Nitesh Behani 21 September 2018

Categories Mobile, Technology

14 Do’s and Don’ts When Designing UX for Mobile App in 2018

The mobile app UX acts as the first impression of the app for the user. Thus, there is a lot of pressure on it to be a positive experience to ensure that the user explores the application beyond just the user initial screens.

There are a number of Do’s and Don't when designing UX for a mobile app listed out after definitive research into the subject.

1. Research before design

When a new project is begun, the most designer wants to immediately start designing the UI and prototypes. But this can lead to a false-consensus effect which can be adverse. With timely research, we need to understand the users and their requirements.

Some practical recommendations along these lines include:

• Conduct an aggressive examination: Find applications that are like the one you're outlining.

• Identify your clients

2. Don’t try to design the perfect experience from the first attempt

The first times of most activities more often than not, lead to failure. The design may satisfy initial requirements, but the requirements might change after user testing. Therefore, an incremental design is the way to go. Once an idea is applied, test it, come back and implement changes again. Some practical recommendations along these lines include:

• Give main importance to prototyping and testing

3. Prioritize features

It is a common notion among product designers that features are the key to increase app sales. Thus, they add as many features as possible into one app. This causes confusion for first-time users. Successful apps mostly have a focused limited set of features which are in demand. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize what is important. Some practical recommendations along these lines include:

• Try to place emphasis on the core objectives of the application

4. Clear the clutter

Overloading the user with too much information makes them confused and dissatisfied with the user experience. Every extra button, link, image and line of text adds to the clutter on the screen which makes it very complicated as there is also limited screen space in a mobile device. Anything that isn’t absolutely necessary must be removed. Some practical recommendations along these lines include:

• A minimalistic approach is key

• Focus on one main action in each screen to avoid confusion

5. Don’t use jargon in the user interface

Unnecessary jargon can lead to the user not understanding what the app is trying to convey. This will cause the user from not using the app again. The user must be comfortable with the language and the words sued on the screen. They must be standard words that do not increase the cognitive load for the user.

6. Don’t make users wait for content

At the point when there is pausing or stacking time in the application, demonstrating the client a clear screen can influence it to appear like the application is solidified. To stay away from this, the application must give the client a feeling that the application is quick and responsive. Some practical recommendations along these lines include:

• Use temporary placeholders to create a feeling of fast loading

Source: Skeleton screen for News Feed in Facebook app

7. Make navigation clear and concise

In a mobile app, a user should be able to navigate by themselves. The app should provide the necessary directions and instructions for navigation. Some practical recommendations along these lines include:

• Familiarize the users with the navigation

• Design optimum information architecture: The information should be organized in a way such that it requires a minimum number of steps to reach the destination.

• Make the user aware of their current location

• Consistency is key

8. Design finger-friendly tap-targets

The size of a touch target is a major concern among mobile users. If they are too small, it ruins the app experience and prevents the users from returning. The mobile touch targets must be large enough such that the users can tap them easily. Some practical recommendations along these lines include:

• Touch targets on the screen are of prime importance: The controls must measure at least 7–10 mm or larger so they can be accurately tapped with a finger.

 

Source: UXMag

• Spacing must be appropriate between the touch targets

9. Don’t use custom gestures as a primary way of interacting with an app

Standardisation is the key to a good user app experience. The user needs to see standard symbols and controls for the common actions to be able to recognize them easily and perform the actions smoothly. Also, it is best to avoid too many gestures and stick to the standard ones. Some practical recommendations along these lines include:

• Use standard gestures for shortcuts. 

• Avoid using standard gestures to perform non-standard actions.

10. Make text legible

The user’s main point of comprehension is the textual content present in the app. If the size and font of the content is too small and vague, the user will not be able to understand it and thus this will affect app retention. Some practical recommendations along these lines include:

• Size of the font must be readable

Source: Apple

• Colour contrast of the text must be strong such that it is clear

Source: Apple

11. Don’t take users to a browser

Abstain from taking the clients to the program from the application for any activity or to see more substance. This gives a feeling of displacement and the clients may stay away for the indefinite future to the application because of disappointment. Some practical recommendations along these lines include:

• An in-app browser can be used

12. Minimize the need for typing

Users usually find it very difficult to type long sentences and frequently on a mobile device. So avoid fields that require excessive typing. Some practical recommendations along these lines include:

• Keep forms short and simple

Source: Lukew

13. Create a seamless and synchronized experience

A typical user has more than one device with the same app installed in all the devices. It is important that his/her progress in a particular app is uniform across all the devices. Some practical recommendations along these lines include:

• Synchronize a user’s current progress

14. Always test your design

Indeed, even the most accurately created UI and well-thoroughly considered UX will, at last, contain some inconspicuous blemishes when put into this present reality. Many times, a design that looks great on a designer’s large desktop screen doesn’t look nearly half as good when taken for a test on a real mobile device. Thus, it is essential to test out the app with real users on a variety of devices that are compatible with the app. Some practical recommendations along these lines include:

• Ask real-time users to execute regular tasks in your app

• Constantly measure your application utilizing information from examination and client criticism to enhance the experience.

Author Bio:

Nitesh Behani, a creative and passionate mobile application enthusiast helps companies with Industry-specific solutions on Mobile Application, AI, IOT, ChatBots, FinTech, Real Estate and more. He is a co-founder of Magneto IT Solutions, a leading Mobile app development company in USA, India & UAE.