Have you ever thought about what the ideal app design really is? Well, as time moves on and more sophisticated techs start to dominate the app development landscape, the very definition of app design starts to change. And so do the tasks of developers and designers that work on creating robust, user-friendly, and commercially successful digital solutions.
In today’s post we’re going to take a closer look at design principles in software engineering that define a successful application. Also, we’ll provide you with useful tips and recommendations on how to nail your user experience with effective and highly responsive app design. But first, let’s find out what app design actually is and why so much attention is paid to it.
What is App Design?
In layman’s terms, app design is how the application looks and feels during the interaction. Let’s start with the look first. When talking about visually appealing design, most users imagine fun memorable colors, effective logos, readable and user-friendly fonts, rich textures, and the like. This all represents the overall style of an app and plays an important role in its commercial success.
When it comes to your app’s feel, you need to ensure that it’s capable of providing your users with the best possible usability and functionality. In other words, just like any app, your solution needs to help your customers solve their particular problems and address their needs.
Not rare are the cases when users abandon this or that app after a week or two after installing it. These days, the app market is overflowing with cool and highly efficient products that help users with their daily tasks, time management, workout routine, and much more. No wonder, customers are so picky and demanding when it comes to choosing apps. With this in mind, you’ll want to invest enough time, effort, and money in great UI and UX design and thus boost the chance that your users will keep using it for a long time.
Why is App Design Important?
More often than not, it’s the UX, or its quality to be precise, that makes app owners invest in their app design. Given the fierce competition in the software development market, all appreneurs want to ensure that their new product can meet their intended users’ needs and bring them the best experience possible. Among the major constituents of app success are intuitive UI, fast loading times, ease of use and navigation, and so on. In other words, your users should be satisfied with their interaction with your product. And the greater your customer satisfaction is, the more people will come to download your app down the line.
But it’s not just the user experience alone that can benefit from wisely implemented app design principles. If you make sure all components of successful app design are in place, you’ll be able to scale up your app further down the road by modifying and tweaking your code. What’s more, you’ll be able to make your product more testable, optimize it for mobile platforms, and add more advanced features to your app at any point.
Things to Be Considered When Designing Your App
As with any other product you want to successfully bring to the market, you need to make sure this market actually needs your app. For this, you’ll want to put some time into researching the market and competitors, especially those whose products are popular with your intended audience. Once you gain a better understanding of your target users, clearly identify the range of problems your app will help to address, as well as the value it will bring to the table.
Also, bear in mind that successful design doesn’t necessarily equate with aesthetics. It’s more about living up to users’ expectations. So, you need to organize, structure, and label your app layout so that it can match your customers’ mental model. Don’t go overboard with navigation patterns, make sure all touch targets are at least 44 px and finger-friendly. Finally, do your best to optimize your product for different platforms. When designing your app, keep in mind resolutions, screen sizes, and current product design trends.
Last things last, make sure to test your new product before it goes live. Not only will this help collect valuable feedback from your beta users, but also identify the areas which need further improvement in good time.
