To make a successful app, the developer needs to have a deep understanding of the needs of mobile users, the features that must be added in the app, the marketing tactics to be used to rise to the top of the marketplace, and so on. And an extremely key component of an app’s success is its design. If you look at all the wildly successful apps, you will notice that each one of them has an attractive design that enables you to use them with ease. In this post, we will be looking at 11 simple design tips that you must keep in mind when looking to create a high-quality mobile app.
- Stick To The Guidelines
When designing the user interface of the app, it is best if you follow the established guidelines. Whether you are creating apps for Android or the iOS, both these platforms have strict guidelines that need to be met in order for your app to be accepted into the marketplace. So, even if you try out some designs that break the typical norms, be sure to stick to the core basic standards as much as possible. This will ensure that the app runs smoothly on all devices without any performance glitches.
- Focus On User Experience
User experience plays a big role in determining whether users find your app interesting or not. The speed with which the app loads, the smoothness of the navigation, the ease of reading content, etc. will all determine how great your app is in terms of user experience. Apps which are too complicated to use will be deleted by the users in no time. In contrast, if users find an app super easy to use, then it is very likely that they will keep it installed on their smartphone. As such, it is recommended that you hire a reputed UX design agency to create an excellent user experience for those who use your app.
- App Icons
App icons must be attractive so that users feel compelled to click on them. It has been observed that attractive icons tend to get a higher click-through rate than icons whose design did not appeal to the users. As a rule of thumb, an app icon must not only be attractive but also easily recognizable. If a user sees an icon on a billboard while walking down the streets, they should immediately be able to remember that the icon represents your app. If you succeed in designing app icons that can create such an impact, then it is almost guaranteed that your mobile app will be downloaded by millions of people.
- Flawless Animations
An important aspect of a mobile app is the animation it uses. People are very attracted to visual movements. The more beautiful and smooth an object’s movement is, the more interested people become in them. So, it is necessary to ensure that the apps you create contain animations that are super smooth and flawless. If there are any glitches or intermittent freezing in the animations, then it is very likely that the users will be irritated while using the app. And that is obviously bad for the prospects of your app.
- Easy-To-Read Text Content
You also need to make sure that the text content in the app is very clean and easy to read. If people find the content too complicated to read, they will lose interest in the app and are more likely to avoid using it. The readability of the text is dependent on two factors – the size and style of the font. If you make the fonts too small, then users will have a difficult time reading it. At the same time, using fonts that are too decorative in nature can also make the text difficult to read for the user. You should also take into account the fact that people who are visually impaired and suffering from some kind of eyesight issues will also be using your app. So, make sure to keep them in mind when testing the readability of the text.
- Don’t Overstuff With Design Elements
Many research studies have shown that people generally prefer simple designs over complicated ones. Yet, many designers still have a tendency to overstuff their app designs with too many elements. Make sure that you don’t make that mistake. Only elements that are necessary for the functionality and beauty of the app must be present. Too much focus on the ‘look’ of the app at the cost of functionality is bad design tactics. And whatever elements you put in an app, ensure that there is sufficient space in between them to avoid giving a cluttered feeling to the user.
- Offline Functionality
An app must be easily usable both online and offline. Unfortunately, some designers don’t take this into account. As a result, if the Wi-Fi of a smartphone dies out and the user is trying to access the app, some of the design elements can be all over the place, resulting in a horrible user experience. And keeping this important point in mind right from the start of the design process is crucial in ensuring that the app turns out very capable of operating flawlessly when offline.
- User Habits
When designing an app, always take into account the typical habits of a person who uses a smartphone. There are certain actions that are almost consistently exhibited by people no matter what mobile they use. Designing an app that is in harmony with such user habits will ensure that the app is easy to use for most people. For example, people usually hold their smartphones on their right hand with their thumb on top of the screen. If you are placing a thumb reader on the smartphone, then it must be at the bottom of the smartphone where the user can easily place his thumb.
- Primary Action
As far as possible, try to limit the primary actions on a screen to just one. Adding in too many actions on a screen can make the app too confusing and complicated for the user. In contrast, if you ensure that there is only a single primary action for each screen, then the user can easily navigate to a different screen and return back to it at any time they want. Otherwise, the extra actions on the screen might frustrate the users so much that they might decide to stop using your app.
- Buttons
You should ensure that the buttons you create for the app are big enough that the users will have an easy time clicking them. If the buttons are too small, they might have to try multiple times to click the button. Worse, they may end up clicking other adjacent buttons and will have to deal with the resultant actions. And this can frustrate them very much. So, keep the buttons big enough that a single thumb can easily click them. Plus, it is also a good idea to include a brief description of the button.
- Touch Screen Interaction
The app must react to the touch of the user flawlessly. If the users have to touch the elements in an app several times in order to activate it, then they will find it pretty terrible. Eventually, they might decide to stop using your app even if the content is top-notch. So, talk with your app developer and make sure that every single clickable element in the app will trigger a reaction with the slightest of touch.
