Ten things to keep in mind while choosing a mobile app interface

Morethan 50% ofinternet traffic comes from smartphones alone, and users spend 90% oftheir time with smartphones on mobile apps. The stats show that themobile app has become an essential part of the lives of the people. Aseamless mobile app interface is theprimaryreason for increasing use of mobile apps across the globe. 

Ifyour mobileapp can provide a smooth user interface,then it’s likely that your app will have higher retention rates andmore downloads. It means you will earn significant profits for yourmobile app for an extended period. But, if the app interface is notsatisfactory,then people are likely to uninstall your app in no time. 

More than 25% of the apps downloaded from the app store got accessed just once after the download owing to its bad user-experience. You wouldn’t want your app to have a similar fate. And that’s why you may refer to the ten things to keep in mind while choosing a mobile app interface; it will help you have a flawless app interface.

 1 – Keep the cognitive load low

Cognitiveload means the amount of brainpower needed to run the app. The humanbrain has limitations, and it can process only a certain amount ofinformation at once. When your app provides excessive information tothe user at once, then it may become overwhelming for the user, andhe/she may give up on the task. So, when you’re designing the app,ensure that you only provide easily readable and understandableinformation on one screen.  

2 – Know your app’s end objective 

Ifyou don’t know the end objective of your app clearly or you cannotdescribe it in a few sentences, then the app’s end-user is likelyto get confused and ultimately uninstall your app. The average timeof app deletion is 5.8days,and if you want your app to stay in the users’ phone longer thanthat, then you need to have clear objectives. 

3 – Clear the clutter

Clearingthe clutter is the top recommendation for having a seamless appinterface. Clutter is the arch-enemy of a smooth interface.Cluttering often overloads the user with unnecessary information;each button you add, picture, and graphics make the screen morecrowded. Clutter is annoying on desktop, but on the mobile app, itbecomes even worse. So, it would help if you focused on removingthings in your design that are not necessary.  

4 – Make a good first impression

Thereare millions of apps across various app stores. When you launch yourapp in such a competitive market, it better needs to make anexcellent first impression. When the users install your app for thefirst time, they should get exposed to an aesthetically pleasingscreen and smooth user experience. When you ensure a comfortableexperience for the user, then they will have more reasons to keepusing your app. It will increase the retention rate of your app.  

5 – Reduce the tasks

Itwould be best if you looked for things in the app design thatrequires user-efforts. It can be entering their credentials, or anyother data, making decisions, and so on. Instead, you can reuse thepreviously entered data by the user. You should not ask the user totype the same information repeatedly; instead, you should set smartdefaults that use already available data. By doing so, you willreduce the tasks for the users, and they will have more conveniencewhile using the app. 

6 – Put visual weight to convey the urgency 

Theessential element on the screen should have the most visualinfluence. You can add more weight to a component by increasing thefont size, weight, and colour. When you add weight to essential itemson the screen, they will be easily noticeable. They will not onlycatch the users attention but also make their tasks simpler.    

7 – Break the sizeable task into tiny chunks

Ifa task has a lot of steps and actions required from the user, thenit’s better to break it into small pieces or sub-tasks. It isessential in the mobile app because you don’t want the user to getbombarded with a lot of steps at once as it will increase complexityfor the user. For instance, you can look at a step by step checkoutprocess of e-commerce apps. It goes like log-in, address details,payment, and then confirmation.  

8 – Incorporate familiar screens

Familiarscreens refer to screens that users see in many apps. Screens like‘getting started,’ ‘search results,’ etc. have become awell-known standard across mobile apps. Such familiar screens don’trequire further explanation because users already recognize thosescreens. It allows users to use past experiences to interact with theapp, and it takes away the learning curve.   

9 – Lower the user input

Typingon a small screen of a Smartphone can be irritating as compared totyping on a laptop’s screen. Typing on a small screen has higherchances of typos and other typing errors. It may lead to afrustrating experience for the user. Therefore, keep forms and othertext-required fields as short as possible. 

10 – Use a consistent flow of design 

Aninconsistent design is a significant deterrent for app users. You maywant to get creative with colours, fonts, and graphic, but it maycome across as a complicated and messy flow of the design. Whereasusing a consistent flow of design will help users learn patterns andget familiar with the app. It will act as a guide throughout theapp’s menu and other features. It would help if you made thefunctionality of the app easier and give air to breathe to theusers. 

To summarize 

Every1% that you invest in the user experience can give you a return up toa total of 100%.Therefore, it’s worth it to invest in getting a seamless appinterface. You will not only earn great money but also stay ahead inthe competition. Those above were the things you should keep in mindwhile choosing a mobile interface. Itwill undoubtedly help you have the best user experience.