With so many people spending so much of their time on mobile applications, it certainly pays off to know a thing or two about ensuring a positive user experience (UX). I know from my personal experience that I really don’t have the patience or time to tolerate clunky interfaces and illogical application designs. If I need to spend more than a minute or so of my time trying to learn to use the app, I can tell you that it probably won’t last long on my phone. As the old mobile development adage goes: A user interface is like a joke, if you have to explain it, it’s not a very good one.
With that being said, it’s important to know your audience. For a positive user experience, you need to know your target audience to a ‘T’. What’s their age? What are they looking for in the app? Can they access information easily from the app, or do you feel you need to provide guidance about how to navigate the app? It’s been noted that user experience is severely affected when the user doesn’t know how to get what they want from the app. To avoid any issues like this, consult with a number of test users during the development to gauge user satisfaction or dissatisfaction and learn from it.
One of the biggest turn-offs for a mobile application user is a registration. I think its safe to say that nearly everyone can agree on this. To bypass any user frustrations related to this, you can always create a guest account for users. This will keep users from ditching the app completely. You can also use this to provide an incentive to register with an account. Another approach to this could be an auxiliary account log-in. For example, some applications allow you to access the application through your Facebook or Twitter accounts.
Minimal design is a trend that’s become extremely popular in the last few years. This approach includes only the most essential information in order to avoid any confusion. This is usually accompanied by a simple, but thoughtful selection of color detail with little to no added affects. Because mobile apps are often used on the go in a hurried state, you want to keep the application pared down to the core essentials. You can also utilize mobile specific features to make the app even easier to use for your audience. For some examples of exceptional mobile interface designs, head over to econsultancy.com for twenty designs you can use as inspiration.
- 5 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Mobile App Developer - August 22, 2017
- The Top 10 User Experience Blogs You Need to Follow in 2017 - July 17, 2017
- Solutions Review Presents: The User Interface Hall of Shame - July 13, 2017
Doug Atkinson
An entrepreneur and executive with a passion for enterprise technology, Doug founded Solutions Review in 2012. He has previously served as a newspaper boy, a McDonald's grill cook, a bartender, a political consultant, a web developer, the VP of Sales for e-Dialog - a digital marketing agency - and as Special Assistant to Governor William Weld of Massachusetts.
- 5 Questions to Ask When Hiring a Mobile App Developer - August 22, 2017
- The Top 10 User Experience Blogs You Need to Follow in 2017 - July 17, 2017
- Solutions Review Presents: The User Interface Hall of Shame - July 13, 2017
