Working as a mobile app designer may be an exciting idea because the use of mobile devices is only increasing. The competition is tough and there are a large number of free applications in the Google Play Store and App Store. However, if you have a really unique idea, you can create an app that will be widely used by the public.
Spend time in the sketches phase
As with web design, applications also start with wireframes on paper. In this way, if there is a change to be made, it can be done in a few minutes. In the first phase of the design of your app, you should concentrate on the structure rather than the typography, colors, icons, etc.
The usual way to do this is through sketches of the main screens of the application, taking into account where you will find the menu, icons, and text. All these elements are represented in a general way, that is, you can use circles or squares to represent the icons and lines to represent the text, what you use to represent elements really depends on you.
Annotations are added to your sketches on the operation of buttons and so on. At this stage, you can also consider describing the possible transitions and effects, although it is much more important that you focus on the structure of the application.
It is also useful to use as a design strategy "Mobile First", where you start designing on smaller screens and then move to larger screens. Then, it is advisable to start from mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and computers (in case your application is also available for these devices). Due to the small size of the screen, you will start working in a smaller format and you will be forced to recognize the essential elements of the application.
It should be noted that the initial phase of sketches, although it may sound simple, can take from hours to weeks. This is the ideation part and it is one of the most complicated, either because you don’t have an idea or you have too many ideas and do not know how to organize them.
Teamwork
The success of an application depends on the work of the designer and developer. To work effectively, you must find a way that the designs can be implemented easily and without major problems. In this way, the tests can be done with a prototype that approaches the final version of the application. Both the designer and the developer must know the tools that the other uses.
Nor should we forget the communication between team members. It is likely that several revisions must be made before reaching the final version and therefore it is essential that both developers and designers maintain a fluid communication to ask for opinions, determine problems and evaluate possible solutions. You should meet with
App developers for your iPhone app development.
Design for various operating systems
The operating systems are another factor to take into account. Create your app for the 2 major operating systems in the market (
Android and
iOS). It is not about creating the app for an OS and then copy it to the other because each OS has its particularities of interaction and design.
The best thing you can do to familiarize yourself with these systems is to use them. It is also useful to download the same application for these OS and analyze the differences between each version. In addition, it is an excellent way to study the interaction patterns and the design of the interface.
Make prototypes
It is likely that in the initial stages of the process, you already have a clear idea about the general operation of the application. This can be achieved through sketches and notes on paper. However, the prototypes are the ones that really help to evaluate if the processes for the application are adequate, that is, if the usability of the application is optimal.
To evaluate a prototype, you must first consider what you should test. If only the operation is necessary, then the design part does not have to be very advanced or finished at the time of making the prototypes. That is to say, the colors, icons, and typographies do not need to be defined when making prototypes.
Luckily, there are a large number of applications such as Sketch or Marvel that allow you to make prototypes easily, so you can test transitions and effects and other interaction modes. It is up to you to find out which tool is suitable for the prototype of your application.
Work on the application improvements
There is another important issue to consider and that is that as an app designer, the term "final version" is just a way of saying that the first version of your application has been completed. However, over time you will have to make updates and improvements to that app. Your users may detect specific problems when using the application and that is why new versions are released. New versions of an app solve various problems that are encountered and present new features. In this way, your application evolves and changes.
However, the most effective way to find possible problems is leaving it to the users. As a developer, using some features of the app might be okay for you but complicated for users. There are certain details of your application that you can only notice when the user uses the application.
