Designing For Gen Z: 7 Tips To Allure The Internet Generation

Evolution is unstoppable. Change cannot be stopped. To stop waves from breaking is vain (and extremely tiresome). The tide has turned and if we look away and ignore the signs and undeniable facts – as obvious as gigantic concrete structures –  we will be left behind in a frightful wasteland, filled with past, dryness and endless solitude!

To be relevant and synchronised is not a matter of one sector or another. No matter the product or the subject, there are some foundational rules that must be adopted and followed. The time has come to lower the volume and hear carefully the messages of a new generation, the sounds of young people that syllable new words and terms! The time has come to respect the needs of the youth and deliver according to their needs and demands.

When we will turn up again the volume, the bits and the beats of the drums must play rhythms that Gen Z will understand and dance to instantly, without second thoughts or hesitations.

How Gen Z influences the Market

Today’s life is an oscillation between two worlds, the one we call real and the digital one. Accepting this reality and respecting both universes’ physical laws and axioms is compulsory. Physical products and services must be of the highest quality, but the digital aspect and website design must be aligned with the canons imposed by the trendsetters of today; Gen Z! Why?

Well, here are some stats from Clearpay Research:

• Millennials and Gen Z’s share of spending will increase to 39% by 2030
• Millennials and Gen Z’s peak earning years are still to come
• Spending by Millennials and Gen Z has recovered faster than older generations and is now at or above pre-COVID levels
• Over two-thirds of all spend on small businesses is from Gen Z and Millennials
• Younger Britons have been spending more on small businesses

These observations are just some hints of what the market looks like today, and how it will (most probably) be shaped in the future. The use of the Internet will grow even more; the online territory will expand! This is why it would be very useful and interesting to discover designing trends, marketing approaches, practices and ideas that will move the Z Generation; the Internet Generation!

7 Tips to Lure the Internet Generation

1. Leave the Surface and Dive Deep!

To offer a narrative is no longer enough. Merely presenting a product or an idea is not enough. To design having some abstract notion in mind won’t connect you with the Z public. A whole story is what is needed. An ad cannot be just a series of images that make sense and are limited to a surface-like continuity.

Creative content must carry entire stories; have no reservations. Dive into the deepest layers and make sure that all aspects are covered and commented on. We are surrounded by images of all kinds; yours should be different and the element that will pronounce these differences is your uniqueness and the way you communicate it! Gen Z loves different! Its website preference for this kind of content is clear!

2. Be Honest!

Tell the truth and nothing but… If you admit everything, there is nothing to hide and this is something the Z generation will really appreciate. A company’s guidelines, production methods and overall functioning are under the scope of this new generation of consumers. Convey – honestly and precisely de – what you offer and who you are. Be clear and leave out all possible sources of misinterpretation. Use your website, platforms and marketing strategies to tell the truth!

The old song was saying that the word is love; today the word is transparency as well!

3. Be Environmentally-friendly!

We talked about two universes. Two worlds. One of them (the one we referred to as real) is having some serious troubles right now. Generation Z has adopted buying patterns that are all about sustainability, eco-friendly materials and green practices. Your design and your language must clearly communicate the fact that you sincerely and proactively support this way of thinking and acting.

The examples of Generation Z feeling alienated by marketing decisions and strategies that do not promote this kind of content are numerous.

4. Choose your Influencers and Collaborators Wisely!

Make the everyday, extraordinary. There are so many creative and colourful ways to re-present reality, to make it exceptional! Don’t just choose an influencer because of their followers’ number or random postings. Choose someone that will fit your profile, someone that you would like to be an integral part of your designing ideas and marketing strategies.

The same with your collaborators. Think of people and professionals that will enrich your designing options and inspirations, and connect with people that could be ambassadors of your thoughts, concerns and ambitions. The best moments of crafting and designing, emerge through creative, strong synergies.

5. Include Inclusive Inclusiveness!

Even gender is being re-visited and re-defined every moment. These transitions must be present in your websites, platforms, posts or posters – whatever the medium might be. Let it be gender-charged but genderless. Gender neutral but all-inclusive. Transcendence is the only road to go down. Make it obvious in your marketing ideas.

Generation Z is emancipated. And inclusivity doesn’t stop at gender issues, it covers everything. Include young people in what you are doing, and make them part of your design processes. Include them! Make them an active part of what is yours.

Don’t ask yourself: What kind of content, design or products do they prefer? What do they need? Let them vote, let them decide, and let them be a part of it!

After all, it is about them. The era of computers was yesterday. Today is mobile, platforms and apps; it is direct and it is always on!

6. Share What You Were Too Scared To Show!

Who are you? Who are you really? Open up and leave boundaries behind, cancel all limiting thoughts! Design thinking of ways to accentuate your personality and communicate your aspirations. Let the product be the continuation of a creative, innovative and useful idea!

Design using a vocabulary that up until recently seemed unorthodox, risky or was considered good but was silenced. Today, being brave and loud is expected. The Generation Z Marketing Strategies must be bold and ground-breaking. Design has taken a raw turn and you surely don’t want to be left behind, lingering on the curves!

7. More Than Just a …!

There is a life, a legend, a tradition, and a whole past behind everything. Nothing comes from nothing! We should market something more than just a product, design must be something more than just an image, a posting, a video or a phrase (even if it is catchy and harmonious).

Generation Z has been raised and formed in a world of endless information flow. They know how to distinguish and how to choose. A leap from informational to inspirational is compulsory! Rely on design trends and topics that Gen Z feels strongly about.

Ultimately, it is about aesthetics and the true essence of Aesthetics is existential. Embracing aesthetics in all its greatness will not just guarantee a high-quality, top-notch design that will allure Generation Z; it will create an unstoppable scent that will carry away not only the Z Generation but the totality of the customer base.

And if design is about aesthetics; marketing is about communication. If you tell the truth, act as you preach and succeed in conveying the most with the least, there is nothing to worry about. Even if everything is so fast-paced; good content and meaningful design will offer a refreshing pause!

Ps. For post scriptum and for Peter Saville: “Design has become the cover of unnecessary Consumption” So, let us opt for a kind of (website) design that will promote original needs and necessary products.

Author bio:  Sabrina Sedicot is an experienced marketer, focussing on all things digital. She works for Appnova, a creative web design agency in London. She works on projects across UX/ UI design, eCommerce web development, Branding & Content Production. She’s inspired by all forms of digital storytelling and is interested in creating tailored solutions that can deliver experiences to build brands.