industry is gaining momentum, and businesses across all industries are taking advantage of this innovative yet affordable technology. SaaS users don’t need to purchase, install, update, or maintain any hardware; they just need an Internet connection. In this article, we dive into the latest SaaS UI/UX design trends.
Web-based software developed to boost business performance has been a popular tool in the business world. SaaS apps depend on perfect SaaS UI/UX design to attract and retain customers and add value to a brand.
According to SaaStr, in the first half of 2021, the total number of unique software products that a company buys on average was higher than ever before—about 124 per company! And 55% of companies plan to increase their software spending in 2022.
The trends indicate an influx of spending on solutions that make remote work more convenient, making SaaS products ever more popular.
However, with popularity comes competition. As more SaaS companies battle for users, it becomes clear that UI/UX design can significantly determine who’s winning and who’s falling into oblivion.
Basic knowledge on how to design a SaaS product is not enough. Competitiveness in the industry is determined by the developer’s ability to improve the application’s functionality constantly. If your SaaS product doesn’t provide an excellent user experience, you can’t create and maintain a competitive advantage.
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What is Software as a Service (SaaS)?
Delivering applications over the Internet “as a service” is known as SaaS. These internet products don’t need installing and maintaining, freeing users from complex software and hardware management.
Businesses rent a SaaS app, and their customers connect to it with a web browser. The underlying infrastructure is located in the service provider’s data center.
What is UI/UX Design in the SaaS context?
SaaS products are unique in their purpose and functionality. Yet, their UI/UX design principles are similar to any other software or website. So, what is UI/UX design? It can be described as creating the optimal user interface and user experience to achieve business goals.
Whether you hire a freelance graphic designer, work with a design studio, or subscribe to ManyPixels to develop your SaaS UI/UX design, it’s crucial to have both the product and the end-users in mind.
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Creating the best UI/UX SaaS design
The importance of user experience and user interface on your SaaS website or app cannot be overstated.
The best UI practices focus on users’ simple needs, motives, and goals. The developers must invest the same efforts to create an optimal UI/UX design as developing its architecture.
The cost of SaaS UI/UX design
The cost of designing a SaaS product can vary, depending on dozens of factors. Developing SaaS UI/UX design with an in-house designer, a freelancer, or a design studio, can have a different impact on the price and the time to finish the project.
Luckily, our subscription-based service allows you to design your awesome SaaS product at a cost unmatched by any design studio and without the hassle of hiring a freelance graphic designer.
Here’s what we bring to the table:
- A team of versatile designers skilled in all aspects of UI/UX design
- Turnaround time of just 1-2 working days
- Flexible and scalable solutions
- Low short-term and long-term costs
- Money back guarantee
SaaS logo design trends
Branding in 2022 combines old and new trends. SaaS companies of 2022 are reminiscing the familiar styles of the previous eras; 3D gradients, bright neon backgrounds, and bold black-and-white fonts are recurring design features.
Logo design practices of 2022 are based on the same aspects; however, new developments are also present.
3D gradients
3D gradients make any group of colors unique and dynamic. 3D gradient logos give designers a lot of opportunities – playing with colors and perspective and creating beautiful solutions with a modern and simple appearance.
Depth, shadows, and 3D effects are the main features of this trend in SaaS logo design. Graphic designers use depth and shadows to create an illusion of perspective, while 3D effects add weight and gravity to simple designs.
Letter-play
Overlapping letters, customized characters, and negative spaces draw the viewer’s attention to the logo. Letter-play is an effective way to modify logotypes, and designers are becoming more and more adventurous with the customization of font-based logo design.
The flip side of this trend is not to overdo it. The inscription must remain distinctive, as the audience shouldn’t be left guessing what brand they’re dealing with. They must remember and recognize it next time.
Combination marks
Logomark and logotype combined into one logo, set horizontally to underline balance, is a predominant trend in SaaS logo design. Using both elements strengthens brand recognition and helps users remember the brand identity.
Combination marks offer flexibility for using either or both marks, offering more flexibility for branding.
Bold typography
A logo design trend that uses simple, bold typography is rising in every industry, and SaaS is not an exception. Heavyweight fonts are a great way to draw attention and reflect stability and trustworthiness.
In 2022, there will be strange and bold fonts complemented by outstanding characters. Odd typography makes the logo original and allows the company’s personality to shine through.
SaaS website design trends
The number of SaaS websites is skyrocketing, making it harder than ever for businesses to stand out. In a world full of platforms that can help customers grow their business, how are you any different?
For SaaS companies, it’s crucial to design a site with an excellent user experience and lively, attention-grabbing copy. Layout, navigation, color schemes, typography, and content are the fundamental SaaS website features that can determine conversion rates.
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Clean, clear, and user-friendly UI/UX design
The less-is-more maxima seems to be valid in SaaS web design as well. SaaS companies that offer platforms for time, project, finance, or any other type of management, focus on functionality rather than visual appeal.
Expressive writing is history and has been replaced by the demand for simplicity. Companies have learned that users have grown impatient when reading wordy sentences in this fast-paced living. Hence, any written content should be bite-sized and packed with information.
Instead of focusing on lengthy bodies of text, SaaS websites utilize layouts and color schemes to guide the users through the interaction with the product.
The visual elements are reduced to icons and illustrations, almost completely excluding photographs and video content.
Mobile responsiveness
We live in a mobile world, and no website in 2022 should not be 100% mobile compatible. And if there’s one industry that doesn’t tolerate unresponsive websites, it’s the SaaS industry.
Enabling access to data from any networked device is the core of SaaS functionality, so neglecting the website’s mobile-friendliness is shooting yourself in the foot.
Inclusion through custom Illustrations
70% of SaaS websites use custom illustrations rather than images of real people. It’s clear that SaaS companies are aware they’re addressing a global audience, and illustrations are an effective way to avoid association with a particular market.
Art and illustration can be powerful tools for strengthening brand identity. In the ocean of SaaS products available online, every custom feature in web design is precious. Color schemes can do only so much for brands that aim to stand out from the crowd, and using custom illustrations can go a long way.
The renaissance of Icon design
Since the 80s, when they were first created, icons have played an essential role in UI/UX design. Today, visual communication in the online world is unimaginable without these tiny symbols that help users navigate websites and software applications.
With the multitenant architecture of SaaS platforms, where all users share a single, common infrastructure, everyone must be on the same page. Symbols are an excellent UI/UX design tool to avoid language barriers while strengthening a brand’s personality through custom icon design.
With functionality in focus, UI designers rely on minimalism and simplicity to create icons that don’t avert users’ attention while conveying important information.
SaaS modal design trends
Modals are UI elements that SaaS companies use to grab users’ attention and guide them through the interaction with their products. A modal window creates a mode that disables the main window but keeps it visible.
They usually consist of a header, body text, imagery, a CTA, an X button, and translucent background.
Modals are vital in enhancing the product’s functionality and overall SaaS experience. They help users interact with the product or present essential information. Without well-designed modals, even the best-looking SaaS application only goes so far.
Companies have learned that modals are a very effective tool for converting and upselling when used to present special deals and offers.
Converting with freebies
Canva’s modal is upselling the intelligent way with a combination of eye-catching images, a value-based header, body text, and simple yet highly effective CTA.
We like this modal because it’s very ergonomic and easy to understand. Free goodies? Who would say “No” to that?
Converting with upgrade prompts
This modal used by project management software Asana clearly features the value proposition in the header and the body. On the other hand, users who aren’t interested in this feature can’t miss the extremely visible X button if they want a way out.
The modal’s size allows the design to present several graphics, communicating more than one new feature value.
The only thing that’s arguable is the two CTAs. If you want to convert users, it’s not a good idea to give them more than one option to think about.
Converting with solutions
Problem - Solution - Call-To-Action. This simple formula is the bible of marketing, and the same simplicity goes into the graphic design of this modal by DropBox.
Let’s start from the header and move our way to the bottom.
At the top, we have a hand-drawn illustration of a cat trying to fit in a box that’s too small for its size. Its big eyes are helplessly staring at us as if begging for a larger box.
In the body text below, we read only three short sentences. A total of 8 words state the problem and immediately offer a solution. A split second later, our cursor already hovers over the compelling CTA button.
Improving UX with bite-sized tips
This modal by Harvest is a perfect example of UX design at its best. Helping users with “tips and tricks” for improved interaction with the product creates an excellent user experience.
What we like about this modal is the simplicity and minimalism in design. The bell icon with an exclamation mark creates a sense of urgency and highlights the importance of the information.
The copy in the body is both informative and friendly, while the CTA is straightforward and on point.
Nothing in the design or the copy is extra, making this modal relatively easy to read and enthralling.
Final words
SaaS UI/UX design trends of 2022 supersede expressive design styles with simplicity and functionality. This minimalistic approach to branding is a way for SaaS companies to improve brand recognition while highlighting their unique service.
Few industries are growing as fast as SaaS. Achieving commercial success depends on developing clever, user-friendly designs that provide an extraordinary SaaS experience.
The developing process can take years and plenty of resources, and even then, you can’t consider it a finished product. SaaS applications constantly evolve, face new challenges, and offer new solutions.
It’s good to have a partner in this process. You can devote your time to developing innovative ideas and solutions while we at ManyPixels design your SaaS product interface.
With high-quality service and exceptional design your Saas application has the best chance to stand out from the competition.
Learn why quality graphics matter for your business, and put your SaaS company on the right track!
