In India alone, we have over 1.18 billion mobile connections, 700 million internet users, and over 600 million smartphones[1]. Over the world, this number has increased to 6.3 billion mobile users! With this ever-growing number of people connecting to the internet via their phones, especially in this age of app-based service providers, an application needs to stand out.
On opening up the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, one is inundated by thousands of mobile applications on offer, from online shopping to gaming to social media. An average mobile user connected to the internet uses only around 30 separate mobile applications per month[2]. Designing your mobile application to stand out and have an enduring user base requires a compelling and robust app design. But what does that even mean? Confused?
Fret not, because our blog is here to help sort out all your questions on app design! Hiring an App Design Company and a UI/UX designer are key aspects of creating a better application. But here are some points on how you can interact with the design process and keep an eye out for some design pointers. Here is our take on 5 mobile app design tips to attract more users and increase the visibility and endurance of your mobile application.
Intuitive Navigation with Immediate Actions
Do not design your mobile application as an endless maze of confusing buttons and symbols. A mobile screen is relatively small, usually five to six inches big. Multiple options and prompts on a single small screen only act as deterrents to potential users, creating confusion in the sequence of actions to be taken. Filling the application interface with unnecessary features and options may also reduce the speed of the application and deter user interaction.
Developing and designing a smooth mobile application experience for the users is pertinent in creating a strong appeal and attracting new users. The navigation of the app should be obvious and self-explanatory. A simplistic and intuitively designed user interface will create a smooth navigation experience for every user, keeping them glued to the app! Making a start guide for first-time users might be an exceptional design tool to create a seamless navigational experience. Lastly, ensure that every action on the application has a reaction! Users will bounce from the mobile app if there is a delay in reaction or if their action does not lead to anything more. Adding immediate responses to every button and option also creates a logical and coherent user experience.
A Simplistic and Minimalistic design with Visual Weight
Going overboard with adding multiple options, colours, and symbols on a single screen will only confuse the user. Keeping the design minimal and straightforward will make a user’s experience with the application more meaningful and engaging. Remember, less is more with application design! Based on sequence, navigation, and intuition, prioritize what is needed on each page in an app. Do not be scared of leaving white space in your design. White space increases the breathing room and helps users grab and hold on to the more important elements on each page.
Organize all the elements and options in a way that is clearly indicative of the hierarchy of usage and importance. Visual weight is an important feature that helps users identify the significance and importance of each button. Button sizes cannot be the same, and making the most important button on a page stand out is imperative for a smooth user experience.
Consistency of App Design
Consistency is key in maintaining user engagement with your mobile application. While designing, be careful to reduce the need for users to remember and realign with the user interface at each step. Maintaining consistency and cohesion in the application helps users remember associations with the app. Further, maintain this consistency by sticking to a grid for the entire layout. Keep the structure organized and simple.
Consistency should be maintained both visually and functionally. The application should look similar and function the same way on each page. For example, Instagram’s user interface helps users recognize their position and location and also helps them navigate easily and smoothly through the app. Maintain a core look for the application and develop a visual language created just for the app. This will undoubtedly increase user engagement and make the application memorable.
Accessibility and Interactive Design Features
Making the design of the mobile application more accessible and interactive increases and attracts users. Everyone does not hold their phone the same way, and different phone screen sizes also differ. Therefore, the app design needs to be user-friendly for all kinds of accessibility. It needs to cater to both left and right-handed people.
Further, the sizes of elements on the screen need to be appropriate. Sizing the buttons and placing them in a position on the screen that allows easy accessibility helps users accurately press the right button. Nobody wants to accidentally go to the main menu after trying to click on the help option and then get stuck in an endless loop of wrong buttons! It is important to keep hand and finger sizing and placement in mind when designing the mobile app, even catering to people with disabilities. Users should be allowed to change the text size and even colour schemes for higher accessibility.
Keeping the user interface interactive also increases the accessibility of the users, helping them navigate through the application intuitively and increasing engagement and commitment to the app.
Good Readability and a Simple Colour Scheme
To create a more seamless mobile application experience, stick to a single and consistent colour scheme. Instead of using vague colours, keep designing simple, readable, and standard colour schemes. Using a range of different colours will only successfully confuse the users. Instead, try to use a consistent colour scheme and shades of the same colours, though with a readable and evident difference in the shades. Do not use similar shades, as it would degrade the UX of the app and create a confusing app experience. Also, try to use primary, secondary, and tertiary colours for the app to increase usability and stick to common colour associations. Colours should be visible in all brightness and contrast levels, indoors and outdoors.
Further, it is imperative to cater to the entire population. 45% of the global population suffers from some form of colour blindness; hence adding the right colours to your application becomes an important feature during the design process.
Fonts, too, are an integral feature of application design. Legible, clear, and simple fonts go a long way in creating a consistent and smooth user experience. Instead of using multiple fonts in the mobile application, stick to a single font, and use variations in sizes of the fonts for higher readability.
We hope that the above tips just made designing a mobile application easier! Stick to your intuition, and keep user experience and comfort at the forefront of the design. You are sure to wow any new user!
[1] Data retrieved from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/indias-growing-data-usage-smartphone-adoption-to-boost-digital-india-initiatives-top-bureaucrat/articleshow/87275402.cms
[2] Data retrieved from https://buildfire.com/app-statistics/
