After tackling responsive web design, now it is the time to bring something new to your customers, a mobile app. A mobile app is ideally suited for small and large businesses alike to keep their customers and prospects informed about offers, promotions, and so much more. It offers a platform to them where they can be in touch with your business.
With that said, building a successful mobile app, that gets many downloads, is mainly based on designing an innovative yet easy-to-use interface. UI/UX design firms specialize in design focused on the type of experience it offers to your customers. And while the success of mobile app depends on a combination of factors, UI design is usually what makes or breaks an application. A great UI design helps you retain potential customers while a hard to use user interface design can make your customers jump to your competitor’s app.
Irrespective of the amount of time and money you spend on developing your app, turning a blind eye to the UI design can reduce the credibility of your app. In fact, a bad user interface design is one of the main causes of bad user experiences. So how should you design your app? Here we outline four UI design tips to keep in mind.
1. Keep it simple
The hallmark of a superb user interface is simplicity. Keeping things simple refers to ease of use, especially for first time users, allowing them to utilize your application without the need for guides or instructions. Multiple tasks can be done with a simple user interface and with few steps. As they navigate through your app, users should not encounter any complications and should feel at ease with the app. By this, we do not mean simply sticking a button or two here and there for the heck of it.
2. Keep the mobile UI graphical
An eye-catching mobile app is always preferred to an application with a text heavy design. Whether you want to keep users engaged or notify them to return to your app on a regular basis, a visually strong UI design will help produce the desired results. Visual elements help instruct users about the way they can interact with the app.
3. Involve real users when evaluating the mobile app
As a designer, it is of utmost importance to use real users for evaluating UI design ideas. Doing so will help you rectify the glitches in early stage of development. It will also minimize chances of confusion in designing features and buttons on the app. Therefore, the need for re-working the entire app is eliminated — saving cost and the time involved.
4. Stick to OS guidelines
It is advisable to stick to certain guidelines or principles that are accepted practices. This will aid you in designing a user interface that appeals to your target audience. Trying out innovations with the touch gestures, interactions and navigation system should be aligned with the current standards. Implement UI design with important features and do away with unwanted ones. And since app stores like Apple’s App Store scrutinize new apps stringently, research the kind of applications that are accepting and then use that to help guild you to a user-friendly interface for the app.
Final Thoughts
These UI design tips, when kept in mind while designing the UI for your mobile app, will help offer great user experiences.
Pic: Kārlis Dambrāns (Flikr) http://bit.ly/29qd9Rl