Although a phone app builder will simplify the development for you, it will not ensure a good outcome in terms of usability and aesthetics. You will still need to do your homework to come up with a mobile application that you can be proud to use for your business. Below are a few things to remember as you design your first app.
Keep It Simple
App users should not have to read a long tutorial just to get started. All of the controls should be intuitive such that they’ll know what to do without any instructions. These people probably have a lot of experience with other mobile apps so you can use the typical visual cues and layouts to point them in the right direction. For example, a lot of apps have three horizontal lines at the top left corner. When you click this, you tend to open the navigation menu. There might also be buttons on the bottom left and right corners. Everything should be clearly labeled to avoid confusion.
Stay Consistent
Design a layout that works across the board. Don’t try to keep changing how the app looks like from page to page as that will only frustrate the users. Stay consistent when it comes to the navigation structure, the types of content available, the size of the control buttons, and the placement of different elements. The fonts and colors should be the same everywhere as well. Make it a predictable and logical app.
Ensure Usability
The end-users will be looking at the app through a small screen. They may not have the perfect vision to see tiny text and italicized fonts even if they place the phone near their faces. Use a readable font throughout the app. You may also include adjustable settings for the size. Clickable controls should be far enough apart that fingers won’t hit them all at once.
Test Your Color Scheme
Most phone app builder want to incorporate their business colors in the app for branding. You can go light or dark but make sure that your color scheme works well. There should be good contrast such that text is readable even with a dark background, for example. Clickable text should have a different color from regular text for a visual cue.
Get User Feedback
Have others try out your app to see what they think. Hunt the bugs and welcome negative feedback because they will give you the chance to improve your creation before showing it to the public.
