June 2025

Hey friend,

This is Design Current. A newsletter about user experience design.

Have you noticed how things feel a little more... alive lately?

Your apps are getting sassier, your favorite brands are cracking jokes, and even Google is telling us to get emotional about design.

Let me tell you what's happening.

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The rise of expressive design

The big players are getting personal

Google released Material Design M3 Expressive - a design system literally created to provoke emotions through UX.

Apple dropped Liquid Glass, and while they won't call it "expressive", it's definitely stirring up feelings. The internet has opinions.

But here's the thing—this didn't start with the tech giants. They're just catching up to what's been brewing for years.

The trailblazers we should credit

Spotify Wrapped was whimsical, and it takes over the internet whenever it releases.

CashApp made sending money feel as casual as texting. Who knew financial transactions could be... fun?

Mailchimp ditched the corporate playbook in 2018 (!) and embraced quirky illustrations and copy. Pretty bold for a SaaS company.

Gumroad also opted to be different than any other SaaS platform. Their primary button color is pink, for one.

We did it too

When we designed myTrudy, we had one mission: turn job searching from a soul-crushing experience into something that actually felt hopeful.

We know, job hunting is already hard enough, and boring interfaces making it worse.

So we designed the UX to feel like a chill, easy-going, and knowledgeable guide.

Another example: when brainstorming concepts of a social media app, our team member Neha came up with a fun, game-like way for users to enter their location.

Instead of a basic input field, it felt more like playing.

Why this trend now?

I was curious about this shift, so I asked two brilliant designers Andrea and Neha what they thought.

Too sterile for too long

Andrea nailed it: "Expressive design feels like a direct response to the fatigue people are getting from minimalist trends that have dominated tech for the last 6-7 years."

Designers want to have fun

Neha added: "I'd define expressive design as bringing joy not only to the final product but to designers themselves. It's really fun to rethink the usual patterns."

People want to feel something

Here's my take: We're drowning in a sea of content. When something breaks through that noise, it makes us curious and excited, and we try out that product.

What it means for you

If you're building a product: Being boring might actually be risky now. You don't need to go overboard, but if there was ever a time to be bold, it's now. Your users are ready for it.

If you're designing: That unique way you see the world? Don't hide it. Let it show up in your components, interactions, and design decisions. Push boundaries, but keep your usability standard high - personality without function is just decoration.

Sure, expressive design is a trend, and like all trends, it comes and goes. But honestly? I'm here for it. I love seeing the internet less boring and more creative. It’s fun to be part of that.

Expressively,

Anyi

Cofounder @ Koi Studios​

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