Did you know that the average person in the US spends about 5 hours glued to their smart devices? Whether it’s messaging, posting photos, or gaming, today’s digital age sees people constantly using apps.
With massive popularity comes massive competition, and while competition is a good thing (it keeps us on our toes and makes everything a little better), entering a world where apps grow on trees can be an intimidating but rewarding adventure.
If you have If you’ve decided to build an app, coming up with something that sets you apart from the competition is integral to your success and can be the difference between standing out and just making up the numbers. That something is amazing app design.
Beautiful interfaces, amazing simplicity, and easy navigation are 3 of the salient traits of a great app. You want people to tell their friends about your app, understand its purpose, find it easy to navigate, and make sure it’s something they come back to.
But how do you create a great application design?
Our ultimate guide to app design is here to help, and we’ll walk you through the process of how to design an app that’s sure to be a winner:
- Getting started
- Set the goal of your app
- Make a plan
- Research your niche and competitors
- Design and development
- Create a wireframe
- Design your app
- Options to get your app designed
- App Design Tips: What to Keep in Mind During the App Design Process
>
- Gather Feedback on Your Design
- Get Developed of your app
- Test and launch
- Test your app with a focus group
- Launch a beta version
- Start your application
Getting started:
1. Set the goal of your app
Before you reach for that keyboard, a pen and paper are a good starting point. Try to think about why you are designing an application and what you are trying to achieve.
Put your thinking cap on yourself and write down the answers to the following questions:
- What is the underlying goal of your app? What exactly do you want it to do?
- How will you make your app engage users?
- What do you intend to do? What is the problem you want to help people solve with your app?
- Why would people want to use your app instead of one of your competitors? How does it stand out?
It’s not just app design where goal setting is important, it’s a life lesson! Setting clear goals for your application and writing them down will give you a reference to return to throughout the process. If you ever forget the answer to one of these questions, having them written down will be a great reference to keep you on track and on course to dominate the world of apps.
2. Make a plan
Wait! Don’t reach for the computer yet, you’re not done with pen and paper.
Think about the answers to your questions in the first step. Now take that information and draw a scope outline for your project. During this stage, you can dig a little deeper into how your app will make money (ads, in-app purchases, etc.), what you need your app to do, and outline a path of where you’ll take your ideas, and how you’ll make them work within your app.
Think of this stage as drawing a visible roadmap of your app, what its features are, who it’s for, and a mini step-by-step guide as to how you can get it there.
3. Research your niche and your competitors
Yes, yes, you can put down the pen now and head to the world wide web.
Research is an integral step in the application design process. It’s important to understand your app’s niche market and have an idea of what you’re up against. The app world is an extremely diverse and competitive field, so you’ll definitely want to make sure your unique idea is exactly that.
Don’t be intimidated by what you see out there. Just because there are many apps similar to the ones you’re looking for doesn’t mean yours won’t be the one to beat them all. Researching your competitors will show you what’s missing from their apps and give you better ideas on what to incorporate into yours.
Try to pay attention to reviews: what are users currently liking? of the applications that are already available? there? What is it that they don’t like and how could you solve this problem? During this step, you can also refer back to your written and sketched notes, modify what you have written down, and get an idea of how to move forward.
Designing and Developing Your Application
—
4. Create a wireframe for your app
Your wireframe is a blueprint for the visual architecture of your app. You’ll take your goals and visual sketches a step further and create a basic “blueprint” of how your app will look and work. You can do this very simply on paper first, but digital wireframes make things easier, especially once your wireframes get more complex and detailed.
How do you do this? Its wireframe is the opportunity to take your vision and put it within the confines of a mobile screen. Don’t worry, you don’t need to make any specific design decisions yet. This step is all about creating the workflows and overall structure of your app.
The steps above helped you get an idea of what you want your app to do. Your wireframe is a more detailed and specific outline of how things are going to work and what pages and features are needed.
There are a lot of easy-to-use wireframing tools you can use to create your wireframes. . See which one works best for you and start bringing your app design to life.
Here are some schematic tools you can use:
- Axure
- Pidoco
- iPlotz
Once you’ve designed your wireframe, you’ll have a good overview of the pages you’ll need and how your app will work.
To test if your wireframes are robust, you can create a click pattern using a tool like Invision. This will allow you to click through the screens you have planned and will help you test whether the navigation you have set up makes sense.
Show your schematics to your colleagues and friends and collect their feedback on the structure. and navigation of your application. See if your testers find it intuitive and if all the screens and elements make sense to them.
If you run into any issues with your navigation or want to rearrange the screens and layout, you can simply adjust your layouts and try again. new. Continue going back and forth until you are satisfied with your schematics.
5. Design Your App
Now it’s time to think about the actual design of your app and create attractive and realistic mockups. This is a very important step because it is what will leave a lasting impression on your users, so don’t rush or skimp when it comes to your app design. A beautiful, professional, and great-looking design is what can make your app a smashing success.
What colors, fonts, and design elements to use is a big decision, so we’ll talk more about this in the design tips section below.
When it comes to deciding how to design your application, you have several different options. You can consider designing your app yourself, but unless you’re a graphic designer, we wouldn’t recommend it. It’s best to trust a professional to ensure you get a great result.
Work directly with a designer
If you already have a vision of what your app should look like and know what you want and you need, the easiest way is to work with a designer 1-on-1. You can either hire a local freelancer or, if you don’t have any connection to designers yet, search for different designer portfolios online.
Be sure to look at a designer’s past work with your vision in mind to find the perfect match in terms of skill and style.
Have an app design contest
If you’re not sure what you want your app to look like and are looking for suggestions, a great option is to run an app design contest.
You write a brief and designers from all over the world read it and send you their ideas for your app.You can send feedback to refine it. choose the designs and ultimately choose your favorite as the winner.
Use an app builder
Another method of designing is to use an app builder. Like a web builder, app builders save you a bit of money compared to hiring a full designer, but you’ll need to be more hands-on, and there will be restrictions on what you can do. Keep in mind that if you want a complex design and have specific needs, this may be out of depth for a builder.
Hire an agency
Your final choice is the complete package, where You can relax and let someone else take care of everything – hire an agency to create your app from scratch, including design. This is a great option if your project is really complex and you need a lot of experience in different areas. Make the effort to contact a few of them and get quotes and ideas to see if they are a good fit for what you want to do. This will certainly be your most expensive option, but if you want things done a specific way and have the resources to make it happen, it’s a tough option to beat.
No matter which option you choose, be sure to give feedback and keep an eye on whether the design really fits your brand and communicates the style and look you’re going for from the start. Don’t lose sight of the goals you set at the beginning, and reflect on whether the final design really says what you want it to say.
App design tips: what to keep in mind during the app design process
Here are some key tips to keep in mind when it comes to designing your app:
Make it easy to navigate:
An awesome app is not nothing without Easy Navigation, so design with that in mind to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience for your users.
Make sure the navigation drawer or tab bar is clearly visible to the user. A user won’t be able to navigate your app if they have no idea how to do it, so keep things visible to make sure they know where to go. Remember to stick to a layout that is familiar to your users, so they intuitively know how to navigate through your app.
Another important tip: make it easy to use with their fingers. If buttons and links are too small for people to click with their fingers, they will have a hard time navigating through your app.
Design for simplicity:
Keep things simple Minimal for a modern look and make generous use of white space. That allows your users to focus on what matters most. Again, using familiar symbols and phrases can help keep it simple and easy to use.
Designing for simplicity means designing with the goal of making the user experience as pleasant and easy as possible. possible. Too much information presented on the screen at once or just too much, the user is likely to feel overwhelmed and leave the application.
Choose colors and fonts consciously:
The psychology of color packs a punch, so don’t underestimate its effect. Similarly, your choice of fonts will influence the appearance of your app. Be sure to think about the hidden meanings that these design elements communicate, and select them carefully. Also remember: You don’t want to mix too many different colors and fonts for a consistent, professional look.
If you have brand guidelines with specific colors and fonts, be sure to adhere to them in your application. design, so your app becomes a seamless extension of your brand.
Think about visual hierarchy and weight:
Visual weight is the size and impact of the different elements on screen compared to others. Use visual weight to make sure the most important aspects of your design stand out.
A clear visual hierarchy will help your users find their way, so make sure the hierarchy you establish for pages and subpages, as well as headings and subheadings, is always consistent.
h4 >Be consistent:
Here’s the thing about colours, fonts and all those other design elements: they can only be effective and leave a positive brand effect if you’re consistent. This also applies to other graphics, navigation, and your content.
Your app should have visual consistency (design elements like colors, buttons, and labels), functional consistency (your app should perform similarly in all elements) and external consistency (any other selling points such as a website, sister apps should look similar to your new app).
Being consistent throughout your app will make it look professional and will allow your users to develop a relationship with your app and your brand.
6. Gather feedback on your design
Now that you have perfect mockups, it’s time to call your friends, family, and even enemies (if you have any) and test your app design. A rendered click model will make this easier and give your testers a real idea of what the app will look like.
It’s important to note that this is not your finished app, and there will be more testing later. This is essentially a test of the design, navigation, appearance, while functionality will come later.
The more people who test your app design, the more feedback you get, and therefore a better idea of what works well and what needs improvement. Constructive criticism will be your friend here, so don’t be afraid to dig a little deeper with your samples and find out exactly what they think. Are you too full? Too soft? Take note of any feedback your testers might have.
If you have a rendered target click model, take a look over your testers shoulder (but first make sure their breath is nice and fresh ) . This helps show you how they navigate your app and gives you insight into the consumer experience.
Once you have all the feedback you need and have a good understanding of what works for you and what requires improvements, you can go back and ask your designer to make the necessary adjustments.
7. Develop your app
Now it’s time to hand over your design to your developer or development team. They will code the functional side of your application and make sure that it actually does what it is supposed to do. They will most likely go back and forth with you and your designer to fine-tune the design to keep everything running smoothly and to resolve any issues they run into during the development process.
And voila, now has a functional app! Take a look at the goal of your app that you decided on when it all started. Have you solved a common problem, made people enjoy a fun creation, or made people’s lives easier in some way? Chances are you’ve done it and really nailed it with your stellar design.
Test and Release
—
8. Test your app with a discussion group
We now have a fully functional app to test, so you’ll want to make sure it’s exactly that before you set it up for release. At this point, all aspects of the app should work properly and be visually appealing.
Remember those happy helpers who helped you test your mockups before? Call those guys back. Make them your focus group and allow them complete freedom with your application.
Try to get as much final feedback as you can before deciding on your final outcome. If you’re working with a designer and developer, take any constructive criticism you have and put them to work making final adjustments toward the finished product.
9. Releasing a beta version
Beta testing means releasing a beta version of your app and making it available to early adopters on a small scale.This way, you can see how your application runs in a real environment and see how users respond.
Let your users know you’d appreciate their feedback, and use them to adjust things based on what you see and the feedback you get.
Once you have the feedback you need and a clear analysis of how your app looks and performs in a real world environment, the finish line will appear and you are ready to reveal your masterpiece to the world.
10. Start your application
Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel! You’ve planned, tested, designed, and tested some more, and your app is ready to go.
Android does not require review before you start your application. This means that you simply have to upload your app file to the Google Play store (just like with your beta version) and people can start downloading your app instantly. IOS is slightly different in that they will review your app before it can go live. Don’t worry though, if you’ve followed our ultimate guide and done everything correctly, you should have no problem getting the green light.
Now that your app is available to the masses, don’t stop there. Please continue to improve and update your app regularly to give your users the best experience.
Also, don’t underestimate the importance of the next step: marketing. Marketing your app effectively will help make your app available and reach your users’ phones. To take a look at some intuitive ideas on how to market your new mobile app, check out this helpful article.
Ready to take the app world by storm? —
Apps are such a pervasive aspect of today’s business world, and now you’re ready to build and design an app that really stands out.
The app design process It may seem complex, but following this guide and breaking it down into small manageable steps will make it much easier.
So what are you waiting for? Put on your designer hat and bring that awesome app idea you have to life.
.