How do you Design a Mobile App? – Best Practices to follow - Prismetric

How do you Design a Mobile App? – Best Practices to follow

Mobile App Design – A Quick Guide

The mobile ecosystem has been flooded with zillions of applications but surprisingly it is way too far from being monotonous. That said, an entrepreneur has always a great chance to hit the market with the best product that is not just alluring to the customers but also engaging. When it comes to mobile app development, there could be many aspects, but mobile app design could be kept as an epicenter because mobile UI is something that the end users first see; and, the saying goes “The first impression is the last impression.”

A great man from a great brand said once –

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like; the design is how it works
– Steve Jobs

Nobody could agree more with this apt quote. Mobile app designing is all about what you offer as a user experience rather than showing lucrative components on the user interface that seldom work smoothly. Typically, crafting a design for a mobile application is nothing less than guiding a person in the right direction at the right pace, and at right time. Designing has been an essential app strategy for any business to achieve its vision and mission.

Stunning stats and figures of mobile UI/UX

As stated on TrueList, according to Forbes, User Experience (UX) stats reveal that every single dollar spent toward Mobile app design returns USD 100. Furthermore, Kinsta quotes that solely due to bad user experience (design), 70% of visitors leave their shopping carts and they are less likely to return to the same platform.

Statista reports that 25% of mobile applications end up being used hardly one time and experts do agree that those all have underperforming mobile app design. In other words, according to UI Statistics, carefully designed apps of mobile devices could improve conversation rate by up to 200% and jaw-dropping UX has reported the same ratio by up to 400%.

How do you transform your idea for mobile app design into a reality?

A fundamental question arises after thinking about the designing of your mobile app is that where to begin. How to transform your thoughts into feasible actions and ultimately a product? Especially for young entrepreneurs of startups and first-time businesspersons, it is a cumbersome task to draw a line to start because all they see is a circle with no beginning! While a renowned mobile app development company shall help you solve this, here is a quick tip on it –

Mobile App Design

List out

You cannot think of building a mobile app unless you have an in-depth idea about the mobile product design and its functionalities. Hence, it is essential that you list out all the requirements in terms of mobile app UI components and their features or particular functions. Many entrepreneurs prefer hiring business and technology consultants or simply going through a UX design strategy guide; alternatively, others simply fix a meeting with mobile app design service providing company to discuss and draft the project before hiring them. In this phase, you may need to focus on these factors –

  • The scope and features of the mobile app design and functions
  • Mobile app design cost and timelines (milestones)
  • MVP model or primary features and functionalities
  • Tools and technologies used to design mobile applications

Wireframe

The next step to listing out and having a piece of sufficient information and knowledge about mobile app designs is creating a wireframe to have a clearer idea. Designing a sketch that showcases the mobile app’s look, feel, and flow is quite an essential step to moving forward toward building an intuitive and engaging mobile app design.

Get a mobile app design that is ergonomically driven

The sketch, blueprint, and wireframe can be refined or altered depending on various inputs from the stakeholders and business owners. It is worth noting that the wireframes for app development should convey the brand’s story and objectives in an ambiguous way. The vision and mission of the company and its objectives should be equivocally displayed and felt throughout the mobile UI designs.

The final wireframe should include all primary components including boxes, app icons, and words (actual and not dummy texts) along with a fine layout and overall, ergonomically arranged UI components.

Optimization

Optimizing the wireframe to develop a foolproof prototype is another crucial and non-ignorable step in any app designing project once the mobile app architecture is built and agreed upon. With the wireframe ready, building a prototype for designing an app is the core of any mobile app development procedure. The simple sketches and artwork are now converted into a dynamic digital interactive model through various tools and technologies such as Xcode, Swift, InvisonApp, and the like. These tools make bring wireframes to life and offer a fair idea to the mobile app developers and owners about how their application is going to look like.

While many mobile product designs come with readymade components, it is of paramount importance that the mobile app is then optimized for a concerned business. This is because the project you are looking to get developed requires intense research and based on that with the help of an expert strategist build an app strategy paying close attention to the details that can help you successfully launch your business app in the market. Hence, the app should be catered to meet your business goals. For instance, the registration form design used previously for a fitness mobile app cannot go smoothly for eCommerce design. The look and feel plus the content (labels and texts) differ for both industries and hence, here, customization of mobile app design and components is crucial. However, it is still in a raw form. The next step would make it a ‘real application.’

Mobile app template or visual design

This step is quite close to developing the final design of a mobile application. The visual graphics or developing templates for mobile apps customized to predefined business objectives and goals make sure that the app visuals are appealing and likely to engage the targeted end users. In fact, expert mobile app designers label this phase as the most crucial one in UI/UX design.

Based on previous steps (wireframing and optimizing), the app’s essence is almost clear with the components it has. The template and visual design would just add benefits to the mobile UI design depending on all the feedback and inputs from stakeholders, business owners, tech experts, and designers. The mobile app template and visual design phase of the mobile app development process would assure that the software has functionalities and designs as per app strategy, rules, and evidence-based practices. Visual designs are said to help app designers of your mobile product face challenges successfully and overcome all the escalations and issues through their experience and technological expertise.

Competition

There is no business under the sun with zero competition. As an entrepreneur, you are encouraged to study the market and know your peers’ whereabouts. While this is the job performed best by the business and tech consultants, you can either hire them or do it by yourself owing to your cognition and interest! Studying similar mobile app designs from similar (or for that sake other) industries or fields is helpful. You may also read blogs, articles, and news about previous disasters and blockbuster applications and follow an guide for creating a top-quality app. Learning success or failures from others’ tactics and mistakes would help you build the best mobile app design that not only reaches ROI faster but also stays long as a companion to your business.

Experts’ advice on mobile UI/UX design for your application

For any mobile application design process, you need a set of standard rules and practices. It ranges from selecting a niche product to hiring an app design and development company who are pros at it. Such sets have proven track records of building mobile applications that have been intuitive and engaging enough to find a permanent place in users’ mobile phones. Here are a few to mention –

Mobile UI/UX Design

Loading Speed

The first and foremost prerequisite of any app is the loading time and response time. On average, users leave or close mobile applications if they take longer than 10 seconds, according to user experience experts. Hence, the loading time makes it quite crucial for any app’s success irrespective of how classic the design and functionalities a mobile app has. Minimizing components and graphics may help control the loading time.

If the app loading makes a big difference, the cognitive load on the users, too, is a non-ignorable factor. Users only love to engage with mobile app if it has a design simple enough to allow them to complete their tasks in minimal time and effort. Human brains are less likely to engage with components that are irrelevant to them.

Running out of app ideas? Here is an open secret!

Size and shades of Buttons

The success of mobile app designs also depends on the size of the components as they appeal visually and trigger users’ attention. Certain buttons and texts require different colors and sizes to mark their importance on mobile User Interface designs for better User experience. According to MIT study, the fingertip is between 8-10 mm, the finger pads measure 10-14 mm. Depending on the different measurements, web and mobile app designs are crafted. The gap between two buttons, the sizes of the buttons with texts, and the colors draw users’ attention.

Visual hierarchy

Flawless navigation is what users expect from mobile app functions and the functions are hidden behind mobile app UI designs. A perfect UI/UX design strategy for mobile app would have a seamless browsing experience for users through easy navigation and a simple interface. From placing the buttons or boxes for search, back and forward, and delete/cancel -it all makes a big difference. Visual hierarch in mobile app designs would allow users to find menus and search for their desired items or services.

Empty space

Often ignored, empty space makes a big difference in mobile app UI/UX design. While the login page should have a minimalistic design (remember Gmail?), the eCommerce or mobile commerce product listing page should also have empty space to appeal to the users visually.

Functional animation

Moving objects are likely to draw the human eyeball’s attention more than any other technique. Using this fundamental psychology, functional animations are allowed to make the user interface interactive and attractive; nevertheless, it is equally essential to mind the loading time of the software because mobile app designs with lots of animations and graphics may take a bit longer to load and appear on users’ mobile screens.

Updates

Technology is one sector that evolves every minute. And, meeting this pace is highly challenging. Nevertheless, mobile app developers do come up with updates to go hand-in-hand with user demands and market needs, entrepreneurs are also expected to be all eyes and ears when it comes to design updates for their application. Regular updates that comprise the latest trends in design and development is recommended to keep any mobile app alive and kicking on users’ phone because old and obsolete mobile apps are least likely to stay.

Principles of designing a mobile app by Google Mobile App Design Guide

Google has been always concerned about user experience and, therefore, the giant has been investing billions of dollars in UX research. The principles of mobile app design, according to Think with Google, are aimed to engage users and assure conversation for enterprises. As mobile applications are the mainstream of any business today, the most trusted way to deliver content and offer the best and most secure services is through mobile apps.

Mobile app design is the core, and Google’s UX Research Lead Jonny Gove has pen downed over 25 principles to build a highly engaging and intuitive mobile app. Here are a few of the most important among them –

Show the value upfront

Google recommends showing the value on the mobile screen upfront without being ambiguous. Here is the example quoted in the guide –

Show The Upfront
Source:-ThinkwithGoogle

Placing call-to-action buttons clearly and unambiguously is the key to engaging users without making them feel mysterious to learn what they want!

Same look-and-feel

Users surely get annoyed when they have a different experience on different platforms or screens. Even further, they hate it if a mobile application takes them to a web portal and vice versa. Google recommends creating a ubiquitous experience throughout the portals and applications, especially for the same services or product listing.

App look and feel

Apps look and feel
Source:-ThinkwithGoogle

The search

You are never sure what exactly the user is looking for. Hence, putting a back button and most importantly a prominent Search should not be missed while creating mobile app designs of all kinds. Users with a specific mindset or requirements only look for the needed items and if your mobile interface misses this, you are likely to lose them.

The search field
Source:-ThinkwithGoogle

The filter

Just like Search, the option of Filter is also quite essential for an effective mobile app design. Especially, when a company has several products and services to offer and the search is likely to get many results, the option to filter according to various criteria would help users get what they were looking for.

App search filter
Source:-ThinkwithGoogle

Multiple payment gateways

With the advancement of technologies, today, dozens of payment gateways are available. And enterprises are never sure which payment method users use. It is always recommended to have multiple third-party payment options clearly designed and visible on mobile UI.

Payment gateways
Source:-ThinkwithGoogle

User-friendliness

Most users use mobile phones on the go and, therefore, they have the least time to research and learn while using any mobile app. Hence, mobile app designs should offer them a seamless experience with user-friendly components. For instance, the form that asks for the user’s information should not be ambiguous. Instead, it should be straightforward and interesting so that users won’t feel bored or insecure while filling out the details.

User friendliness design
Source:-ThinkwithGoogle

Garner business success with user-friendly App Designs

Throwing errors

Errors are unavoidable -from the users’ side and also from the app’s account. The essential factor is how the mobile app shows it with what content so that users have a fair idea about what happened. Using complex designs and perplexing texts is not recommended.

Throwing error
Source:-ThinkwithGoogle

Icon labeling

Many mobile application designers, to save precious spaces, use icons without text. While this goes ‘okay’ in a few cases, in most of the incidents users get confused and they are likely to leave the page. Icons without labels are often misunderstood according to Google mobile app design guide.

Icon label
Source:-ThinkwithGoogle

Zoom in and out

In contemporary mobile app UIUX, it is essential to focus on zoom-in and zoom-out features because most users now have a habit of pinching in and out to almost every component, they find on the user interface of a mobile app including texts. According to Google’s mobile app design guidelines, let the user decide the depth and area of zoom.

Zoom in out
Source:-ThinkwithGoogle

How to choose mobile app designing company?

The idea you have for your mobile app may end up in vain if you don’t get a mobile app design and development company that is not up to the mark in domain expertise and experience. Therefore, once you get the idea to build an application you must create a checklist to bring your app idea into vision. Hire dedicated developers with truly practical and industrial approach to build the best of technological advancements and features. Here is a quick graphical reference to select the best company providing mobile app designing and development services.

How to choose best app designing company

What is the cost for mobile app design?

Typically, the costs of mobile app designs would vary from an app to app. While some designs for mobile applications are quite simple, others are very complex having fine shades, sharp designs, and unique functionalities. If we are to give a general mobile app design cost starts from USD 3000 as the variation includes a number of features, the platforms (iOS or Android or both – cross-platform), graphics, and factors the like.

Practice the best design for your app

You need to consider multiple factors to develop a foolproof mobile app design that won’t fail to entice users through its important features and visual appeals. Industry experts opine that the mobile app designs should be scalable; entrepreneurs or business owners should not hesitate to consider app redesign in the future to meet market trends and consumer demands.

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