At the time I launched my first youth research study, I had been conducting research for nearly 8 years. Not much surprises me anymore. Yet one early video blew my mind and made me realise how different Gen Z is from millennials, just a few years older. One participant in the study, a 22-year-old named Alexis, was planning a weekend trip to Nashville with her friends. With graceful ease, she bounded between six apps on her phone, toggling between screens so fast I could barely keep track. She used no search engines. Within 10 minutes, Alexis had planned every aspect of her trip — flights, hotels, activities, and even her outfits. She had found coupons to save money, scouted the best food and nightlife, and even made a collection of murals for Instagram-worthy photos, all in 10 minutes. Gen Z is changing the game in terms of how they find information and transact online. Here are a few trends to consider when designing for these digital natives.

Painstaking Curation Over Oversharing

If millennials are known as the generation of oversharing, Gen Z should be known for their painstaking curation. While millennials were raised by helicopter parents who did everything for them, Gen Z was raised by tech-savvy parents who taught them how to do things for themselves online. But also, terrified them about everything that can go wrong on the internet. As a result, Gen Z is more independent but far more risk-averse. When it comes to content, they’re specific and discerning creators and collectors.

Many Gen Zs have five to six Instagram accounts. While these have been called Finstas, or fake Instas, that moniker isn’t exactly true. These aren’t fake accounts, but rather collections that represent slivers of their personality, and each one is highly curated. For example, if a teen is into photography, she may have an account just for that. If she’s also a fan of a YouTuber, she may have a fan account on Instagram, too. She would never mix content. If you are designing for Gen Z, your best bet is to double down on your niche and make your content extremely tailored.

Shrinking Attention Spans and Visual Engagement

Shrinking attention spans are real and should affect your design. Because Gen Z has been bombarded with visual inputs from a very young age, their brains have rewired to process more information faster. While millennials can juggle three screens at a time, Gen Z can juggle five. But because they’re splitting their attention more, they only focus for about seven to eight seconds, and that’s only once something has piqued their interest.

As a result, we see Gen Z making snap judgments about what to look at. Once they decide that they’re interested, though, a switch flips. They activate a superpower that allows them to deep dive into a topic for hours, even days. If you’re designing for Gen Z, make sure you have enough different content in different places to make the scavenger hunt real. And make sure your content is visual. Gen Z prefers engaging with visual content over text.

Independence, Personalisation, and Speed

Gen Z is far more independent and entrepreneurial than previous generations. They expect personalisation and designs that enable them to showcase their individuality. The key with Gen Z is speed and value. When you’re designing for this generational cohort, hook their attention quickly and give them the right info at the right time.

Conclusion

Gen Z is redefining how information is found and transactions are made online. Their approach is marked by curation, rapid information processing, and a demand for personalisation. By understanding and implementing these trends in your design, you can capture the attention of this dynamic and influential generation.