The app economy is booming but not everyone is lucky. There are several considerations to keep in mind when designing a mobile app such as user psychology and device usability.
Unfortunately, there are folks who underestimate the complexity of design and end up making incredibly deadly mistakes. These mistakes end up making the mobile app less attractive and nobody wants that! For your convenience, we have compiled a list of some of the deadliest mistakes that app designers make.
1. Being Inconsistent With Aesthetic Choices
If you want a different color and typography on each page, then we’re just going to stop you right there. Opting for a mixture of colors and different fonts will only confuse your user. In fact, being inconsistent will serve as a hurdle, making your app boring and messy.
Cut through the extra noise with a design that complements the app theme and your brand statement. Don’t treat every page on your mobile app as a separate entity. Instead, look at the design as a whole. If you’re determined to change the color, move from heavy to light colors to make the visual transition easy on the eyes. Remember, your app design should keep consumer behavior patterns in mind.
2. Not Opting For an Asynchronous Design
Most app developers, designers assume their users have uninterrupted access to high-speed internet. This might not always be the case. So if you try to use remote services or start an API call, the mobile app is likely to slow down and stop working.
Opting or an Asynchronous Design can be a savior. This is especially beneficial as it will perform background action while folks are still interacting with the mobile application. Doing so will prevent setbacks and stop the dialog box from posting notifications about the app being unresponsive.
3. Not Testing the App on Different Screens
Perhaps the biggest and possibly the deadliest mistake is not testing your app on different screen sizes. Poor testing can expose users to several bugs or setbacks you may miss out on while using the application and this is not all. These reports will ultimately lead to poor reviews that’ll damage the app’s ratings on Google Play or iTunes. In extreme conditions, you might not recover better ratings if you fail to take appropriate action on time.
Before you make another move, test your mobile app on different screen sizes. Not all smartphones and tablets are shaped the same hence this step is vital to ensure your app looks attractive in every version. Hiring a quality QA tester will take care of these setbacks. Remember, good coding practices for a better ROI are not only important for websites. They are equally critical for mobile apps as well.
4. Draining User’s Battery Power
A design that drains battery power is another no-no. People usually have several apps installed on their phone, so you need a design that doesn’t slow down their phones. Most mobile phones in the market only offer a half days’ worth of battery life so make sure that your app is worth it and won’t slow down the entire system.
So, unless it’s necessary, don’t design an app that conducts unnecessary background processes.
5. Overloading the App with Too Much Information
Don’t dump the app with too much information as it could lead to cognitive overload. Most people are fans of simple and intuitive designs that won’t leave their mind exhausted. Hence it’s important to consider that a person’s cognitive processing when designing the application.
Because cognitive processing may vary from person to person, you might have to change the app design. This’ll ensure the app is easy to use for everybody. It’s also worth noting that most people perform a number of tasks at the same time.
6. Ripping Off Your Competitors Design
Ripping off your competitor’s entire design won’t leave a superb impression of your app. Sure, it’s all right to take inspiration but blatant copying won’t do you any good. After all, you don’t want your app to look like a cheap knock-off of somebody else’s app.
Take notice of colors and typography that have worked well for others. This will inspire you to create something along the same lines.
7. Not offering clear guidelines
Not offering clear usage guidelines will ultimately put people off. Some mobile developers and designers go as far that their applications support an older version of android without proper testing.
For greater ease of use, never use outdated Android software to design your app. Doing so will prevent exposure to bugs and other unwanted problems. Also, always conduct thorough testing before making a claim. If you claim your app runs on an older version of Android when it doesn’t, it might create distrust amongst users.