The total number of mobile app downloads increased substantially in 2020. The number of active app users grew. And the average time a user spends on their device also rose. Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. It altered our life like nothing before did for at least over the past century. And mobile apps are perhaps the closest companions when it comes to relying on digital technology. It also means that our day-to-day experiences are closely associated with how we interact with apps and devices.
And that’s where mobile app design comes into play. A closer interaction of users with apps means immersive design and enticing experiences are crucial than ever. Whether it’s mobile app design in India or elsewhere, the best practices remain the same.
Focus on delivering intuitive experiences to every user. That way, you significantly improve the chances of standing out. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with many app designing projects. Designers make some common mistakes that reduce the chances of succeeding in app stores. Below are some of the most common mistakes designers make and ways to avoid them.
Improper app architecture & logic
The architecture forms the foundation on which you can build an impeccable app. But if you don’t put the desired amount of thought into creating the architecture, the design is never going to entice users. In other words, your architecture needs to comprise a detailed plan and elaborate drawings.
By ignoring these early curial elements, you risk your app’s design and usability. A well-designed architecture also helps your mobile web application development project to get the right traction early in the cycle. Since the architecture is closely associated with interface elements and users’ interaction, it helps you significantly improve the UX.
Unsatisfactory first impression
The first impression is, as you may already know, the most crucial element when it comes to users’ engagement and conversion. It’s, therefore, one of the most results-oriented design best practices. If the user finds anything wrong about the first impression, they either quickly abandon the app or would be reluctant to call-to-action.
Creating the right first impression is not. Due to its subjective nature, you have to create the elements of the first impression based on your target audience. For instance, users might not like lengthy onboarding processes that involve multiple signup steps. The best way is to focus on creating an app that ensures an intuitive and seamless experience early in the user’s journey.
Overloaded user interface
Minimalism is a growing trend in both mobile app and design. If your user gets overwhelmed with the content of the design elements on the UI, they’re unlikely to get the desired experience. It could, instead, make users feel lost in the middle of content and design elements. In such cases, they would at best interact less with the app. At worst, the user would get rid of the app.
Incorporate only the most desired and useful elements on the UI. Although you might find it tempting to fill the user’s screen with a swarm of design elements, avoid doing so. It would contribute significantly to the overall user experience. UX-focused companies that offer mobile app design in India are incredibly careful about creating the right user interface.
The lack of optimized user flow
It takes careful thinking to create a flow of design elements that every user likes. From planning the app’s UX architecture to ensuring frictionless interactions of functionalities, everything demands meticulousness. You should create a map of the user flow before getting into the wireframing stage.
Mobile app designers tend to focus too much on aesthetics and details. This might make you ignore role user flow in creating the desired UX. The best practice in this case would be to sketch out the flow first. Then, when you start the design process, always keep that flow on the top of your mind.
Undesirable fonts
The lack of proper font use is not just a user interface-related problem. Typography is, in fact, one of the most significant elements of the overall user experience design. If your UI design is enticing and yet the content is difficult to read, it won’t create a satisfactory user experience.
Some of the most common font issues are the use of many different fonts, too small or large fronts, poor contrast between the text and background, and the use of non-standard fonts.
Ignoring the app’s context
Every app design has a purpose and an end goal. But apps also have a context that must reflect in your design. The UI may seem obvious to you as a designer, in terms of its experience and elements. However, for first-time users and people of different demographics, the UI may not immediately seem intuitive. Hence, it’s important to consider the immediate context of the app throughout the design process.
Missing design consistency
Whether you work with an app developer company or as a freelance designer, design consistency is key to success. Whether it’s a minimalist design or a maximalist, feature-rich app, you need to ensure consistency throughout the user’s journey. Be it’s the font styles in different pages, color shades, or the types of interaction, ensure consistency of every single design element.
Wrapping up
A perfect mobile app design usually means different things to different users. As mentioned earlier, it’s highly subjective. Being a designer, you need to follow a set of design best practices and standards to ensure maximum usability.
From mobile web application development to creating native app experiences, these best practices will help you everywhere. And the mistakes we discussed in this post are the biggest roadblocks to achieving the desired user experiences. At Mobibiz, a mobile app development company in India, our designers strictly adhere to internationally recognized best practices and design benchmarks.
FAQs
Q. How much does it cost to design a mobile app?
The costs of designing an app depend on your requirements. Factors like what kind of website you need, its features, and design elements together decide the development cost. Mobibiz delivers impeccable website designs at a competitive price.
Q. How long does it take to design a mobile app?
There’s no predefined time for designing an app. It varies widely depending on the type of website and design elements being used. The best way to know an estimated time is to consult experts. We deliver intuitive app designs with a short development time.
Q. What is native mobile app development?
Native mobile apps are built in a specific programming language, for the specific device platform, either iOS or Android. Native Android apps are written in Java or Kotlin programming languages.