As we navigate through 2024, the landscape of UI/UX design continues to evolve at a rapid pace. The future of design is being shaped by advancements in technology, changing user expectations, and the increasing importance of inclusivity and sustainability. Here, we explore some of the emerging trends in UI/UX design and predict how these trends will shape the future of the industry.

1. AI and Machine Learning Integration

Personalized Experiences: AI and machine learning are revolutionizing the way designers create personalized user experiences. These technologies enable applications to learn from user behavior and preferences, offering customized content, recommendations, and interfaces that adapt in real-time.

Prediction: By 2024, we expect to see AI-driven design tools that can assist designers in creating more intuitive and responsive interfaces, reducing the time spent on repetitive tasks and allowing for more creativity and innovation.

2. Voice User Interfaces (VUI)

Beyond Touch: Voice interactions are becoming increasingly prevalent, thanks to smart assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. VUI offers a hands-free, efficient way to interact with devices, which is particularly useful for accessibility and multitasking.

Prediction: The integration of VUI will become more sophisticated, allowing for more natural and conversational interactions. Designers will need to focus on creating seamless transitions between touch and voice interactions, ensuring a cohesive user experience.

3. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

Immersive Experiences: AR and VR technologies are opening new possibilities for creating immersive user experiences. From virtual product try-ons to interactive gaming environments, these technologies enhance user engagement by blending digital and physical worlds.

Prediction: As AR and VR become more mainstream, we’ll see a surge in applications across various industries, including retail, education, and healthcare. Designers will need to develop new skills to create intuitive and immersive interfaces that enhance user interaction in these virtual spaces.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

4. Sustainable Design Practices

Eco-Friendly UI/UX: As environmental concerns grow, sustainable design practices are becoming a priority. This includes designing interfaces that minimize energy consumption and promoting digital products that encourage sustainable behaviors.

Prediction: Sustainability will be a key consideration in UI/UX design, with designers incorporating eco-friendly principles into their workflows. Expect to see more designs that emphasize energy efficiency, digital wellness, and environmental impact.

5. Inclusive Design and Accessibility

Design for All: Inclusivity and accessibility are essential aspects of modern UI/UX design. Ensuring that digital products are usable by people of all abilities and backgrounds is not just a legal requirement but also a moral imperative.

Prediction: Inclusive design will move beyond compliance, becoming a standard practice. Designers will adopt more inclusive methodologies, involving diverse user groups in the design process to create products that cater to a broader audience.

6. Neumorphism and Minimalism

Aesthetic Evolution: Neumorphism, a design trend that combines skeuomorphism and flat design, is gaining traction. It uses soft shadows and highlights to create a quasi-3D effect, giving interfaces a tactile and modern look. Minimalism, with its focus on simplicity and functionality, continues to be a dominant design philosophy.

Prediction: Neumorphism will evolve to address accessibility concerns, incorporating better contrast and clarity. Minimalist designs will become even more streamlined, focusing on essential elements and reducing cognitive load for users.

Example

7. Micro-interactions and Animation

Delightful Details: Microinteractions and subtle animations play a crucial role in enhancing user experience. They provide feedback, guide users, and add a layer of delight to interactions.

Prediction: Designers will increasingly use micro-interactions to create engaging and intuitive interfaces. Expect to see more sophisticated animations that provide meaningful feedback and improve overall usability.

8. Cross-Platform Consistency

Seamless Experience: With users interacting with brands across multiple devices, maintaining a consistent experience across platforms is crucial. This includes ensuring that design elements, interactions, and branding are cohesive across mobile, desktop, and wearable devices.

Prediction: Cross-platform design tools will become more advanced, allowing designers to create unified experiences more efficiently. Consistency will be key to building trust and loyalty among users.

Conclusion

The future of UI/UX design is exciting and full of possibilities. As technology advances and user expectations evolve, designers must stay adaptable and forward-thinking. By embracing these emerging trends, designers can create innovative, inclusive, and sustainable experiences that not only meet the needs of today’s users but also anticipate the demands of tomorrow. Keeping an eye on these trends will help you stay ahead in the ever-changing landscape of UI/UX design, ensuring that your work remains relevant and impactful.

Smart Manufacturing Dashboards: A Real-Time Guide for Data-Driven Ops

By : Divyanjali Gupta

Published on Jul 31, 2025

Data Science Manufacturing Analytics Smart Manufacturing

Smart Manufacturing starts with real-time visibility.

Manufacturing companies today generate data by the second through sensors, machines, ERP systems, and MES platforms. But without real-time insights, even the most advanced production lines are essentially flying blind.

Manufacturers are implementing real-time dashboards that serve as control towers for their daily operations, enabling them to shift from reactive to proactive decision-making. These tools are essential to the evolution of Smart Manufacturing, where connected systems, automation, and intelligent analytics come together to drive measurable impact.

Data is available, but what’s missing is timely action.

For many plant leaders and COOs, one challenge persists: operational data is dispersed throughout systems, delayed, or hidden in spreadsheets. And this delay turns into a liability.

Real-time dashboards help uncover critical answers:

What caused downtime during last night’s shift?
Was there a delay in maintenance response?
Did a specific inventory threshold trigger a quality issue?

By converting raw inputs into real-time manufacturing analytics, dashboards make operational intelligence accessible to operators, supervisors, and leadership alike, enabling teams to anticipate problems rather than react to them.

1. Why Static Reports Fall Short

Reports often arrive late—after downtime, delays, or defects have occurred.
Disconnected data across ERP, MES, and sensors limits cross-functional insights.
Static formats lack embedded logic for proactive decision support.

2. What Real-Time Dashboards Enable

Line performance and downtime trends
Track OEE in real time and identify underperforming lines.

Predictive maintenance alerts
Utilize historical and sensor data to identify potential part failures in advance.

Inventory heat maps & reorder thresholds
Anticipate stockouts or overstocks based on dynamic reorder points.

Quality metrics linked to operator actions
Isolate shifts or procedures correlated with spikes in defects or rework.

These insights allow production teams to drive day-to-day operations in line with Smart Manufacturing principles.

3. Dashboards That Drive Action

Role-based dashboards
Dashboards can be configured for machine operators, shift supervisors, and plant managers, each with a tailored view of KPIs.

Embedded alerts and nudges
Real-time prompts, like “Line 4 below efficiency threshold for 15+ minutes,” reduce response times and minimize disruptions.

Cross-functional drill-downs
Teams can identify root causes more quickly because users can move from plant-wide overviews to detailed machine-level data in seconds.

4. What Powers These Dashboards

Data lakehouse integration
Unified access to ERP, MES, IoT sensor, and QA systems—ensuring reliable and timely manufacturing analytics.

ETL pipelines
Real-time data ingestion from high-frequency sources with minimal latency.

Visualization tools
Custom builds using Power BI, or customized solutions designed for frontline usability and operational impact.

Smart Manufacturing in Action: Reducing Market Response Time from 48 Hours to 30 Minutes

Mantra Labs partnered with a North American die-casting manufacturer to unify its operational data into a real-time dashboard. Fragmented data, manual reporting, delayed pricing decisions, and inconsistent data quality hindered operational efficiency and strategic decision-making.

Tech Enablement:

Centralized Data Hub with real-time access to critical business insights.
Automated report generation with data ingestion and processing.
Accurate price modeling with real-time visibility into metal price trends, cost impacts, and customer-specific pricing scenarios.
Proactive market analysis with intuitive Power BI dashboards and reports.

Business Outcomes:

Faster response to machine alerts
Quality incidents traced to specific operator workflows
4X faster access to insights led to improved inventory optimization.

As this case shows, real-time dashboards are not just operational tools—they’re strategic enablers.

(Learn More: Powering the Future of Metal Manufacturing with Data Engineering)

Key Takeaways: Smart Manufacturing Dashboards at a Glance

Aspect	What You Should Know
1. Why Static Reports Fall Short	Delayed insights after issues occur Disconnected systems (ERP, MES, sensors) No real-time alerts or embedded decision logic
2. What Real-Time Dashboards Enable	Track OEE and downtime in real-time Predictive maintenance using sensor data Dynamic inventory heat maps Quality linked to operators
3. Dashboards That Drive Action	Role-based views (operator to CEO) Embedded alerts like “Line 4 down for 15+ mins” Drilldowns from plant-level to machine-level
4. What Powers These Dashboards	Unified Data Lakehouse (ERP + IoT + MES) Real-time ETL pipelines Power BI or custom dashboards built for frontline usability

Conclusion

Smart Manufacturing dashboards aren’t just analytics tools—they’re productivity engines. Dashboards that deliver real-time insight empower frontline teams to make faster, better decisions—whether it’s adjusting production schedules, triggering preventive maintenance, or responding to inventory fluctuations.

Explore how Mantra Labs can help you unlock operations intelligence that’s actually usable.

Loading More Posts