5 Steps to Beautiful iOS 8 Design
According to statistics, over 70% of all iPhones and iPads use iOS 8. Called the “biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the App Store”, iOS 8 adds to the major redesign of iOS 7 and offers a smoother more intuitive experience.
With iOS 8 poorly designed apps can no longer get away with it. Users expect design to be fluid, bold and easy to use. It’s up to you to make good use of iOS 8’s new additions. Failing to do so will turn users away upon seeing a screenshot — they won’t even bother to download your app.
So what are the best practices for this? And which iOS 8 design features can you leverage to make your app look as beautiful as it can be? Read on to find out.
1. Optimize For Different Screen Sizes
At the very top of your iOS 8 design priority list should be design that looks good on all screen sizes. According to Apple, twelve of their current devices are compatible with iOS 8, from the iPhone 4S that was released in 2011 to the iPad Air 2 which was released towards the end of 2014.
With the Apple Watch also using iOS 8 when that launches in early 2015, iOS 8 will be viewed on devices as small as 1.5 inches all the way up to 9.7 inches. Of course, the variety of iOS 8 devices offers you a larger audience but it could give your users a headache if you don’t take their screen sizes into consideration.
When designing you can’t just shrink (or enlarge) elements and hope for the best. Instead you will have to carefully consider and test how each aspect looks. For example, a swirling font might look fancy on an iPad but on the iPhone or Apple Watch it might be illegible. You may also find yourself resizing elements so that their ratio to other on the screen is more optimal.
If you have trouble doing this, our design team at EL Passion will be able to help you.
2. Depth, Layers and Clarity
While ‘depth, layers and clarity’ may sound like a chapter from a self-help book, they are actually some of the most powerful tools on your iOS 8 design arsenal.
Depth and layers go hand in hand and using these you can provide your users with extra information that aids your app’s content. Some examples include the iOS 8 weather app which layers the weather data over a visual representation of the current weather effect. You may even utilize translucency to layer a settings screen over your app without obscuring the app’s content too much.
Once you have an idea of how to include depth and layers, you will need to consider the clarity of your content. A high level of clarity means that you are making sure that your app’s actual content isn’t lost in the design. Is there lots of negative space to emphasise text? Is the page cluttered? Are important buttons clearly displayed?
3. The User Is Always Right
While it shouldn’t have to be said, it’s not uncommon for designers to forget about the user’s side of things. You should imagine your user as a clueless child and then ask yourself ‘how can I make my iOS 8 design simpler for them?’
Navigation is a key part of this as your user should always know how they got to a page and they should always know how to leave it. If your user ever has to quit the app just to get back to the main menu then you have failed as a designer. Make sure that ‘back’ or ‘menu’ buttons are prominent and that the user won’t get lost no matter how many pages or tabs they open.
Many designers also expect their users to do awkward gestures to control their app. You should stick to the eight standard gestures: tap, drag, flick, swipe, touch and hold, double tap, pinch and shake so that users don’t get confused. These are the controls that iOS users use every day and it’s better to employ these rather than deal with hundreds of control related support tickets each day.
You may also want to use colours to highlight specific elements in your app to make them clearer and to give users subtle clues.
4. Transitions and Motion
Nowadays, it’s really important to think about animations between UI elements. Sometimes due to the animation you can show more items on one screen without showing them at the same time.
With animations even simple design can increase in quality and subtle blends can improve UX. A well crafted animation can help a user visualize exactly how their interaction is having an effect on the app.
Animations can make users go from just ‘tapping on a tiny glass screen’ to ‘actually altering and changing the virtual world/menu within my device’.
However, you should be wary about using too much animation or even including animations that look unrealistic. You don’t need to include a dramatic page transition in a serious business app. For example, bold and bombastic animation might be better suited for a gaming app rather than an informative one.
5. Is Your Design Consistent?
Finally, your app needs to be consistent. A lack of consistency will undo every other aspect of your iOS 8 design. Choosing a selection of nice elements is fine, but if they are too varied then your app will look unsightly.
One simple way of fixing this is to look at your app’s color scheme. Choose a family of no more than six colors that go together well. Only use these colors throughout your app. If you pick more than that your app’s color scheme could put users off.
You also need to be consistent about font. For example, if you decide that one page header is written in 14pt then the rest of the headers need to be the same size. If you decide that the body text is 8pt then that needs to be the same throughout too. Failing to do this just offers a disjointed and uncomfortable experience that will turn users away.
Overall, all of these things should be taken into consideration in order for your iOS 8 design to be the best that it can be. If an app doesn’t look or feel right, it can be the difference between thousands or millions of downloads.
