User experience design (UXD or UX) has been getting attention day by day. The attention is because UX is recognized as a discipline, and it has registered voluminous growth in mobile apps. In the current era, mobile app developers focus on many touch points around end users before developing mobile apps. You need to know how to design a mobile app for outstanding user experience.

What does UX mean?

UX stands for “User Experience.” UX is all about how a website or mobile application interacts with customers or users. Or, we can say that how the end users of the mobile app feel about accessing the mobile application. Well, user experience is the way of improving user satisfaction by enhancing usability, accessibility, and efficiency of a user’s interaction with the user interface.

UX is the metric that will help your app to level up across different App Stores. If you have determined to transform your app idea into reality, then it is high time to do it. And, you’re not alone. Statista estimated that as of the first quarter of 2019, Android users were able to choose between 2.1 million apps. It means that there were approximately 2.1 million apps with the best mobile app UX design. And, Apple’s App Store remained the second-largest app store with almost 1.8 million available apps.

With these numbers like that, it is safe to say that there are immense opportunities for a mobile app with outstanding user experience. Let’s check out a few essential ways to design a mobile app with holistic user experience.

5 Ways to Create Outstanding User Experience (UX)

1. Prompt Onboarding

The concept of prompt onboarding is recognized as one of the underrated factors. But, in actual, the quick on-boarding process converts users into power users. Well, the user on-boarding allows amateur users into experts.

So, to create a great first impression and retention, it is essential to develop the on-boarding process as simple as you can. Let’s take an example of WhatsApp, acquired by Facebook just because of three core values, which are simplicity, reliability, and security. WhatsApp has the most uncomplicated on-boarding process as it automatically detects SMS to simplify phone verification. So, users do not have to leave the application to check and enter the code.

Image: useronboard

All you just need to create a user experience (UX), which makes onboarding fast and provides an excellent new user experience.

Bottom Line: The bottom line is to make things simpler for your users as they will not get distracted by something outside the application and forget to complete the process of onboarding eventually.

2. Simple Navigation Makes a Difference

Having a simple design means that the navigation must be more straightforward. There are different types of navigation, which use in mobile app design that makes a difference, such as:

• Pub Guide
• Bottom
• Full Screen
• Side Menu
• Google Newsstand
• Overview
• Side navigation
• Gesture-based navigation
• Bottom navigation

If you are building an app as a knowledge or information sharing platform, then the full-screen navigation can be the go-to option. That’s why it can be a good choice in navigation is that on a 5-inch screen mobile app, the excessive information can make users confused. To give them impressive experience, the full-screen flat menu navigation is highly recommended to provide a simpler navigation experience. NASA app is one of the classic examples of full-screen horizontal menu navigation.

3. Make Your App Responsive & Appear Faster

To make an outstanding user experience, loading time is extremely crucial. We live in the era where technology has been progressing a lot from the past few decades. And, it results, people have become more impatient. If the page takes more time to load, the chances are people get frustrated and leave. So, the loading speed must be essential, which we can’t ignore. No matter how fast your app is, but there must be some things that take time to process.

Loading Spinner: A blank screen can make your users frustrated. And, the odds are users may leave your app. The only solution to prevent this condition is to make use of loading spinner. It makes it clear that something is happening. For longer load time (more than 10 seconds), it is pivotal to display the progress bar.

4. Give a Thought Reachable Thumb Zones

In general, people hold their phones with one hand and operate them through thumbs. And, most of the interactions are thumb-driven. So, it is safe to say that they do not forget to consider the positions in which users hold their phones. In users, the thumb movement is one of the most common ones when it comes to holding their smartphones.

Image: Dribble

Sometimes, people are comfortable to consume content by scrolling with a single thumb. The important thing is that mobile applications must be designed by considering the reachable zones. Thus, it will increase user engagement and user satisfaction.

5. Forms

To boost conversions of your business and engagement with users, a simple mobile form can help to create a great user experience.

The mobile form allows a positive user experience, and it ensures a happy visitor or user. And, the odds are the visitors most probably convert into customers and becoming returning users. Well, there are several ways to achieve outstanding user experience, by including the following ingredients while designing a mobile app:

• Clear form fields
• Minimal form fields
• Automated Actions
• Alluring design and layout

If mobile visitors or users cannot easily read, complete, and submit the mobile forms, the chances are high to losing the business. So, it is pivotal to create a mobile-friendly form, which fits the screen of the mobile device. Let’s check out a list of essential points, which is vital to implement while designing a mobile app form:

• Minimize the Form Fields
• Automate the Actions
• Use Single-column Layout
• Create clear action buttons
• Provide scanners for payments
• Provide the state of completion

Hence, to design a mobile app with alluring user experience, the mobile form must be highly functional and easy to view while completing and submitting the form.

Final Thoughts

That being said, the first impressions are the most lasting. It is no secret that the success of any mobile app relies on the fact of how simple and easy to use a mobile app is. To make a lasting impression, build a positive relationship with your leads and users, and boost conversions, then don’t forget to include the ways as mentioned above while designing a mobile with outstanding user experience.

Pete McCain

Pete McCain is a technology startup enthusiast, associated with AppVelocity – one of the best mobile app developers in Toronto. He has collaborated with more than 50 entrepreneurs – over the last decade – to maximise growth and contribute to technical excellence.