10 tips on how to make your mobile app design look great!

Are you looking forward to building a great mobile application for your business? Well, the application’s performance isn’t the only thing that needs to stand out. If you really want your application to attract customers and reach the top positions in the market, you need an outstanding design for it. Apps that aren’t designed well fail to succeed. You might be able to survive for a while, but that shouldn’t be the end goal. Survival. You need to strive your way towards being a successful application. Listed below are 10 tips on how to make your mobile app design look great. Let us go through each one in detail.

1. Size of the screen

Different devices have different screen sizes and resolutions. Even the same smartphone brand has different models that come in different shapes and sizes. It is your duty to make sure your application is visible and usable on all screen resolutions. Other than mobile phones, you also need to take other screens into consideration, such as PCs/laptops, Smart TVs, and tablets. The design needs to be optimized for as many screens as possible.

2. Keep it simple

We are not saying that your design should look basic but it is preferable for your designs to not look over the top. Complexity pushes people away and has a negative impact on their experience. You always need to remember that your users are going to use your apps on different devices. You need to create designs according to that. Don’t try to jam everything into a small space and expect it to work. There could be a possibility of your texts getting overlapped on the screen due to this. Simple designs keep the app users focused.

3. Size and location of the buttons

We all know that apps work through clicks and taps. While designing a mobile application, you need to consider the fact that our fingers aren’t as small as the mouse cursor and the buttons on the app need to be designed accordingly. It shouldn’t be too big to take up the entire screen space but should be big enough for us to perform actions.

Let’s talk about the accessibility of the application. People generally use the phone single-handedly and we need to think about what could be the preferred location for easy usage of the app. For right-handed people it would be the bottom right side and for left-handed people, the bottom left side. Taking this into consideration, the most important buttons should be directed at the bottom corners. The trick to getting the design right is always to check if users can perform a certain number of tasks with just one hand in under 60 seconds. Another major tip to remember is to design for the flow of the thumb zone.

4. Amount of elements on the screen

We have all heard complaints about apps having too many elements or too few elements. Too many features confuse the users, while too few features leave them wandering for options. So, it would be very helpful to follow the famous rule “less is more” when it comes to designing the application. To make users do what you want them to do, you have to plan in a strategic way as to what should be there on each and every page. Make sure every element adds value to your app. If it doesn’t, take it off the list. It is suggested not to have more than 10 interactive elements on one page at a time. This will allow the user to navigate the app without being overwhelmed.

5. One task per screen

Space in smartphones is limited as the screen size is smaller compared to that of tablets and PCs/Laptops. Having multiple actions on one screen might lead to major confusion, both for the developer and the user. Thus, it is advisable that every screen facilitates just one key action of real value to the person using it. This way of designing makes the user experience better and they can adapt faster to the usage. For example, Uber only focuses on letting the user book a cab in the fastest possible way by ensuring that all the user has to do is enter the drop location.

6. Stick to the core principles of UI

With huge amounts of data to put in a limited space, there are chances of you going wrong. For a great functional mobile app interface, you need to follow these 4 principles. They are:

Clarity

Consider yourself to be a first-time user of your app and check if you can understand the application. If the answer is yes, then you are heading toward the right path. A design is said to have clarity if it can perform every task of the user without a lot of effort. Clarity helps you in removing unnecessary elements and making your design simpler.

Consistency

You can cut down on remembering the extra information and rethinking problems with your design by maintaining consistency across your application on all platforms.

Familiarity

With the purpose of making your application different from others, you shouldn’t make it complicated. The goal is to make it stand out, not make a maze of puzzles out of it. So, make use of conditioned patterns.

Breathing space

The empty space around any element is called breathing space. It is very essential while designing an application as it helps in highlighting the elements of the app better and helps the user identify them.

7. Choice of color and font

The first thing that strikes a user’s eyes when they open the application is the color of the screen. You should always define the primary, secondary, and tertiary colors for your app carefully. To increase the usability, you can also consider the fact that users might be outdoors with low contrast on the screen because of lighting, and the color gradient should work fine in all conditions. You should never consider the colors that are too bright or contrasting, or texts on them would be difficult to read. If the colors are too bright, it can be disturbing to look at. For example, a yes button or anything which shows the process should be green, while buttons for no or exit should be shown red.

When talking about fonts, you should always keep the colors and the style of your application in mind. Accordingly, you should choose one that isn’t too fancy but serves the purpose just right. Always make sure it is legible and be extra careful while using different fonts for headings, sub-headings, etc., as it might confuse the users.

8. Make sure your actions are recognized

When a user performs any action on the application or clicks on any button, the page starts loading. But the user needs to be indicated that the process is taking place. If left without any indication, the user might feel clueless and lost. For example, a moving symbol or something when a page is loading, a button having a visual push effect when clicked, etc, can help you give a better user experience.

9. Keep loading speed in mind

The slower the app performs, the more it will hurt you, resulting in users losing interest in your application. Loading speed greatly depends on the complexity of your design. The simpler it is, the lesser time it takes to perform. When improving this, try to make your design as simple as possible. Simplifying your design helps eliminate this issue to a great extent. Fast loading speeds help users have a great experience on your app, which in turn expands your audience. A simple design can also help your users in navigating through your app better. The inclusion of expandable menus is a great option to make your design simple, along with incorporating numerous elements. This, in turn, increases your loading speed.

10. Have proper symbolic representation

From the logo of your application to images/videos in the app, your visuals should always represent your business. They should be able to draw people’s attention toward you, and it should help you in branding your app. While your app will obviously need text, you’re going to need lots of visual elements to make it attractive to users. By keeping it simple and minimal, you can create a buzz amongst the crowd and help people recognize you.