Great development is the basis of every app but what is the most visible and often decisive factor when it comes to your app success is visual layer. That’s why one of the most commonly asked question in the mobile market is how to create great mobile app design. In this post we provide you with an answer in 6 easy app design tips.
1. KEEP DESIGN FOCUSED
The most important goal of mobile app design is to wow the users and make their experience as smooth as possible. So before you start creating your app design, get to know what your potential users expect and how to provide them with the best solutions.
Do you want to design a funny and colourful game app for children? Or will it be a business app that needs to look professional and enable users to type in a lot of information? All this is vital to your app design so begin with creating user personas and deciding who will be using your app and fit the design to their needs.
2. CHOOSE THE RIGHT NAVIGATION MODE
Once you know who is going to use your app, you need to know how it will be used too. That’s when the navigation comes to the fore with a significant number of gestures to choose from. Basing on the content you plan to present, decide on the navigation mode you will use.
For example, if you plan to create a news app, the best match will be a swipe navigation which enables your users to swipe through the content. However, if you want to build an app which uses smartphone’s camera, focus on a tab bar and its functions instead.
3. FOLLOW THE RULES OF INTERACTION DESIGN
Interaction design means creating engaging interfaces with logical and thought-out navigation.
The 5 pillars of interaction design includes:
– Goal-driven design – a design that suits your goals and personas,
– Usability – creating a useful app,
– Affordance and signifiers – making functions easy to spot and use,
– Learnability – making users learn how to operate your app quickly,
– Feedback and response time – letting users know that a task was completed.
Learn them by heart and be sure that your app design will be easy to use.
4. MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE
Designing for desktop can be very precise because you can use a mouse cursor to choose even a small icon. But designing for mobile devices is very different.
You need to remember that people usually use their fingers to tap icons or writings. If your buttons are too small or placed too closely together, it is very easy to make a mistake and tap an unintended option.
Remember about how users hold their smartphones too. One of the most common ways is to hold a mobile device in one hand and use a thumb to select options. That’s why the most important buttons should be placed in the lower, right corner of the screen.
5. KEEP IT SIMPLE AND CLEAN
Although mobile device screens are getting bigger and bigger, they are still quite small in comparison to laptops or desktop computers. When you are designing a mobile app, you should keep this in mind all the time and remember that a good mobile design is simple one. Using a minimalistic style will help you avoid clutter and underline the most important functions.
You should also make it easy to use your app from the very beginning. A good choice of colours and shapes will guide them through your app while following the two-tap rule – enabling users to get to any app feature in just two taps – will make it convenient to use.
6. FOLLOW THE OS GUIDELINES
When you are designing your app’s user interface, it is mandatory to adhere to multiple guidelines of certain Operating Systems (OS). It is because your app will have to pass the review process and all the guidelines set by app stores must be met before it will be published in Apple App Store or Google Play.
Remember that the app stores differ when it comes to design though. From screen parameters to icon sizes and arrangement of bars and buttons, iOS and Android vary a lot so be prepared and learn the design patterns first to provide your users with the best experience and pass the review process smoothly.
Follow these guidelines and you will design a perfect mobile app with a great UI and UX.
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