5 Tips for Creating Great Mobile App Design
In this article we strive to describe how to design a mobile app.
Good design is important for every application, though we all probably saw some examples of overall bad applications with beautiful looks. In the context of the mobile development, the quality design plays one of key roles, as smaller screens and unstable operating environment sometimes complicate the use of the application. The design is aimed to solve such challenges.
Application design or, more precisely, its visual part, is the first thing to which the user’s eyes cling to. Qualitatively engineered design is what the user’s impression from the interaction with the application depends on. If these experiences are negative, the app will never be popular.
Let us consider five key tips for mobile app design to help create great design for a mobile application from scratch.
1. Focus on the goal
The application should always be developed with a focus on the goals which the customer wishes to achieve — the designer’s job is to help them do it easily and intuitively. Typically, applications are developed on the basis of a single technical concept, where the user interface is built around its needs.
When designing mobile application, the form should always follow the functionality. There are always an infinite number of task embodiment variants in terms of appearance and atmosphere, but first of all it is necessary to be clear about the purpose of the application, even before starting to determine its appearance and the target audience. Naturally, the different audiences prefer different styles, for example, business application should not be drawn in a cartoon-like manner.
It is necessary to try to limit initially the basic functions of the application and, if at all possible, not deviate from the original ideas. Like this it’s possible to improve and develop the concept of application, as well as its appearance and interface without creating confusion by adding the new variables.
As the application evolves over time, it is worth adding features without complexity increase — the so called functional onset. Befitting start would be a clear definition of the frame structure, informational architecture and interaction schemes. To maintain consistency, from this base one can add additional features without changing the application concept.
2. Improve the usability
Usually the controls in the application are located at the edges of the screen, with the main attention at the center. Interface elements should be arranged compactly, as basically the space is limited — but the user must distinguish between them at arm’s length, and when they click one element, the others must not be activated.
Despite the fact that modern mobile app design scrapped the so-called “rule of three clicks” as obsolete, it is, nevertheless, operable and applicable. If the application provides a fairly wide range of settings, you need to make sure that the user can find the most important of them in one or two clicks. Even the most advanced of them should be reachable through a maximum of three clicks.
The most qualitatively performed applications can be called interfaceless — there’s just a “live content”. It is important to regularly review the concept, never rest on laurels, and test it at every stage of the process. If one does not constantly strive for excellence, the solution will be very limited.
Creating a user-friendly mobile application design requires a thorough reflection on how to make the product maximally clear and easy to use for the consumer. “Is it possible to customize this template to anyone who may need a larger and more legible font?” Creating a list of features that enhance the usability of the application may also be a good idea when designing a mobile app.
