Mobile Application Development – Mastering Best UI/UX Design Practices

In the Engineering world, industry leaders should embrace reliable mobile application design strategies. Success in this domain requires more than just an incredible idea-it demands a mobile app that is distinct from the rest with an appealing user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design.

Unlike desktop app development, product leaders have to approach mobile app designing in a way that turns the limited space into an asset instead of a challenge. This means prioritizing crucial elements over others. Leaders and design teams must also have to carefully balance the accessibility, functionality, and aesthetics to make mobile apps profitable. That’s why design experts should follow the right mobile app UI/UX design guidelines.

Mobile App Design: The Essentials and Considerations

Before app owners start with the appropriate practices of designing a mobile app, going through the essentials and key considerations is worthwhile. Here are some quintessential design aspects that product leaders need to consider before working on it:

• Competitor Research – Competitor research is as easy as it sounds. However, a recent survey states that around 77% of app development projects fail due to non-adherence to design standards. Designers have to search and evaluate apps that are life and serve a similar purpose to their business. This helps in understanding the UI/UX patterns followed by competitors. Distinguishing good and bad designs is a benefit of competitive research. It helps product creators imbibe some crucial lessons before designing new solutions.
• Choose the Right Platform – Product leaders have to decide on the platform (iOS, Android, or both) before commencing the design process. Everything will depend on this pivotal decision from the functionality, user interface, and the feel-and-look of an app. Besides, the final decision mostly depends on the budget that leaders are willing to allocate. This is because developing cross-platform apps could significantly cost more compared to platform-specific development.
• Wireframe – Creating a visual representation (layout) is important for leaders to explain to the development teams how they want their app to look and function. But wireframes are not just for displaying layout! Wireframe creation simplifies analyzing the viability and functionality of an app, thus permitting stakeholders to visualize various segments. By recurrently engaging in wireframing, app creators can generate multiple design workflows and ideas, and build an application that is user-friendly and fully functional.
• Continuous Iteration – A mobile app design is never “static.” When user demands and needs evolve, product owners should always be working on ways to enhance app design. Debugging and testing become easier with continuous iterations since owners can discover inaccuracies early in the process and end-users are involved during every iteration.
• Finding the Dedicated Experts – Leaders can delegate the responsibility of app designing and development to an offshore mobile application development services provider. With their diversified knowledge, they can manage any hindrance that comes their way toward cross-platform, native, or hybrid app development.

6 Reliable UI/UX Practices – Redefining Mobile App Designing

1. Be Cautious of Notifications

Notifications contribute to improving user experience in mobile apps. It’s an effective way to keep end-users updated on an app’s latest features, news, or updates. However, too many notifications can become overwhelming and make customers uninstall the applications.

Hence, the best practice for enhancing user experience is to send notifications sparingly and only when they are genuinely related to the user. When designing, creators should consider how and when the app will send notifications. They should make sure they are clear and concise and deliver value to the user. For instance, opting for a push notification model might be beneficial when leaders need to inform users about a series of feature upgrades or remind them of services.

Some other examples of push notifications that could be used in a mobile app include:

• Reminding the user about upcoming events
• Information about a product promotion or sale
• Notifying the messages or voicemails

A key example of an application that sends notifications effectively is Facebook. Facebook directs push notifications about upgrades to the News Feed, friend requests, messages, and other things. The notifications are concise, legible, and deliver value to the users.

2. Maintain Design and Component Consistency

When it comes to designing mobile apps, consistency is pivotal. Leaders should build interfaces in a way that enables users to navigate quickly and distinguish pages at all times. To accomplish this, app creators must maintain a steady design pattern throughout their app. Utilize the identical color scheme, iconography, and typography throughout the application. By hiring developers from a recognized custom mobile app development company, leaders can make sure that the controls, buttons, and other UI design components are placed firmly on the screen with appropriate spaces.

Some great instances of apps that maintain consistent design are Google applications. All of the Google apps utilize the same and adhere to the factors mentioned above. The control elements and buttons are placed in the exact locations on the interface across all apps.

3. Apply Negative Spacing

App owners should create a feeling of space between app content sections for greater transparency. This can be achieved with something as easy as the utilization of negative (white) space. Negative space is the part around and between the content and visuals in the app. It is commonly referred to as “reading space” since it allows the users to read content by taking the required time. When used appropriately, negative space can balance app consistency and user coordination. It can also improve user retention.

Comprehensive eCommerce platforms like Amazon and Shopify are great examples that use negative space effectively. In each of these platforms, the negative space provides a feeling of clarity and comprehensibility. It helps users concentrate on the main aspects of the services available in the app, and they don’t feel overwhelmed or muddled.

4. Simplify Onboarding

The impression that end-users get after installing a mobile app is crucial. When app creators can’t provide the experience of easy onboarding, they will likely lose their interest in services. That’s why, app creators need to simplify their application’s onboarding process as much as possible. App creators need to reduce the number of steps needed to start and make sure the log-in or sign-in page is transparent and concise. It’s also crucial to implement visuals sparingly and overloading elements can result in overwhelming.

Some apps that ensure easy onboarding are Google Maps and Facebook. Both applications walk users through the processes step-by-step and provide clear visuals to make it easy to apprehend what’s going on. In addition to delivering instructions and traffic updates, Google Maps also provides notifications about nearby spots, restaurants, and other points of attraction.

5. Emphasize Content-First Designing

A mobile app’s content is more crucial than its design. When end-users can’t discover what they’re in search of or don’t understand how to work with the application, they won’t wait to uninstall. That’s why app creators should prioritize content-first designing. Start by creating a wireframe of the app’s layout, determine content space, and then incorporate the visuals. This structure will help creators ensure that their app content is accurately displayed and easy to read.

Two popular content-first designed app examples include Uber and Netflix. Both of these apps are easy to utilize and possess clear navigation architecture. Their layouts are simple and organized, making it easy for viewers to discover what they’re looking for.

6. Implement User Flow Optimization

User flow optimization is one of the most essential aspects to consider when designing mobile apps. App managers need to ensure the user flow (journey) is as impeccable and intuitive as possible. One way for effective user flow optimization is that creators can acquire insights about their target audience through user personas, market research, and user interviews. Creators can seek the help of developers from an experienced mobile application development agency to perform market analysis and understand user needs. The research outcomes will help creators tailor their user flows and meet the specific needs and preferences of their users.

Another approach to optimize user flow is to utilize visual cues and guide the audience throughout the app. For instance, you can provide simulation videos or other visual means to display users where they need to go to perform key actions. Some apps that effectively augmented user flow include the Airbnb and Uber apps. Both applications are user-friendly and allow users to accomplish their desired actions with nominal steps. Moreover, both apps offer visual cues to assist users during critical functions.

Closing Thoughts

Mobile app design is continually evolving, and it can be demanding for enterprise leaders to keep up with the best practices and trends. However, by outsourcing mobile app designing and development, leaders can get dedicated assistance to create incredible UI/UX designs for their applications. The dedicated resources also adopt best practices and enable creators to optimize app design based on varying needs.