Mobile App Design
If professional mobile app developers know one thing, it’s this: thinking outside of the box can be an incredibly lucrative ability. It can mean the difference between mediocrity and brilliance. And if you’re brilliant enough, it can also change your life in ways you never thought possible. But sometimes, wild and crazy ideas new ideas that aren’t grounded in reality can be just that – fanciful ideas that fail because they’re not anchored to reality. So What are the covenants of Mobile App Design?
Learn the Rules to Break Them
There’s an old saying that you have to learn the rules before you can break them. This holds true in the design of mobile applications just as much as it does anywhere else. Without a sound foundation of mobile app basics, you’re cooked. Don’t be cooked. Instead, read and understand the following covenants. And when you’re done, go out and make the best app in the world. Someone has to – might as well be you.
- Design with mobile in mind. You’d be surprised to learn there are a lot of developers out there who go into mobile app design without actually visualizing how it will work on a small screen. That’s because the design programs they use are PC or tablet based, and it can be hard for some to switch back and forth from desktop to hand held mentality. If you find you have a similar issue, work on it. To create an effective mobile app design, you have to be able to think small and simple and straightforward.
- Play to the limitations of the mobile device. Let’s face it, for as far as smart phones have come, they’re still not the equivalent of a PC. Sure, they may be capable of executing some pretty powerful programs and they can certainly handle a lot of memory – but a smart phone never has been, and never will be, a desktop computer. Embrace the functional limitations of the smart phone. Play to them. Don’t ignore them, otherwise you might just find yourself building an application that’s too difficult for someone on a hand held device to use.
- The fewer the taps, the greater the app. Always keep the user in mind when creating an application, especially one that performs a much needed function. Apps are there to simplify life for the end user. If an application doesn’t do that, it’s failed entirely. As you design an application, always bear in mind that the more taps and swipes an individual is forced to make, the more likely they are to lose patience and not use the application at all. Creating this kind of poor user experience isn’t only bad for downloads, it’s also bad for ratings.
- Always give the impression of speed. Okay, this one can be a little tricky, because in a way it relies on creating an app that appears to defy the laws of mobile connectivity speeds. The bottom line is, for as fast as mobile devices are getting, they are never going to be fast enough to fully satisfy users. For this reason, if you develop an application that appears to clock while performing its primary function, you’re only going to end up turning users off and chasing downloads away. Instead of using tried and true (and outdated) images like the hourglass, design your apps so that other functions can be accessed while a function is being processed. Remember, perception is everything when it comes to mobile application design.
Are you a professional developer creating mobile app design? If you want to explore your employment opportunities, Artisan Talent can put you in contact with a broad diversity of clients looking for someone to help them realize their mobile applications marketing goals. Contact us today to learn more about mobile app design.
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Artisan Talent is a Digital, Marketing and Creative Staffing Firm placing talent in jobs perfectly matched with their skills all over the US. For available jobs, to submit your resume, or learn more about working with Artisan Talent, contact us here.
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