Trend #1 – The Rise of Empty Minimalism

White Space: Or Just No Content?

Minimalism used to be about clarity. Now it’s about showing investors you can afford not to explain things. This year’s Design trend is all about less is more. As in, less copy, fewer icons, and maximum confusion.

Your users won’t know where to click—but hey, they’ll admire the whitespace.

Font Size Inflation

You’ll be shouting “Login” at your users with H1-sized buttons. Because accessibility, right? The average font size in SaaS Design now rivals printed billboards. The real message? You don’t know what to say, so you say it big.

Trend #2 – Illustrations from the Land of Eternal Sameness

Vector People with No Eyes

You know them. The faceless figures pointing at floating charts. Somehow, every Team agreed that what users need is another stock illustration of a purple person shaking hands with a laptop.

Originality? Nah. Brand identity? Optional. Corporate clipart? Required.

The Illusion of Personality

We’ve reached a point where every site tries to look “fun” with neon blobs and bouncy UI—but behaves like a grumpy government portal. This year’s visual trend: pretend you’re a startup with humor, but enforce password rules stricter than a bank.

Trend #3 – Overcomplicated Simplicity

The UX Paradox

Your app must be “intuitive” by having six onboarding steps, five modals, and a chatbot that misunderstands everything. Because if your user finds the feature in under 30 seconds, was it even worth the dev sprint?

SaaS Design is now about guiding users through a maze of empty dashboards so they feel like they’ve achieved something—without actually using the product.

Microinteractions for Macrosuffering

Want to change your billing email? Enjoy a delightful animation… that takes longer than the actual task. In design, every checkbox now comes with a flourish. It’s like gift-wrapping a typo.

Trend #4 – AI Integration You’ll Never Need

“Powered by AI” – Whatever That Means

This year, if you’re not adding AI, are you even trying to raise funding? AI is now a SaaS Design element—slapped onto headers like a band-aid on a UX wound.

Is it useful? Doesn’t matter. Does it work? Irrelevant. Can you spell “neural net”? No need. Just add the buzzword and let the UI imply intelligence.

Chatbots That Outsmart You (In Being Useless)

Nothing says “future” like a chatbot that can’t reset your password but can explain blockchain in haiku form. In 2024, users will long for actual support. But what they’ll get is a floating bubble that says, “How can I help?” and then promptly doesn’t.

So… Should You Copy These Trends Too?

Of course you should. That’s the game. The truth is, Design has always been a mix of following trends while pretending you invented them. But here’s the twist: the best products don’t need to over-design to prove their value. 

What Actually Works?

  • Clear navigation – not 12 hidden menus
  • Logical UX flows – instead of storytelling UI where users are characters in a Kafka novel
  • Readable typography – fonts that don’t require a Rosetta Stone
  • Actual testing – with real users, not just your product team

Want to impress users? Prioritize function over fashion. Want to impress investors? Use dark mode. Want to see these trends in action? Search AI is a great example of how thoughtful design and user-focused UX can elevate even the most data-heavy platforms. We broke down the process in our case study.

Final Thoughts From a Slightly Jaded Designer

Let’s face it. In 2024, SaaS Design is as much theater as it is usability. But for those of us building real products for real people, irony only gets us so far.

Design matters. But clarity trumps cleverness every time. And yes, your app can still look cool while making sense.