To create an app that your customers will love, the app has to work well, look good, and feel good. That is why User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) design have become crucial aspects of every software project. Your app must have the functionalities to deliver a solution to your customers’ problems. Its interface must be easy on the eyes and intuitive to the touch. Lastly, your app must give your users an enjoyable experience. When you fulfill these requirements, you will have more customers downloading, buying from, and recommending your apps.
Check out our list of 10 UI/UX best practices that you can start implementing to give your users a great experience while using your app.
01 Make it easy
Decide on the user goal that you want to help achieve. It shouldn’t take more than three taps to get to the page that the user needs. This means organizing information and breaking down processes into steps that are easy to follow. Have smart defaults or auto-fill texts to cut down the time when users need to type instead of just tapping.
02 Keep it simple
Stick to one primary action per screen, and remove all the unnecessary clutter. When users are overwhelmed with choices, they tend to shy away from making a decision. This could leave you with an abandoned form or cart. When it comes to aesthetics, don’t be afraid to make use of white space to let the eyes catch a break and to drive attention to your main action item.
03 Make navigation intuitive
Make sure your users find standard navigation commands easily: the burger that represents the menu, the X on the top right corner of the screen to close a popup, the save button at the very bottom of the page, and more. Swipes and taps must be intuitive. Do not let your users get lost!
04 Build for one-handed operation
On a busy day, your users may have to push a physical cart with one hand and browse a digital shopping list with another. Make sure that essential buttons are within reach of the thumb.
05 Be fast and responsive
So much to do, so little time. Your images, animations, and text must be optimized to load quickly, even with a slow internet connection. Or risk your user getting impatient after waiting a few seconds too long. When you do have to make the user wait — as you process a form or payment — communicate what is happening by including a delightful animation on the screen.
Do your notifications add value to the experience?
06 Make notifications intentional
The last thing that you want is to get muted by your user because your notifications have become annoying. Communicate often and clearly, but with intention. If your notification adds little value to the experience, consider skipping it. Also, make sure your users can customize their notification settings.
07 Differentiate mobile from web experience
Do not just cram all the functionalities of your web app into an 8-inch mobile screen. While it is important for mobile users to perform complex tasks, the presentation of information and series of actions may be different. For example, avoid making mobile users click on hyperlinks — they are too small for most thumbs. Use clearly labeled buttons instead.
08 Be trustworthy
Discuss upfront — and in easily understandable terms — how your app is protecting its user data. Be transparent about your privacy policies.
09 Personalize
Provide a personal touch for your users. Humans respond positively to hearing (or seeing, in the case of an app) their names. Let them set color themes, skins, and other preferences. All these will help them feel more and more comfortable every time they log in to your app.
10 Keep it relevant
Do not clutter the screen with all the commands you think the user will need throughout their session. Instead, display what they need at any given time. For example, do not show a keyboard when they only need to tap a button. Display a piece of information only when it is relevant to show and not on the page before when it is not really needed yet.
Customers at the front and center
As technologies become more advanced and our lifestyles align with trends, UI/UX best practices may also change. It’s possible that you will have to break a few depending on what your app needs. But one thing is sure: when you put your customer’s needs at the front and center of every screen on your app, you are on your way to giving them a delightful experience.
At Stratpoint, we design award-winning applications. For more tips and best practices on designing delightful app experiences, reach out to us for a free consultation. Fill out the form below.