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10 Tips to Build Killer Mobile Apps by Blending User Psychology with UI/UX

Each app user is different and so are their preferences and interactions with your mobile app. While it is practically impossible to meet everyone’s expectations, understanding the basic psychology of users would greatly help your app to click with a larger audience. So, let’s explore what these tips are and how they can make or break your app.

Don’t Expect Users to Work/Think More – Make the UI/UX Simple Enough

It’s a general user tendency to finish a task in minimal, hassle-free steps. Too much information + unnecessary multi-stage interface creates clutter, ultimately driving users away.

Consider an example of an e-commerce app which displays products but doesn’t provide necessary details beside it. Or includes a long specification with barely noticeable “Buy Now” button. In both cases, the app is making users dig deep for details

which they might not do always. Thus, the key is to offer brief, right information with well-structured, noticeable call-to-action buttons that complete the task, promptly.

App Users Have Some Limitations – Understand & Nullify Them

Each app user is not a good reader who’d consume the long blocks of text. In fact, users tend to lose interest in seconds if the information is too lengthy or all text, placed inefficiently. Similarly, very few users are able to navigate through UI/UX designs with multitasking features.

Considering such tendencies, the app should present the information in short, crisp blocks with attractive fonts and headers. Moreover, use images/icons where you can to make it more engaging.

Users Make Mistakes – Eliminate Such Possibilities with Analysis

Irrespective of how simple an app’s UI/UX design is, there’s still room for users to make mistakes. Hence, it’s vital to analyze such potential mistakes and fix them as preventing errors from occurring is always better than correcting them.

If the app has complicated actions, such as online payment, divide the sections into smaller segments. Add confirmation dialogue in the app forms for error-free data submission and minimized accidental actions. App testing and user feedback also point in the right direction.

Understanding Mobile App Users’ Habits is Complex – Keep It Simple

It’s practically unfeasible to understand all your app users’ habits. However, the adage “Keep it Simple” works here.

Ensure that your app has smooth navigation and action flow throughout. Users shouldn’t feel lost while completing a task on the app even when they’re opening it after a considerable gap. If your app contains products, list only 3 or 4 on one page to appeal to the users.

App Users are Human and Social – Include Social Element in the UI/ UX Design

We, humans, are social animals. We love to do activities together – a fact which must be kept in mind while designing the app’s UI/UX. Wondering how?

You can integrate social element in your app by allowing users to connect with each other. Letting users add reviews or share their experiences with your products/services in text, images, and videos, is an example. You can also facilitate sharing on their social media pages.

Capture the Attention of the Users – Make the Design Unique, Distraction-free

When you focus on providing the users what they want tastefully, they are sure to engage with your app. For that, all you need to do is make the app’s UI design distinct and attractive, grabbing the attention of your target users.

Choose the right combination of colors, use graphics/images/videos elegantly, select font style and size that’s easily readable. Refrain from using unnecessary ads, banners, or pop-ups as that creates distractions. You can also add sounds and audio where necessary.

Users Always Want More Information – Keep That in Mind

Users are almost always on the lookout for more information. Thus, it is wise to serve this craving for additional details smartly in your app.

You can present more information in a well-curated step-by-step process. More details make users feel they have more options, which in turn, creates a thought of being in control. That boosts the possibilities of users liking and engaging with your app.

Apart from that, keep the users updated after they perform a certain action on the app, such as display a message for successful details-submission or uploading a file.

Make Users Take Action – Design to Fulfill Expectations from the App

Users, in general, don’t perform a task unless they feel it is necessary. Hence, ensure that your app’s UI/UX is designed in such a way that it urges users to perform actions on the app.

For instance, if you’re into travel business, your app should have a section displaying pictures of customers or telling their stories from your previously organized trips. That increases the probability of the users contacting you for their next holiday.

Users Build Mental Models – Manage and Emulate These Models

Fascinatingly enough, people tend to build a mental model of any task they’re about to perform. So, for people to use your app, either the app’s UX should match with their mental models or help them build a new one altogether. In addition, the UI should help develop a mental model conveying how simple a particular task would become through your app.

App’s Visual Appearance – Design has to be Appealing Yet Soothing

The overall design of the app layout should be eye-pleasing yet subtle. It is a good practice to group objects that are similar or related as it makes the consumption of information a breeze. At the same time, a level of consistency and tone must be maintained throughout the app design.

Conclusion

What we listed here are just some tips to correctly blend user psychology with UI/UX design practices. If you’re able to gauge your prospective users’ mindset, along with their changing preferences, and develop your app accordingly, then nothing can stop your app from being a hit.

Varsha Solanki is a Digital Marketing Strategist at Space-O Technologies, a Software development company. She has 3 years of experience in the Information Technology industry. She spends her time reading about new trends in Digital Marketing and the latest technologies.

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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Edward brown

    March 4, 2020 at 7:24 am

    Ah… the main objective should be to make things simple… and increase usability… 🙂

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