7 Trends You May Have Missed About App Design Vs Functionality

Efe Dickson
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Jul 07, 2022

It may be difficult to strike the perfect mix between design and functionality when developing a mobile app.

The last thing you want is a flat and uninteresting design; instead, you want an app that wows consumers and sets you apart from the competition.

On the other hand, you don't want the user experience to suffer because of your app design.

This post will cover the relationship between design and functionality, seven trends for mobile app design and functionality in 2022, and which one you should focus on when developing a mobile app.

Designing for mobile devices as well as numerous other devices like desktops and laptops entails more than simply creating the same thing in a smaller size. In reality, it rather implies concentrating on what matters most to mobile users and then providing a unique user experience. It is necessary to concentrate on duties and make sure they are completed effectively to achieve that successfully.

The majority of people now use the Internet through smartphones and, to a lesser extent, tablets; thus, it is no longer an option for designers to ignore these consumers or risk being permanently shut out of the market.

Simply put, this means that you must prioritize mobile in the majority of product development projects and acknowledge that the mobile experience is different from the desktop experience. For instance, smartphone screen space will be more limited, connectivity will not always be guaranteed, and battery life will be important, among other things.

Then there are the numerous and obvious benefits of modern technology. For instance, they offer a far more individualized experience, are always on (as long as the battery permits), and enable direct customer interaction. In addition, they include GPS, motion sensors, and several other functions.

So, how should one go about designing a mobile app?

Let's have a look at this:

1.Adding Value

There are many smartphone applications available now, and new ones are being published every nanosecond. Because of this, it is now even more important to differentiate your mobile app from others and the services it offers; otherwise, your app is guaranteed to disappear into the abyss of app stores.

2. Mobile-optimized

Less is greater because of the restrictions imposed by screen space. So, make sure there aren't too many features. You will need to remove content from other platforms to make mobile operate, therefore concentrating on the important activities that the user is eager to do.

3. Check out the graphics.

Therefore, the icon you choose for your app needs to be an accurate representation of the main job that your customers want to do. Make what your app does very clear at a glance to increase the likelihood that people will download and use it.

4. Maintain communication.

You must inform your users when they finish their tasks. Similarly, you must

Make a plan for delivering feedback. You must keep your users aware of the status of their actions as they accomplish them, from the tactile (vibration function) to the visual (think progress bars).

5. Keep working.

Make sure that if a user closes the app before completing a task, they are immediately returned to the same task and location when they close the app again. Make restarting a process quite simple and quick.

6. Consider the Use Context

When will your users be able to utilize your functionality? When are they occupied? What happened to the whey? When are they bored? Make the functionality appropriate for the circumstances, and you will make the app useful to your users.

7. Personal Usability

As a result, because mobile devices are personal, the functions they provide must be as well. Make them customizable, enjoyable, and a significant part of your users' lives. Getting things done should not be a chore.

8. Take Up the Gestures

If your users prefer to do activities using gesture control, you should take the following into account before enabling gesture control:

How will users be able to discover that they can utilize gestures to complete tasks?
Two-handed motions can be helpful, but they can also be a distraction. How will the user do their activities using only one hand control, for example, if they are holding a glass of water in the other?

9. Think about Navigation.

Much depends on the intricacy of your activity. However, mobile navigation may be divided into the following categories:

When higher degrees of intricacy are required, drill-down menus group content and make it simple to navigate around the hierarchy. (Think of the smartphone's settings menu.)

When you need to divide consistently sized material into different places, simple tabs are the way to go. (Think of Twitter.)

There are none: When releasing a weather app for your area, a single screen may (and should) provide the user with all the tasks.

10. Mobile Device-Related Functions

As a result, the functions you provide must adhere to patterns that ensure a consistent experience across all devices:

Keep the user in the image.
Pay close attention to the details.
Keep an eye on the UI and make it as simple as possible.
Maintain consistent control at the bottom.
Reduce user input whenever possible.

Businesses are spending more on enhancing the user experience to boost their competitiveness and achieve corporate growth as a result of the rising popularity of mobile applications. Trends in mobile app UX design are always changing. Being up to date on market trends is crucial since the world of mobile applications evolves dramatically and gradually every year.

Important mobile app design trends to be aware of in 2022

1. Neumorphism

Neumorphism is an extension of both flat design and skeuomorphism, which is the idea that objects should be represented such that they resemble their real-world counterparts. User-interface (UI) components that adhere as closely as possible to the original form, texture, and color of actual things are known as "skeuomorphic" designs. Neumorphism is a style of graphics that sits in between flat and 3D graphics; it shares certain similarities with skeuomorphism.

2. Voice-Based Assistants

Superior voice user interfaces (VUIs), allowing users to connect with a system using just voice instructions, are needed for voice-based assistants. Three of the most well-liked and well-known voice user interfaces are Google Assistant, Siri, and Amazon's Alexa. VUIs' key advantage is that they free users from having to look at or use their hands to interact with a device.

3. Chatbots

The popularity of on-demand texting has changed how customers communicate. More and more business sectors are integrating chatbots into their operations as the chatbot trend spreads to enable ongoing consumer participation. Chatbots are a useful tool for improving client satisfaction and providing top-notch service. They are changing how companies interact with both existing and potential customers.

4. 3D Animation

The 3D design concept is gaining popularity while not being new. 3D visual components have been utilized on websites and mobile applications for a very long time. The use of 3D elements in mobile app design has altered recently, though. Such design features have a clear utilitarian purpose in addition to being ornamental. Smartphones' hardware capabilities have substantially increased, enabling them to process 3D graphics effects that are getting more complex.

5. Dark Mode

A low-light user interface called "dark mode" prefers dark colors. Over the past several years, dark mode has been one of the most sought-after features in mobile app design. Some of the most popular smartphone applications in the world now support light and dark modes.

By reducing the overall screen brightness, the dark mode can aid users in resting their eyes and reducing eye strain. Additionally, it reduces the need for bright pixels, prolonging battery life. For organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens, in particular, dark themes are recommended since they conserve energy and increase the display's longevity.

6. Gradients

Designers have a lot of versatility because of gradients, which allow them to use different colours. Colour has the ability to make or break a product. Some design aspects have temporarily gone before making a slow comeback in recent years as mobile app design patterns have altered quickly. One such component is a gradient. Multitone effects are now enjoying a comeback and are essential to contemporary design.

7. Data Visualizations:

Do you want the main component of your mobile app to be data visualization? You're on the right track since data visualization boosts user interaction and conversion rates.

Data isn't always the simplest thing to comprehend or interpret when all consumers have to look at is a list of numbers or instructions. Data presented in plain language might occasionally be more challenging for users to understand since it requires more cognitive effort to compare numerous unrelated data components.

However, using visuals like graphs and charts will make it a lot simpler for others to interpret your data. Data visualizations are quite helpful as a result of this.

Conclusion

In addition, the designs of mobile apps, rounded curves are very prevalent. When ought rounded rectangles to be used? It relies on the emotions you want to arouse in your consumers and the message you want to get out about your business.

The majority of users want rapid pleasure and solutions to their particular problems, yet creativity in workmanship and design may retain consumers in more subtle ways. Getting the function just right should be your first focus, whether you're working with a limited budget or limited time.

Functionality needs to typically come first when contrasting the two. It won't matter whether your software is visually appealing if it can't provide any functionality well.