It’s just a matter of time until 2022 ends, making this the best moment to pay attention to the frontend development trends. If IT professionals do not adapt to change, they will indeed be overtaken by competitors who do.
Unlike any other industry, trends in frontend development can change faster than we can follow. This year has been very active regarding frontend technologies and trends changes. So let’s take a look at some of them.
1. JavaScript’s popularity continues to rise
Not surprisingly, JavaScript is still one of the most widely used programming languages today. It offers the broadest range of libraries and frames. Every developer can find precisely what they are looking for there. The React and Angular Js frameworks are the most popular ones on the list.
2. Static websites come back
Static websites are one of the new frontend technologies. Simply put, static websites are those that do not require any database to keep the data. It means a frontend developer doesn’t need a backend developer to create it. So why are we witnessing such a return? The answer is pretty basic: static websites are cheaper to develop, safer, and much faster than dynamic ones.
3. AI-based chatbot improves customer experience
AI-powered chatbots have become the ultimate answer to many customer experience questions. They make customer interaction with a company more “human” and help establish long-term relationships. With the advent of artificial intelligence, chatbots have become even more convenient and «intelligent.»
They recognize human speech and provide even more logical answers. Some of them can even hold a conversation like a real person and tell jokes to the user. Therefore, it is worth including AI-based chatbots as one of the main frontend trends for 2022.
4. Progressive web applications are gaining momentum
According to recent studies, people spend a minimum of 1 to 3 hours using their mobile devices daily. To meet modern users’ needs, companies began to create web applications that provide excellent mobile experiences to their visitors.
Progressive web applications (also known as PWA) are web applications that are indistinguishable from native applications for users. Its main advantages are that PWAs are fast (most of the data is cached), loaded in a matter of seconds, and do not need an Internet connection to function properly (they can work offline).
5. Single-page websites are in fashion
They are nothing new in the world of web development; however, their advantages are why single-page websites appear on the frontend trends that 2022 has offered us.
First of all, single-page ones are faster and cheaper to develop. This one is obvious.
Secondly, they are not too complicated with navigation and tons of content to search for. Instead, users can find all the information they are interested in by scrolling through the page. Third, these websites are more mobile-friendly than traditional ones.
Of course, they are not a one-size-fits-all solution. However, because simplifying everything we do seems to be the main trend today, it is guaranteed to remain and gain even more popularity by 2022.
6. Animation in user interface design
Minimalist designs are great and always fashionable, but modern users are tired of them. On the contrary, animation can make the design of a website even more memorable and exciting. In addition, it also helps to improve the website’s overall user experience and usability.
For example, developers can add moves to transitions between different pages or graphics. The most important thing to remember is to maintain the balance between the animation «insufficient» and «too much.» The main reason for the growing popularity of animation is that this tool allows developers to add animations without having a deep knowledge of JavaScript or jQuery in detail.
7. Simplicity
While we love the fantastic animations and eye-catching user interface layouts, we still prefer easy-to-use apps and websites. Therefore, simplicity is the next frontend trend that is worth considering. So, keep it simple and intuitive no matter what product you create.
8. Advances in cloud computing continue
Cloud computing is fundamental today when almost everyone works remotely from home. Teams and other project stakeholders can easily access cloud-saved data, no matter where they are. According to Gartner, public cloud services are expected to grow to $306.9 billion this year, compared to $242.7 billion in 2019.
9. Without SQL databases
Another major trend gaining momentum in 2022 is the absence of SQL databases, so before we consider them, let us look at the context of their appearance.
SQL databases are relational databases created in the 1970s to reduce duplicate storage. Nevertheless, they had some disadvantages, such as a highly complex structure, which made them an expensive solution to scale vertically.
We have the opportunity to observe a key trend that has come to stay: simplicity. We have also considered the best frontend 2022 technologies that fit this trend, such as Vue.js and Gatsby; they will take advantage to gain popularity. However, this does not mean that frameworks backed by Google or Facebook will disappear. Instead, it simply means they must adapt to avoid losing the battle against new easy-to-use frames, such as Next.js.
So far, which one do you consider that has been the most remarkable trend of all?
