People ignore design that ignores people
If you are a UX designer or app owner, you know how important a role does a mobile app design plays. User loves your app when they find it seamless and attractive. And it is also essential to understand what factors make your app design fully successful.
In this blog, you will know the critical rules of app design that every UX designer should follow to create an excellent design that gives an amazing user experience.
Table of Contents
Toggle1. UX and UI is not the same
User Interface (UI) is a part of User Experience (UX). Many app designers commonly consider UX and UI the same thing, but it is essential to understand that there is a big difference between the two disciplines.
The user interface is the space or part of mobile app design where interactions between humans and a product happen, while user experience is an emotional outcome after interactions with a product.
2. Know your audience
If you don’t know what your audience likes, your mobile app will not survive long to retain the users. Therefore, it is one of the most important factors you should consider deeply during your mobile app development process.
If you plan to design a mobile app that your users love, you must have an idea of what your audience actually wants and needs. And it means target audience research is the critical part of the UX design.
You should always keep your users top of mind before you start designing! This will allow you to give value to people who will use your mobile app and focus on benefits instead of features.
Android app Development Company in India reports that users prefer to use mobile applications which have user-friendly design and support multiple devices. Thus, it is important to ensure your UX designers create an app design that performs on all mobile devices.
4. Adapt design for short attention spans
Don’t overwhelm users with too much information
In today’s digital world, people’s attention span has been reduced drastically. A 2015 study conducted by Microsoft found that the average human attention span has declined from 12 seconds to 8 seconds. It means what we now have to shorter attention span than goldfish.
This is where a UX designer need to adjust to cope with this behavior, with the goal of getting people the information they need as fast as possible. Designers should simplify interfaces by removing unnecessary elements or content which does not support user tasks.
5. The UX Process isn’t set in stone
Without a solid UX process, a designer could be completely moving in the dark. A clear and concise UX development process, on the other hand, makes it feasible to craft engaging experiences for users. Many designers assume that there is one universal UX process that can be allied to all projects.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all UX design. While it is possible to define individual steps for each project, a concise UX process should always be selected based on project requirements.
For example, if you want to develop an iPhone app with a user-friendly design, you need to spend more time on user research and require clarification.
But if you are redesigning an existing mobile app, then you might need to spend sufficient time on design validation (conducting usability and A/B testing, or working with analytics reports).
6. Prototype before you build the final version
Skipping prototyping and putting a lot of effort into building the final product is another common (or dangerous) mistake among many design teams.
When we put a lot of effort into creating something which we believe is great, it can be really stressful to realize which our solution doesn’t work as expected when we release it into the real world. You can also incorporate the top mobile app UI/UX design trends that can give success in the market.
Therefore, prototyping is important to ensure app design works and performs well all across the platforms (Android and iOS). It basically allows you to test your MVP model before developing the final version of the app.
7. Use real content when designing
Content gives life to design. Every app design is based around content, whether that is text, images, or videos. It can be said that design is an enhancement to the content, yet many app designers don’t take content into account during the design phase.
Content is what relates to users with real information at first. That is why designers should focus on getting as close to the real customer experience as possible. Thus, we shouldn’t abstract ourselves from real experience.
8. Keep things simple and consistent
In UX design, simplicity plays a significant role to influence the mind of users. App designers should consider the simplicity aspect of their approach that allows users to easily interact with the app and navigate through it seamlessly. Thus, UX designer’s job is to make things clear and simpler that guide users from where they are to where they need to go.
User interfaces should also be kept consistent throughout a design. For example, different color schemes can be used on different parts of the app. Designers shouldn’t forget to apply the Principles of Least Astonishment to your app design.
9. Make design usable and accessible
When it to come to mobile app design, UX designers often obsesses overlook and appeal instead of functionality and accessibility. Most of us try to make things look beautiful which often leads to a situation where aesthetics become more crucial for designers than usability.
In this case, UX designers should use accessible interaction design to allow users of all abilities to navigate, understand, and use digital products successfully.
A well-designed mobile app is accessible to users of all abilities, including those with low vision, hearing impairments, cognitive impairment, or motor impairments. It’s true that accessibility introduces s set of constraints to incorporate as you consider your design but improving your app accessibility improves usability for all users.
10. Don’t try to solve everything at once
Design is an iterative process. UX designers should understand that UX design isn’t a linear process. The stages of the UX process (ideation, prototyping, testing) often have considerable overlap, and generally, there is a lot of back-and-forth. Your design should focus on security aspect that allows developers to ensure mobile app security.
As you learn more about the problems, the users, and the project details (especially any constraints), it may be necessary to revisit some of the research undertaken or try out new design ideas.
Don’t think that it’s possible to make your design perfect right after just one iteration, Instead, refine ideas to the point where you can test them with real users, collect valuable feedback, and iterate based on this feedback.
The Final Words
Your app design will be successful when it will resonate with users. If they find your design flawless and seamless, they will surely love to use your mobile app and will do word-of-mouth marketing as well.
But great design requires great strategy. At eSearch Logix, our experienced UX designers can help you create not only an attractive but also user0friendly app design that will provide an excellent user experience.
Talk to our app designers and check which design is suitable for your app project.