8 out of every 10 Americans own a smartphone. That number has absolutely skyrocketed over the last 15 years.
Given how rampant smartphone usage is domestically and across the globe. It’s no wonder why so many business owners are flocking towards developing mobile applications
If you’re reading this article, our guess is that you’re contemplating mobile app development yourself but aren’t sure exactly how to wrap your head around the design process.
Our team aims to help you bring more clarity to your vision by outlining 8 mobile app design tips that are worth cementing in your mind.
1. Pick a Single Platform to Start With
There are two major platforms in the mobile device space. Those platforms are iOS (an operating system by Apple) and Android (an operating system by Google).
In a perfect world, your application could simultaneously launch across both platforms to give yourself the ability to serve as many of your customers as possible. If this is your first time developing an application though, we’d recommend focusing on whichever platform is most popular among your consumers and then building from there.
iOS and Android development workflows are very different. Simultaneous development across both spaces could result in two sub-par products rather than one really good one.
2. Analyze Your Competition
There is no better place to get mobile app design tips from than from your competition. Almost certainly you have one person that operates in your space that has already released an app similar to what you’re going for.
Our recommendation is to download that app to see what you like and dislike. You can also pour over user reviews to see how the general market is judging your competing app’s features.
Looking over competitor apps is the equivalent to profiting off of someone else’s field test. Mine as much information as you can from your observations and use what you find to help direct your app’s design.
3. Launch With Core Functions, Then Build
Launching an app that addresses all of your customer’s problems right out of the gate is a recipe for disaster. Almost all successful applications begin by focusing on 2 or 3 core features that their customers care about.
Talk to your customers. See what it is that they’d like to achieve with a mobile app and design your application’s first pass around those wishes.
4. Make Usability a Priority
When you’re designing a mobile app, it can be tempting to trick your application out with all of the bells and whistles that your team can cook up. While we don’t advocate that you tamper your creativity, we do advocate that you don’t drive your customers crazy.
As you’re developing your mobile application, you’re going to want to think of your least tech-savvy customer and design everything just for them.
By catering to the lowest common denominator of your customer base you’ll ensure that the widest swath of people can get use out of your product.
Another thing to be aware of when considering usability are any state-specific regulations that may require your application to have features that assist disabled users.
5. Lay Out a One-Year Plan
Even the biggest businesses with the most talented development teams understand that applications are living, breathing things that will need regular updates as platforms evolve and consumer’s needs change.
To help get yourself into an “update mindset”, prior to designing the first version of your app, lay out its one year plan.
In that plan, you should have your proposed update windows laid out, what each of those windows will include in the way of new features and proposed costs if you’re working with an external app development team.
6. Define How Your Products Co-Exist
Is your mobile application the only way that consumers are going to be able to engage with your products and services? How do they engage with you now?
We’re willing to bet that you already have a website that does a lot of what you want your business application to do.
So then, how will your business app co-exist with your website?
Will your app cannibalize your website? Are you planning on phasing your website out?
We know that’s a lot of questions but you need to be crystal clear as to what your long term vision is so that you and your customers always know what to expect.
7. Support Should Come Simple
No matter how customer-friendly your mobile app design is, a lot of your users are going to be confused as to how to do whatever it is that they need to do. Rather than setting conditions where those people are going to throw their hands in the air out of frustration, make sure that they can get ahold of support specialists as easily as possible.
In a perfect world, your application would have a button that can connect people to a representative instantly.
8. Leverage Feedback
When you launch an app, your customers are going to tell you how they feel about it.
Some of what they say will be good. Other stuff won’t be.
By taking the bad comments in stride though and using them to continue perfecting your products, you’ll speed up the amount of time that it takes your app to go from humble beginnings to mobile device juggernaut!
Wrapping Up Our Top Mobile App Design TipsÂ
Mobile app design is becoming an increasingly popular endeavor in the business community. If you plan on foraying into this space, consider our tips above and feel free to dive deeper into more of the business-focused content on our blog for additional advice.
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