Designing apps for mobile users has become big business. Any business owner worth their salt should already have one or at least be considering it. With so many consumers choosing to use mobile devices when they want to find out about a product or service, it makes sense to target this audience. However, on average, 1.7 new apps are released every minute which means the market is very saturated. Any app designer wanting to make their mark has to be able to create something that stands out from the crowd.
However, there’s one vital step you have to take before designing any kind of app.
Always Do Your Research First
Research is imperative because it allows you to know what your target audience is after, as well as how to build an app so that it appeals to them. The best way to do this is to hire the services of a company, such as BuildFire, who offer innovative app design. By doing so, you will have the help and guidance of experts who understand this specific field of marketing.
Best Mobile App Design Practices
Once you’ve done your research, you can put your designer’s hat on and get on with the design. If you want to provide users with a good experience, there are some fundamentals you need to consider.
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Responsive Design
It’s highly likely that your potential users are going to be using various platforms. Your app has to be compatible with a range of devices. Apple had the lion’s share of the mobile market for many years; however, Android is rapidly catching up.
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KISS
Users tend to prefer a minimal design with tasks requiring as few steps as possible. Therefore, you need to Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS). Too many visual elements only increase load time, so keep these to a minimum wherever possible.
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Test, Test, and Test Again
There are plenty of testing methods you can use, but input from users is far more valuable. If you test the mobile app as much as possible before release, then it cuts cost and effort.
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Make Good Use of Visual Elements
It’s already been said that visual elements can increase load times, but there is a place for them if you want to provide the best user experience. People tend to get bored very quickly when an app is heavy on the text whereas a visual element is more likely to keep them engaged.
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Keep Users Informed
Always give your users feedback as it’s important they know what’s happening. It’s critical for them to know whether an action is in progress, whether it was successful or failed. This communication can be made fun with simple micro-interactions.
One last tip is to keep an eye on the app development world as it’s always evolving. New ways to create certain looks and designs are going to keep being released, and it’s vital you keep your finger on the pulse of the industry. Being able to implement new ideas means you’ll be able to reach a wider market and get the attention of new users.
