Mobile applications enabled cellular phones to become more purposeful gadgets. There are applications for gaming, music and video streaming, content creation and sharing, fitness, and many more. With various competitors today, how could one aspiring application developer attract users while serving the app’s purpose?
The solution lies in the application design. If you are not an expert on this matter, you may consult a mobile application design agency to help you out. Nonetheless, if you are feeling adventurous, you may want to consider avoiding these app design mistakes:
- Poor first impression. Leaving a good impression on first-time users is critical in app design. A client gets to have a general look at the features and functions of the application, probably deciding whether to give it a second try next time or not based on the first experience. Thus, ensure that the app is visually pleasing, easy to navigate, and generally user-friendly.
- Aimless designing. As an application’s design have a huge impact on the user, it should also convey the purpose and goals of the app itself. The very reason why the app is being developed should be the guide to creating the app format and aesthetics. If the purpose is clear, each part of the app will function coherently as a whole.
- Design inconsistency. Uniform fonts, color palettes, and icon design play a significant part in mobile app design. Apart from making your app strikingly pleasing, it also shows coherence and wholeness in your app. While considering consistency, do not compromise the general functionality of the app. Keep fonts readable, layout subtle, and icons easy to locate.
- Ambiguous buttons. Buttons for “call to action” or CTA must be carefully placed on the screen as they prompt the user on what to do next. Make sure that these buttons are strategically positioned, and that their aspects are clearly defined. Of course, the function of each button should be comprehensible while using a limited number of words.
- Too many features. As with other things in this world, there is beauty in simplicity. It is best that your app is directly serving its purpose with certain features that do the job. Having too many features can make your app too complex to use and too slow to execute commands. If additional features are really part of your app, you may introduce a version with basic functionality and gradually include new features in future updates.
- Absence of default values. Drop-down menus can save a prospective client some notable effort and time in accomplishing tedious assignments like filling out forms. The absence of default values in such a manner can result in annoying typing of information repeatedly, causing users to get tired and eventually get rid of the app.
- Too many pop-up windows. Modal windows are there for some reasons, like introducing or modifying a new item on the app. However, too many of these can cause more harm than good as it tends to obstruct the main content of a page or a screen. Frequent popping up of modal windows might be perceived by clients as interruptions rather than indispensable features of the app. You may limit the use of modal windows only to the most applicable features or icons.
Designing a mobile app can be challenging, so it is best to seek guidance from a mobile application design agency. Even with the help of experts, look out for the abovementioned mistakes for your soon-to-be-developed app so can engage more users.
