Best Mobile App Design Practices

Marc Coll
Marc Coll
Aug 31, 2018 · 5 min read

Dev Technosys wrote a brand new story ofr our App Developers Blog under the title Best Mobile App Design Practices.

Introduction

Designing a mobile app is certainly more than making things aesthetically pleasant, they also should be functional. It includes analysing the behaviour of people and integrating their psychology in the entire workflow. When it comes down to transition for the designing of the app for desktop to mobile, there are many challenges faced by the developers of any web and mobile development company. Looking into user experience as well as understanding the inherent differences between the using of a desktop and using a smartphone is the basic requirements. So, you need to know the best mobile app design practices that enable you to develop apps which attract the users as well as retain them. Some of them are.

1. Understanding the Difference between Desktop and Mobile

For any designer, making the transition from the desktop to the mobile isn’t very easy. Most of the developers aren’t simply able to recreate the same screens that they have on the desktop version of the application on the mobile. A developer needs to rethink each feature and flow as well as the relevance and importance of the platform. Basically, he needs to change the way of thinking. One of the major differences to be noted whenever the people are using the desktop is their intent. Most of them sit on a desktop to invest a lot of time deciding in advance, whether it is to play a video game, email or build a website. They actually know that they are certainly going to spend a lot of time on the particular task and they need to be more patient. In the case of mobile devices, most of them have a different mindset. A developer needs to get inside the minds of the user. What are their actual surroundings? When and where will they be using the particular application? Most of the time they will be in a hurry. Most of them may have just woke up, and they want a clear overview of the entire summary of what they have missed. The time a particular user of your app spends engaging with your app is quite limited. Unless your app is mobile only, the user is already quite familiar with the desktop version of the app, and he is used to a particular flow. He expects the mobile version to provide the same value.

2. Keeping Navigation and Hierarchy Clear

A good versus bad application is the actually be described as a hypothetical door when the users actually stand in front of it, and he must immediately know whether to push or pull the door. Of course, a written sign will certainly be quite helpful but how exactly can the shape of that door handle itself actually help the user. As a designer, you need to provide the right usable signs for the usage of the design. The same principle applies to your application’s mobile design. You need to clearly communicate what can actually be done with the app and also manage the expectations of the user to avoid the confusion. Hierarchy of the navigation is also very important and needs to be logical. It needs to show what the main functionalities of the apps are immediate. It is important to use clear icons as well as labels for the navigation which will make your app design more accessible as well as intuitive.

3. Creating Functional Animations

A great UI animation offers much more than merely bringing life to the page. It actually creates a certain sense of context which also clarifies to the user where exactly they are on the app and how they can easily get back to the previous page as well as provides visual feedback. Clicking on the items list, for instance, should make it expand to a full view or any animation while the app is loading which will ensure the users to know that something is actually going on. Subtle and clear animations can certainly make it easier to take your app to the next level, make it more interesting as well as offer lively interface and enable the user to understand the change to the different layout easily. Remember not to go overboard as you don’t wish more than one thing to be actually happening on your app screen which can create chaos as well as break the concentration of the user. In case you are going for beautiful animation, make sure it isn’t in the main flow as it will soon become annoying and repetitive.

4. Using Push Notifications

In contrast to emails, push notifications are instant. They allow the users to exactly know if something important has occurred whether it is an action they did which generates feedback like photos they have posted or they have received an important message. You can easily use these push notifications to tell your app users about the new value they can actually get from your app like tips as well as updated features. Understand what actually brings the user to your app and what type of content as well as notification will increase the retention and the engagement. Most of the mobile app development services are using push notifications to boost the engagement of their apps.

5. Designing for Multiple Operating Systems

Another major challenge for designing a mobile app is deciding how it will actually behave on different operating systems- Android and iOS. It is most natural to have your app which looks great as well as same but also behaves naturally on the different OS. Adjust the sizes, fonts and usage patterns accordingly such that the app doesn’t feel weird on the phone of the user and also remain intuitive. Start your research by thoroughly reading the guidelines for material design and the guidelines of the iOS human interface which are a great source of information for the mobile app designers. If you are an iPhone user, then get access to Android and vice versa. Also, make the switch for some time such that you can have a thorough feel for the particular device. It is all up to you if you wish to design an entirely different experience for iOS and Android or simply making minor adjustments. You also have to consider the technology which you are using to build the app as well as the time you have for the purpose of designing and development.

Conclusion

Mobile app design requires various aspects to be considered to make an aesthetically beautiful as well as seamless app. As a mobile application development company, these above-mentioned mobile app design practices will enable you to develop better apps for your users.

Find more top mobile app development companies worldwide on AppFutura.


Originally published at www.appfutura.com.

AppFutura

Articles about mobile app development and development trends.

Marc Coll

Written by

Marc Coll

I am Marc from the AppFutura Team. I work with app development companies worldwide and with people looking to hire the best developers for their project.

AppFutura

AppFutura

Articles about mobile app development and development trends.

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