5 Basics You Should Know About Design When Creating Your App
In the era of fast changes and high technologies mobile rapidly becomes a successful tool for businesses to increase their revenue. Here are some essentials about how to use design to make your app more distinctive.
There are plenty of IT projects that fail because of bad design. We are exposed to so many applications and our first impression is what really counts. According to Statista’s research in 2016 more than 149,3 billion mobile apps were downloaded. The number of apps, uploaded to Google Play Store for 2017 exceeds 3 500 000 and the number in Apple App Store is over 2 200 000. So, make the best first impression and be remarkable!
The role of UI and UX Design?
What really matters for the design of a mobile app is the good collaboration between the User Interface /UI/ and the User Experience /UX/. They should work together for one and the same purpose- a customer’s satisfaction.
The Design of the User Interface /UI/ represents the balance between technical and visual elements and it is actually what the user will see. When you design the User Interface, you should always keep in mind the User experience!
The Design of the User Experience /UX/ represents how the user will feel while using your app in relation with its functionalities. When designed properly, it generates trust and satisfaction. You can use a swiping feature or just add a vibration as a response of a user’s action in order to make your app more communicative.
Below you will find some advice on what to consider when thinking about UI and UX in terms of mobile design.
5 Essentials For the Design of Your App
1. Be exceptional!
Your design should be exceptional and unique. You should stand out from the crowd, because that’s the only way to distinguish on a market, that is full of beautiful applications. Try to be creative and to offer customers something valuable, which they can’t find somewhere else. Your design is your differentiator! ;) Yet don’t go overboard with creativity and don’t take it too far as the design’s main purpose after all is to be functional.
2. Make it for mobile!
Mobile design should be different from web. It should be made according to its specifics and functionalities.
Have in mind the size of the screen and the average finger size. According to Apple’s UI Design Do’s and Don’ts, the minimum finger size for a touch is 44 pixels wide and 44 pixel tall. Another thing you also have to consider is the size and the quality of the images you use inside your app. Think about how they will look and behave together with the buttons. Pay attention to the important parts of the background as they should not be overlapping.
What is really important is that you save the constancy in the brand vision and preserve the most important icons.
3. Remember you target groups!
Never forget your audiences. Your app is created to serve their needs and that should be its main purpose. Answer the questions: “Does the app work properly” and ”Does it give the desired results” according to what your users are expecting. When you make the design, consider their preferences and the problems the app has to solve for them. You can insert different templates and themes, which will give the users the chance to choose the best match for their taste and to customize the vision according to their personal preferences. Your app should be used with ease and pleasure.
Try to see the users’ point of view: How will they react to your app, what thoughts and feeling will it provoke? When thinking about the app’s functionalities think about implementing elements that are familiar such as buttons or icons that are common in other applications.
4. Less is more- be simple!
Make your design simple. Keep it clean and don’t go overboard with too much details. The interface shouldn’t be flashy. Make sure your app is intuitive and easy to use. You can insert a search function or pop-out navigation bar so that users can find what they are looking for faster.
5. Make all elements in your app speak in the same language
While creating the design think about the coordination between symbols in your app. They should build one and the same style. Use beautiful fonts, nice pictures and cool buttons which are more attractive. You can insert moving and dynamic elements, which catch people’s attention. Choose suitable colors, which are soft and smooth. You can also make the background diffusive and insert some 3D graphics. Be careful with the effects. You may want to include some exciting ones, but just do it in a natural way. Shadows and gradients play important role in creating 3D forms, but include them only where it’s necessary.
Design is not one of your top skills?
Don’t worry — you still have options. You may use some ready-made tools, which will provide you with visuals, images and designs to choose from. Such tool is Appzio’s UI Kit, which can help you plan and create the outlook of your application. It contains more than 50 professionally designed views which will allow you to build your design with ease:
This will speed up the development process and save you a lot of time, so if modern styling and elements are not your thing, you can see more templates or download the UI Kit from here for free.
And don’t worry, it is licensed under Creative Commons Attribute license, which allows you to use all the components in it, create and edit whatever you want, as long as you add an attribution marking in your designs.
If you are looking for other design direction, it’s worth checking out some of the various ready-made mobile UI Kits available. You can check Robowolf or Sandeep Kasundra’s ideas on the matter. There’s also ui8.net, which is a great market place for UI Kits.
But no matter which one you choose or whether you decide to create it by yourself, just remember:
Design is valuable- don’t underestimate it!
In conclusion:
Design is the most important tool for catching the customers’ attention. It is a key for creating the right first impression and the best user experience. Use it properly and it will work for the success of your application. Always be careful with your design being too attractive. Use modern visions and effects, but in a simple way. And remember, your app should be both beautiful and useful! :)
If you feel ready to develop, you can get started here with Appzio!
