Top 10 Tips to Master the UX of Your Mobile App
Implementing UX UI design for your mobile app can be a quirky rabbit hole.
At one end, it is important to get its functionality correct along with the value proposition. At the other, none of this would make any sense if your users are put through terrible UI/UX experiences. And in the hyper-competitive digital landscape of today, it’s the latter that often dictates the gravity of success.
Neglecting the user experience of your app only translates to one thing — ailing revenues. This is backed by a Forrester report, which states that superior user experiences can boost lead conversion rates by as much as 400% when compared to inferior ones, even in apps.
10 Expert Tips to Master UX UI Design for a Mobile App
If you are planning UX UI design for mobile apps, here are some handy design tips for better user engagement and experience.
1. Use Design Grids
In the initial stages of design, a design grid can help you to define the position of every UI UX app element. Not only does it keep the layout organized, but they also act as precursors to visualization or wireframing. The objective here is to ensure that no two elements overlap and the margins are defined for a neater canvas to build the app upon.
2. Make Informed Color Choices
Every element on the design grid has a specific purpose. Hence, randomly picking any color from the palette or using bright colors that interfere with user experience will only make things worse. Consider using common colors that evoke emotions and entice clicks. For example, Orange is great to impart urgency while black is often associated with elegance.
To see this in action, consider the case of Zenwise Zambala where we used a minimalistic design philosophy with vibrant colors to get the message across.
3. Be Responsive
It goes without saying that your end-users will be installing your app on devices with varying screen sizes. Your design team should account for this and ensure that they cover emerging screen types as well — such as smart TVs or foldable smartphones! Optimizing the app for as many screens as possible will only improve engagement and boost adoption levels.
4. Implement Consistent Style Sheets
Inconsistency in design between multiple app screens will only confuse (or disconnect) the user. Something as insignificant as the size of a button can scream for attention and put them off. Or worse — they might lose their way through the app, trashing the user experience.
For instance, consider the case of Airtel’s app that was created for their users in Bangladesh. Notice how all app screens follow the same design sheet — font, button size, color philosophy, and even the icon family.
5. Manage App Load Speeds:
An increased focus on design can also pave the way for certain side effects, such as slow-loading pages. Complex designs can have a direct bearing on this with a delay of every second contributing to app abandonment.
6. Keep It Simple
Follow a basic thumb rule — nothing needs to be too fancy. Simplicity and ease of use should always take precedence over loud designs that may seem impressive but show a consistent lag in numbers. For example, using fancy fonts and design-heavy images may seem like a good idea on paper but will only increase the time it takes for the user to comprehend the information.
Keeping this in mind, we executed the design of the Aqua App by prioritizing ease of use.
7. Deploy Meaningful Animations:
Animations work as a cherry on top of the existing design elements. It helps to communicate messages or functionalities without overusing texts. Typical use cases of animations in apps can include highlighting clickable elements, depicting progress or page loads, and page transitions.
8. Support the Content
The design should function as a support system for the page’s content. Without the right message at critical junctions of their app journeys, users will simply drop off before they even think about purchasing. Similarly, the content should be readable to your target audience. Best practices here include:
- Selecting the right font with high contrast against the background.
- Syncing the line spacing with the overall font size.
- Avoiding italicized texts and long text blocks.
9. Perfect Information Architecture
While it is easy to get this right at the content development stage, it is equally easy to lose track while translating it to design. In simple terms, an information architecture includes structuring the content of a website while making user interactions effortless. To master UX UI design elements, the brand’s story should sync with the planning to deliver a coherent user experience. Some of the best practices here include:
- Staying clear of information overload
- Engaging the audience with conversational content
- Organizing the content in a dedicated hierarchy, sequence, or matrix
- Benchmarking the design against your competitors and best-performing industry websites.
Taking another cue from our extensive portfolio, notice how we helped achieve all this and more with unwavering and straightforward information architecture.
10. Keep Up With Changes:
Always be on the lookout for industry trends and changing user expectations. Designing a perfect application is a never-ending job. Mobile app requirements are always transforming and it is better to be on your toes and stay ahead of the curve instead of playing catch up. Optimization of designs after unexpected results is still better than missing out on key opportunities.
Looking Forward
Never stop learning. Correct design practices coupled with the right vision and mindset will put you on the path of impeccable UX UI design for mobile apps that your competitors only yearn for.
In case you are looking for hands-on support to master UI UX design for your app, check out our comprehensive UI UX design portfolio by visiting this page.
Originally published at https://www.divami.com on September 6, 2020.