Having a functional mobile app is no longer enough to stand out in today's competitive and highly technological world. This can be attributed to the fact that today’s mobile applications require an interface that is both simple and a joy to use. The reason why some people never click on your app is likely related to its poor mobile app design; hence your priority should be your UI.
We’ll be looking into an introduction to UI, understanding its goals and benefits, followed by UI design best practices. So without further ado, let’s get started.
What is User Interface (UI) Design?
User interface (UI) design is the process that designers use to create interfaces for apps or websites. UI focuses on the app or software’s visual appearance, mostly its look or style. In other words, UI typically focuses on the way users interact with your digital product. Designers tend to aim for an aesthetically pleasing interface design while ensuring that it’s functional.
Elements encompassed in UI design include buttons, icons, typography, color schemes, and layout. They’re all aimed at making your clients’ experience intuitive and enjoyable.
What to look for in a well-designed UI
Well-designed user interfaces make navigation of your digital product easy. They also help users understand features while completing tasks efficiently. It’s somewhat close to user experience (UX) design, but while UX deals with the overall feel and user flow, UI focuses on the specific look of the app and the user’s interactions with it.
If you’re interested in reading about user experience, you can click here to read our article diving into the role of design in enhancing user experience.
Why UI Design Should be Your Priority
Many businesses ask an important question: How to make an app convert? You’d be surprised, but the secret lies in your mobile app design. There are several reasons why you should consider your UI design a priority:
- It creates an instant positive impression.
- Provides improved Usability.
- Gives you a refined brand perception.
- Contributes to higher conversion rates
Let’s go through each one of those points to elaborate on UI design’s role in achieving these advantages.
Creating a positive impression through UI Design
There’s no arguing the fact that first impressions matter. A well-designed UI creates an immediate positive impression for your users. This makes them more likely to engage with your mobile app or service. On the other hand, a poorly designed UI can turn users away instantly.
Because your UI is often the user’s first interaction, an opinion is formed within seconds. You want this impression to be positive, as it tends to impact usability, trustworthiness, and app quality. A well-designed UI can immediately establish credibility and set a positive tone, making users feel at home and allowing them to continue exploring your product.
How UI Impacts Usability
As mentioned previously, UI heavily influences your client interactions with your service. An intuitive mobile app simplifies navigation and makes it easy for your clients to complete tasks within your digital product. This contributes to frustration reduction while increasing user satisfaction.
This isn’t just making your users feel better while using your services, as this impacts retention rate and metrics that translate into a higher bottom line for your business.
How UI Impacts Brand Perception
UI design directly influences how users perceive your brand. A sleek design reflects positively on your business. If you had an application that can be best described as cluttered and outdated, and another that looks professional, minimalistic, and has an ideal layout and spacing between elements and icons, it’s clear which brand presents itself more professionally.
Do your brand a favor and create an experience your target audience will enjoy. It’ll take your brand to new heights.
How UI Design Increases Conversion Rates
A well-optimized UI design can guide your users smoothly through the customer journey, making them more likely to take desired actions. Whether you want them to make purchases or just sign up, your UI can help your app perform better. Less friction leads to higher conversions.
Focus on removing confusion and make sure each step is clear and logical. You can do so by highlighting elements such as call-to-action (CTA) buttons and using visual design principles like icons and arrows that subtly nudge users toward completing tasks without feeling lost or overwhelmed. You’re essentially looking to achieve design consistency across your application.
Best Practices and Tips for Creating an Intuitive UI
The best start for creating an intuitive mobile app is understanding your users. This will help you tailor your UI to match their needs and expectations. Your goal is to create a natural, user-friendly interface. Conduct thorough research, JTBD interviews, and surveys, and understand your target audience’s pain points. Focus groups are also a very helpful tool in acquiring much-needed insights.
To reiterate the natural interface further, keep your UI simple. This will help your users experience less load and complete tasks more efficiently without any sensory overload. If your app is overly complex or requires a manual, your mobile app design needs rethinking.
In addition to the points above, you can focus on creating a visual hierarchy, which is crucial in directing your users’ attention to the UI’s key elements, but what is Visual hierarchy?
Visual hierarchy is the idea of positioning design components to establish their order of priority. Some things you need to pay close attention to are:
- Icon and text size.
- The color of your interface’s elements.
- Your UI’s contrast.
- Spacing of your UI elements.
For instance, using larger, brightly colored buttons in a mobile shopping application can make it easy for customers to quickly access key features like product categories and their shopping cart. Remember this thought process and follow a data-driven approach to your UI. This will give you the best return on your investment