Published on March 27th, 2020 | by Sunit Nandi

What Should Your UI Design Look Like This Year?

User Interface (UI) design is one of the most important elements of building a successful app. If users find the UI confusing or difficult to use, it will deliver a bad experience, and they will be unlikely to continue using the app.

With the UI being a critical part of success, you would think that more businesses and app developers would understand the dos and don’ts of UI design. Unfortunately, you will still find app developers and a lot of apps that make simple UI mistakes which end up dooming all of the other efforts that went into development.

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Check out the following UI design tips to help you build an app that will offer a better experience to your users.

Responsive Design

An app needs to perform well on a variety of screen sizes. With a static design, the app might not look right or it could be hard to use on certain devices. With a responsive design, the app will detect the type of device and it will adjust the UI to perform well on the screen of the device. This will make the app easier to use and it will deliver an experience that will satisfy a wider range of users.

Stay Consistent

Try to maintain a level of consistency throughout the design of the app. That means the colors, style and functions to be similar through all of the screens on an app. If users’ experiences significant changes from one screen to the next, it can be jarring. Furthermore, it will make the experience uneven and they will have to continually switch between different styles of use as they go through different stages of using the app.

Use Familiar Elements

Certain features and elements have become common across a broad range of apps. Users become accustomed to these elements and when they see them, they already know what they mean and how to use them. By incorporating familiar elements, you can make it easier for new users to learn how to use your app. This will make them more likely to keep using the app and that should lead to an increase in ROI.

Favor Simplicity

A simple UI will always deliver a better experience. If the UI is cluttered or complicated, it will make it harder for users to learn the app and most will give up before figuring it out. Review the app and eliminate anything that is unnecessary and does not add value. With a UI that is clean and simple, you will deliver a more satisfying experience that users will want to come back to.

Loading Speed

Users won’t stick with an app that takes too long to load. If they are waiting for elements of the UI to load on the screen, they will get frustrated and leave for a service that offers a more convenient experience.

Platform Best Practices

Whether you are designing for iOS or Android, there are best practices for app design. Follow the app design guidelines for Android and iOS to make sure you are building an app that will work well on the platform.

Test the UI

You might have a lot of good ideas as a UI designer, but some of them might not work well in practice. When they don’t work, they will have a negative impact on the UI and this will harm the app as a whole. Invest in testing your UI before releasing the app. Even if you are just making a small change, consider split testing to make sure it is an improvement over the original design.

Finally, update your UI regularly. Stay aware of the changing design trends and pay attention to user feedback. Even if you have a great UI at the beginning, there will always be room for improvement.

Tags: UI design, what

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.