Mobile app design is essentially creating a mobile version of a website with additional features. At the same time, the main task of developers is to create a convenient ecosystem with a perfect UX.
If you don’t have the opportunity to turn to professionals from the user experience design agency, then just read our advice. These tips will definitely help you improve the mobile application, whatever it may be.
By downloading any application, the user is loyal by default: he has already completed the target action, and if he can solve his problem using your service, he will use it on a regular basis. However, if at least one section on the client’s path doesn’t work or is inconvenient, the person will simply delete your application and never return to it.
This is the fundamental difference between the UX design of websites and applications: as a rule, the user evaluates the convenience of several web products, and even if the person didn’t complete the target action during the first visit, there is always a chance that after some time he will return to your site. At the same time, re-downloading applications is more an exception than a common practice.
Make audience analysis and app UX design one more time
Before proceeding to the prototype, the designer must analyze the competitors, the target audience, and the tasks that the application faces. For example, if the target audience is women, then buttons and other interaction elements can be made smaller, if men – make them larger. Most users press the screen with their thumb, so such a minor detail will help the male audience to more comfortably interact with the service.
App design highlights
In interface design, there are several important details that the designer and the customer should be aware of:
- the main application controls should be at the bottom; the upper left corner in the app design is used minimally and only for certain purposes, for example, the “Back” button, since it is difficult to reach it;
- control is not necessarily carried out only with buttons; in the application, the user can swipe or hold certain controls;
- applications can be scrolled both from bottom to top and from right to left; if you use a side scroll, then you should give the user a hint;
- the logo should not be duplicated on all application screens; it is enough that your brand will be on the service icon and on the loading screen;
- fonts should not be unreasonably small; for headings use 18-24 px font, for body text – 14-16 px, for hints – light gray fonts 12-14 px; it is also worth using font thickness differentiation for visual accents;
- colors should be diversified and natively tell the user which elements are clickable and which are not; the color also distinguishes between elements that are different in meaning;
- hints are good; if it is likely that the user will click on a non-clickable element several times or you have non-standard controls, add a tooltip.
UI design of the application and creation of adaptive versions
After you have designed the interface, you can move on to the visual component. The main task is to find a single style.
It is preferable to utilize no more than 5 types of the same fonts (in varying sizes, colors, and thicknesses) and 5 colors across the program. It’s also important thinking about the transition animation from one screen to the next: disappearance, displacement, preloader, and so on.
When selecting colors, keep in mind that the iPhone color palette is typically better than the palette of Android devices, which means you should avoid filthy and neighboring hues.
At the final stage, develop adaptive versions. If the app is only accessible on iOS, you’re in fortunate since when it comes to developing adaptations, you only need to create two versions: for iPhone 6 and iPhone X. However, if your objective is to create an Android app, you will need to choose the top 5-6 permissions in a certain portion of the target audience.
Usability testing
An important stage of UX design is testing the usability of the finished interface. It includes the evaluation of the prototype on a number of parameters:
- efficiency – achievement of tasks by the user;
- effectiveness – the time spent on achieving the goal;
- satisfaction with the quality of service and user experience.
The easiest way to conduct test sessions would be to create clickable prototypes in Figma and record the process of using the service with subsequent feedback. However, there are also more advanced services that broadcast the process of user interaction with the application in real-time.
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This was the last step: now your application is obviously improved and the designer’s mission is completed!