Designing for Generation Z: UX Expectations and Guidelines

Each generation is different in very unique ways, with different habits, views, standards, and expectations. So, when Designing for Generation Z , So, what do we need to keep in mind? Let's take a closer look at Generation Z, how they use technology, and why it might be a good idea. ignore common design advice and do the opposite of what is generally recommended.

Generation Z: More diverse and more inclusive  #

When we talk about Generation Z, we are generally referring to people born between 1995 and 2010. Of course, making universal claims about a cohort where some are adults in their early twenties and others are students is, at best, ineffective and, at worst, wrong—but there are some attributes that stand out compared to previous generations.

Generation Z is the generation more diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, and identity. Research shows that young people today are attentive e proactive , They are far from being "slow, passive, and irrational," as they are often described. In fact, they are willing to take a stand and break their habits if they deeply believe in a specific purpose and goal. Certainly, there are many distractions along the way, but belief in justice and a sense of purpose has enormous value.

A acessibilidade está no centro das visões e crenças da Geração Z — e isso é ótimo!
Accessibility is at the heart of Generation Z's views and beliefs — and that's great! Building Accessibility Research from Booking.com. Great visualization )

Their values reflect that: accessibility, inclusion, sustainability e work-life balance These are the main priorities of Generation Z, and they value experiences, principles, and social standing above possessions.

What Generation Z cares deeply about  #

Generation Z grew up with technology, so unsurprisingly, digital experiences are very familiar and understood by them. On the other hand, digital experiences are often suboptimal at best—slow, inaccessible, confusing, and frustrating. Furthermore, the web is full of hype and generic, yet cute, statements. So it's not a big revelation that Generation Z is highly skeptical of brands and advertising by default (rightfully so!), and trusts them. almost exclusively in social circles , influencers and colleagues as primary research channels.

Uma paleta de cores marcantes e de alto contraste, com tipografia ousada e uma estrutura de layout de design simples e limpo.
A striking high-contrast color palette with bold typography, featuring a clean and straightforward design layout structure. From “ Designing For Gen Z ”, a case study of Clearleft. ( Great visualization )

Sometimes they may have difficulty identifying what is real and what is not, but they are highly selective Regarding their sources, they are always connected and used to following events live as they unfold, so, unsurprisingly, Generation Z tends to have little patience.

And, for sure, Generation Z loves short-form content, but this does not necessarily equate to a short attention span . The attention span depends on the context, as documentaries and literature are among Generation Z's favorites.

Designing for Generation Z  #

Most design advice for Generation Z focuses on producing “short, easy-to-digest, bite-sized” content. This content is optimized for very short attention spans, TikTok-like content consumption, and simplified to the main message. I would strongly encourage us to do the opposite.

We shouldn't dismiss Generation Z as a generation with short attention spans and urgent needs for instant gratification. Generation Z has very strong beliefs and values, but is also inherently curious and wants to reshape the world. We can to tell a great story . Captivate and engage. Make people think. Many Gen Zers are highly ambitious and motivated, and They want to be challenged. And to succeed. So, let's support that. And to do that, we need to remain genuine and authentic.

Stay genuine and authentic.  #

Like Michelle Winchester observed , Generation Z has very diverse perspectives and opinions, and they possess an ability to discern... detect fake content . This is also where distrust of AI comes into play, along with AI fatigue. How Nilay Patel As mentioned on the Ezra Klein Show today, when someone says something is "AI-generated," it's usually not a compliment, but rather a testament to how poor and unreliable they truly are.

Generation Z expects more. Therefore, brands that value sincerity, honesty, and authenticity are perceived as more trustworthy compared to brands that lack opinions, don't take a stand, and don't act in accordance with their beliefs and principles. For example, the Dove's "Keep Beauty Real" campaign (shown below) demonstrates the value of genuine human beauty, which is so often ignored and so often exaggerated to the extreme by AI.

So, whenever possible, strive for the opposite of perfect. Say what you think and do what you promise. Reflect the real world with real people using real products, however imperfect they may be. That's how you build a strong and trusting relationship with Generation Z.

Accessibility first.  #

Because Generation Z is so incredibly diverse, their needs are also extremely diverse and demanding. This doesn't necessarily mean customizing features or adapting the layout entirely based on personalized settings or preferences. But it does mean providing a accessible, ready-to-use experience .

Simple things matter. High enough color contrast. Links that look like links. Buttons that look like buttons. Forms that are broken down into simple steps to follow. Diverse gender and identity options. Proper tab order. Keyboard accessibility. Reduced movement for people who choose to use it. reduced motion sickness . Dark mode and light mode.

It's nothing truly innovative. Just basic things that help you focus and get things done. In fact, Accessibility is better for everyone. — not just for Generation Z (who expect and demand this), but also for absolutely everyone around the world.

For mobile only, not mobile-first.  #

Many of the design mock-ups we create today are typically designed and presented on large screens first. However, depending on your user base, a large majority of users (and this is especially true for Generation Z) will use almost exclusively mobile devices to access their products and services. This will certainly be different for enterprise software, but consumer products are far less likely to be used on desktop devices by younger Generation Z.

Make it a habit to present your design mock-ups. Mobile views only first . Help people read better. . Content design has never been more important—especially when designing for mobile screens. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

  • Avoid large blocks of text → maximum of 50 words per paragraph .
  • Avoid long sentences → maximum of 20 words per sentence .
  • Write for mobile devices first: brief, clear, and concise.
  • Include a summary in plain language, even for legal documents.
  • Use the Inverted Pyramid Important insights first, details below.
  • Nothing is more effective than remove debris and lint .

Subtitles are enabled by default.  #

Many people, and especially Generation Z, Closed captions are enabled by default. Currently. Perhaps the spoken language is not their native tongue, or perhaps they are unfamiliar with the accent of some speakers, or perhaps they don't have headphones nearby, don't want to use them, or can't use them. In short, Closed captions are better for everyone. e They increase ROI and audience. .

O Ethics for Design mostra legendas por padrão em um espaço dedicado. Na maioria dos ambientes, mostrar legendas na parte inferior da tela funcionaria melhor.
Ethics for Design displays captions by default in a dedicated space. In most environments, displaying captions at the bottom of the screen would work better. Large view )

Gareth Ford Williams created a Visual language of closed captions and kindly provided a PDF cheatsheet which is commonly used by professional subtitlers. There are some generally established rules Regarding subtitles, here are a few that I found quite useful while working on subtitles for my own video course:

  • Divide your sentences into two relatively equal parts, like a pyramid (40 channels per row for the top row, slightly less for the bottom row);
  • Always maintain an average of 20 to 30 characters per second ;
  • A sequence should only last between 1 and 8 seconds ;
  • Always keep the person's name or title included;
  • Do not break a line after the conjunction;
  • Consider aligning multi-line captions to the left.

Node YouTube , Users can select a font to be used for captions and choose from... monospaced and proportional serif and sans-serif , Casual, cursive, and small-caps. But perhaps, beyond stylistic details, we could provide a carefully curated selection of fonts to help audiences with different needs. This could include a dyslexic source or a hyper-legible font , for example.

Furthermore, we could display presets for various high contrast options for captions. This gives users a quicker selection process, requiring less effort to set the right combination of colors and transparency. Still, it would be helpful to provide more sophisticated options should users need them.

Support intrinsic motivation.  #

On the other hand, in times of instant gratification with likes, reposts, and leaderboards, people generally learn that a feeling of accomplishment comes from extrinsic signals, such as reach or attention from others. The more important it is to support... intrinsic motivation .

As Paula Gomes observed , Intrinsic motivation is characterized by engaging in behaviors solely for their own sake. People do something because... like . This is when they care deeply about an activity and enjoy it without needing any external reward or pressure to do it.

Para a Geração Z, a autenticidade importa — mas também o sentimento de relacionamento, autonomia e competência. Cada pessoa só pode se beneficiar de motivação intrínseca apoiada.
For Generation Z, authenticity matters—but so does a sense of belonging, autonomy, and competence. Each person can only benefit from... intrinsic motivation supported. Great visualization )

Normally, this requires 3 components :

  • Competence It involves the need to feel capable of achieving a desired outcome.
  • Autonomy It has to do with the need to feel in control of one's own actions, behaviors, and goals.
  • Kinship It reflects the need to feel a sense of belonging and attachment to other people.

In practical terms, this means preparing people for success. Preparing the knowledge, documents, and skills they need in advance. Building knowledge without necessarily rewarding them with points. It also means allowing people to have a strong sense of ownership over the decisions and work they are doing. And adding collaborative goals which would require cooperation with team members and colleagues.

Encourage critical thinking.  #

The younger people are, the harder it is to distinguish between what is real and what is not. Whenever possible, show sources or at least explain where to find specific details that support the claims you are making. Encourage people to make their own decisions and create content to back them up—with scientific articles, reliable reviews, verified feedback, and diverse opinions.

And: you don't need to shy away from technical details. Don't make them mandatory for reading and understanding, but make them accessible and available should readers or viewers be interested.

In times when there is so much false, exaggerated, dishonest, and AI-generated content, it may be enough to be perceived as authentic., reliable and worthy of attention from the highly selective and demanding Generation Z.

Good design is for everyone.  #

I keep repeating myself like a broken record, but better accessibility is better for everyone. As you may have noticed, many attributes and expectations we see in Generation Z are beneficial to all other generations as well. It's simply good, honest, and authentic design. And that's the core of good UX.

What I didn't mention is that Generation Z really We appreciate feedback. and values platforms that listen to your opinions and make changes based on your feedback. So, the best thing we can do, as designers, is actively engage Generation Z In the design process. Designing with them, instead of designing for them.

And, most importantly: with Generation Z, perhaps for the first time, inclusion and accessibility are becoming a standard expectation for all digital products. With that comes a sense of fairness, diversity, and respect. And personally, I strongly believe that this is a great thing—and proof of how remarkable Gen Zs really are.

In conclusion  #

  • A large part of Generation Z does not prioritize mobile devices, but only mobile devices .
  • For some, the The main search engine is YouTube. , Not Google.
  • Some people don't know about it and have never heard of it. Internet Explorer .
  • Trust only based on verified customer reviews , influencers and friends.
  • I used to follow events live as they unfolded → little patience.
  • Sustainability , reuse Work-life balance are the top priorities.
  • Prefer social login. as the fastest authentication method.
  • Normally Ignore or close cookie banners. without consent.
  • Trust in social proof , Honest reviews/photos and authenticity.
  • Most likely generation for provide a reference to a product.
  • Normally, Video subtitles are enabled by default. .

Useful links  #

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