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UX design

Avoid Committing These UX Pitfalls When Designing an App

Mobile Application Development is a complex task; ask any professional app developer and he would guide you through the process. As all designed websites doesn’t get the boost on the search engines, similarly most of the released mobile apps don’t get any public attention. One can site various whys and wherefores for people not downloading and installing your app. To be honest, one of the prime reasons, which makes your apps suffer is poor User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design. Even one of the survey states that 88% of the customers do not return to a website or the mobile application if they have a bad user experience. Obviously you don’t want to fall in the same trap and so getting some valuable information on what the common user experience flaws are can prove as an eye-opener and worthy. However, it will be viable to throw some spotlight on what user experience is and why is it considered to be one of the most imperative tools for generating traffic to any app. A Short Brief Intro to User Experience (UX) As you can draw some line from its name; it is a designing tool that helps to enhance the experience of the end users while they are using your mobile application, increasing the satisfaction level. It is through the UX that accessing and navigation of the mobile application becomes simpler and hence the app becomes user friendly. Another vital reason that makes user experience is one of the must have assets is it helps in creating a brand awareness, which is necessary to compete with the competitors. But most importantly the customers tend to identify your product or service through an adorable UX design. As such UX is not just limited to offering an aesthetic and beautiful visual design, but the testing is also an essential aspect that an UX designer has to perform to check its functionality. And before beginning the designing process, the designer has to conduct a thorough research to get the innovative ideas. UX and UI are Same Sides of Coin The user experience designers tend to get perplexed considering that both user experience and user interface are the same sides of the coin. However, it is just a misconception and nothing else. While user interface (UI) can be defined as the page or the screen of the mobile app that the users view including the icon helping to establish the interaction between the user and the device. On the other hand, as already mentioned before user experience (UX) is the tool that is related to personal experience of the user while he is using the app. So, do not intermingle UI with UX. User interface is often used in the broader sense that comprises of interactive design, visually appealing design, easy to read content and eye-catching app icon. But user experience is often designed after doing a deep research and understanding the specific needs and demand of the end users. Inappropriate and Inconsistent Design Methods One of the major faults committed by the designers is choosing inappropriate and inconsistent design that adversely affects the performance of the app. This can start with taking a wrong decision on designing the interface of the app. A poorly designed UX will make it difficult for the users to navigate through the app. Therefore, your ultimate aim is to offer a design that will seamlessly operate on all types of devices without any hindrance. The mobile application has to be a consistent performer where the customers can easily understand and get through the functionality of the app. The content must be easily comprehendible; especially if the customer is booking for an item. If the designer is using the symbols to indicate something, it must be clear and must not be confusing at all. According to a research, 94% of the users delete the app within the first month of downloading it and many of them do so because of bad UX. Unnecessarily Including the Login Page You know there are a number of apps where the customers are compulsorily required to login into the page after entering a few important details such as name, email id and so on. The examples of such apps are online cab booking, eCommerce app etc. But it is not necessary that every app has to have a login page. Moreover, you must not keep on pocking the customer for the registration every time he opens your app. This will annoy him. Give some time so as to understand how the app operates and how it is useful to him. If your app requires the user to sign in, make it as simple as possible. Please remember the fact that 15.6% of the users uninstall the app due to poor registration experiences. Overstuffing and Overcrowding the App with Features It is a wrong conception that adding lots of features will generate more traffic to the mobile app and also enhance the experience of the users. The designer should always keep the point in mind that is developing the app for the customers and not for his personal usage. So, when you commence to design the interface, please sit with your team and discuss what features are vital to include in the app. If you are stuffing the app with too many features, you are actually taking the user into the zone of uncertainty and create confusion in his mind. So, better first understand what the app is all about, what products or services it will deal with and then proceed further. The users will get frustrated and it is your app that has to bear the consequences at last. It will also harm your brand value. It is advisable to keep a proportionate ratio as far as adding of the features is concerned. Not Conducting Deep Research to Understand User Demand It is evidently known that the story of a highly successful user experience begins with a deep rooted research to

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How to Improve the User Experience of your Mobile App

How would you define the success rate of your mobile application? Obviously, each of the app developers strive hard to create and launch an app, which gets the same sweet taste of success as WhatsApp, Facebook, Uber or Amazon. If you want your app to be in the same line as the as these popular apps, it has to offer an all-round performance. Choosing the appropriate platform and stuffing the optimal features is one flip side of the picture. The User Experience (UX) is another vital aspect of the coin that will determine whether it would remain on the user’s phone screen for long or the users would simply churn it out. Now, let’s analyze a few facts and figures and see how the User Experience can make your app successful or unsuccessful. According to one of the statistics, 61% of the users have positive views about the companies offering good mobile experience. On the other hand, one of the other stats indicates that 52% of the users are likely to less engage with the company offering bad mobile experience. The User Experience is considered as one of the most vital designing tools as it makes the navigation of the app easier and also user-friendly. In addition, it also helps to create the brand awareness. Most of the mobile apps have gained the public attention due to their exceptional UX designs. Making the Mobile App Navigation Better The navigation is one of the most essential aspects of the good UX design. The app navigation must be faster and easier so that the user gets the satisfaction level he is looking for. You can provide with an informative tour screen, which would be beneficial for the user when they are operating the app for the first time. The users will be able to find the information and helps in decreasing the churning rate of app. The app designers need to pay attention on bettering the on-boarding experience as according to one of the stats, after the true on-boarding experience, only 9% of the users abandoned their apps and 61% of the users will visit the apps 11 times more. However, on the contrary, if the navigation is not up to the mark, your app will suffer as it would be very difficult to engage the users. So, try to keep the tour screen short. UX Design Compliments the Battery Life The users have often alleged that some of the apps tend to consume a lot of heir phone battery and thus it drains out very fast. The users are very careful about their battery and would shun your app immediately if it is getting exhausted way too quickly. So, you have to ensure that your app does not eat much of the battery along with other important resources like data and memory. Knowing Who Your Target Audience is The familiarity of who your specific target audience is not only applicable when you are deciding the platform of the app or selecting the features, but it also becomes crucial when you are designing the mobile app UX. Thus, even before you start to develop the wireframe know your users and also be familiar whether they are experienced or first time users. It would be better and recommended to go through the user’s reviews and feedbacks thoroughly on various apps of the same category. This would probably give you an idea about what people in general are looking as far as designing of the app is concerned. Creating More Interactive Designs If you want people to fall in love with your app designing skills, then you must exhibit how you interact with the mobile app. This means your app design has to be highly interactive. By interactive design, the app designer pays attention on developing eye-catching web interfaces using the logical and creative imagination in the process. In addition, he must also use the latest trends and techniques to achieve the desired output. Simplifying the Signup Process As you must be well aware that most of the apps today have a signup process, where the user has to enter his email id or phone number along with the password. However, all users are not tech friendly and may find this step difficult to deal with. One of the major issues that complicate the problem is the lengthy registration process that can even frustrate and annoy the user. Well, this is known as the ‘The Least Effort Principle’, which means people will take the least effort in order to get a result. The users don’t like their screens slowing down and more importantly consuming more time in opening a page they want to. Remember, you have to keep the registration page as short and simple as possible because users don’t have time and energy. Avail only the most necessary information to create an account. Even if you want to get additional information, keep that for later stages when the users start using the app. Useful Tips on Building an Interactive Design for the app Matching the Industry Standards Whether you are designing an app or an Android or iOS platform, you have to necessarily maintain the best standards that match with the current trends. Avoid Unrelated Inputs Don’t ask the users the unnecessary details if it isn’t required or very necessary. For instance, you don’t need to ask the birth date or address of the user unless and until you are making an app deemed fit for the adults. Answering the feedback from Users Well, it always nice you are responding well to the user’s feedback even if it is a negative comment. Try to be quick in your response. Improve the speed of video and animation loading You have to keep in check the speed of loading especially the videos and the animations if any. Slow loading will lead to abandon the app Show the user the warning sign if they have done something wrong. Make smart use of the pop the

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6 Reasons Why a Bad UX Can Kill the App

Since the first man arrived on Earth, the world has changed drastically. Studying the history of mankind, we can easily see how man has progressed and advanced from someone with minimal opportunities to a being who defies every force to reach beyond the highest level. Though this change is present on all levels in all fields of life, it is nowhere pronounced as in the world of computer technology and cybernetics. The Age of Mobile Apps As we moved from using bulky and immovable desktops to light and portable laptops and then ultimately to the very convenient mobile phones, the way we do business also changed. From having only physical outlets and no digital presence, our organized first found themselves finding customers through websites and then added mobile apps to the train too. Today, as many as 42% of small startups conduct their businesses through a mobile app. Out of the total remaining startups which do not already have an app, 30% are planning to build one soon. Mobile apps are expected to hit a humongous $581.9 billion in revenue by 2020! The Benefits of Using a Mobile App for Your Business Mobile apps have transformed the world of e-commerce and completely changed the way we do business today. Having a mobile app has unlocked multiple doors for businesses – both small and large, and made surviving and thriving in the competitive corporate world slightly easier. Let’s see some of the most prominent ways in which having an app can help a modern business. Mobile apps help your brand become popular with a broader audience A large part of people who might be interested in buying your services and your products, shop exclusively on their mobile phones. Developing a good app helps you tap into this unexplored market and expand your customer base. With more customers on your plate, you are ultimately going to generate more substantial revenues. But the benefits of a smartphone app are not just limited to finding new individuals who might hire you – mobile apps are also an excellent tool for branding. Reaching to a larger audience with your message helps you become famous and might even make you into a trend that everyone wants to be a part of! Mobile apps assist in building better communication between you and your customers Secondly, mobile apps are a superb platform to reach out to your customers and ask them what they think. Excellent at generating quick feedback, your smartphone app can help you establish better communication between your brand and your customer, making your customer feel like you genuinely care about them. Making use of mobile apps, you can appear more reliable and trustworthy Thirdly, mobile apps can enhance your image in the eyes of your target audience. Many people today would not trust a company if it did not have some sort of digital presence. While having a sound website is the standard, adding an aesthetic and helpful mobile app to the mix makes you appear that much more reliable and trustworthy. This encourages your target audience to do business with you and, ultimately, contributes to a more substantial profit at the end of the month. How Can Lousy User Experience Kill Your Mobile App? From the above, we can see that a mobile app is an indispensable tool for all businesses – regardless of how small or big it is. But if you fail to develop a winning app, it can quickly die down and result in a loss of customers, instead of hiking the numbers up. If your mobile app fails to meet the standards, the smartphone users today have in their minds from apps, you may end up harming your business instead of boosting it. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss 6 ways in which bad UX could kill your mobile app. Your app does not have regard for its’ users time If your app takes ages to load, your customers are not going to like it. In the fast-paced life, they do not have enough time to stick around and wait for a slow app to stop refreshing. As page load time increases from 1 sec to 3 sec, the probability of bounce increases by 32%. Add a couple more seconds, and it will increase to 90%, and at the 6-sec mark, it will reach an alarming 106%! For some exceptionally slow apps that take 10 seconds to load, the probability of bounce increases by 123%. A complex and challenging to use app starts the user off on the wrong foot Sometimes, amateur designers and app developers might add a lot of unnecessary features to make your app look ‘creative’ and ‘unusual.’ They do this on the pretext that customers will see these unique features and think of your app as out of the box and one of a kind. As a result, they will be drawn to the app and begin using it regularly. However, what these app designers and developers fail to realize is that many people may not understand these features because they have never seen them before. Because of this, these unusual features are more of a hassle than something your consumers would appreciate. The key to running an e-commerce mobile app is to keep it simple and minimalistic. In this way, you can not only guarantee aesthetics but also maximum functionality. People cannot find what they are looking for Another app design mistake that can lead to bad UX and ultimately, the untimely death of the app itself is not keeping your app organized. This is why you need experts! One of the biggest reasons people like to shop online is because, in online shopping, they do not have to search extensively through racks of items to get to the one they are interested in. If your poorly developed app takes away the liberty to find what they want in an instant from the customers, you are killing your app. For the above reason,

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Top UX Design Challenges and Their Solutions

The user experience is not just an essential attribute of a website but also the most important deciding factor for making a purchase. According to studies, with an enhanced customer experience, 33% of businesses encounter more satisfied consumers, 42% report increased retention, and 32% experienced an increase in revenue. Website designers are always effortlessly working on solving the puzzle of cracking the UX code. Although new tools, systems, and technology help boost their efforts, there are still many difficulties and UX design challenges that hinder a better user experience for consumers. Luckily, I have some solutions for these problems. Common UX Design Challenges and Their Solutions UX design brings several challenges for designers; however, there are solutions for every obstacle. Designers just need to recognize them as early as they come. Let’s have a look at some common UX design challenges and their solutions! 1. Reducing the Gap between Design and Development Both developers and designers play essential but different roles in a product building procedure. Design is of no use without development, while development is also useless without design. So, there must be collaboration between the two. Design to development exchange is one area that can be particularly difficult. A UX designer’s way of solving issues is not the same as the developers. While the designer thinks about the user’s journey, the developers try to find out what will be technically convenient for them. If developers and designers have no alignment, both the product and process can suffer. Knowledge gaps and lack of communication are the prime issues that result in extra feedback loops, unpredicted quality assurance problems, and various interpretations of similar targets. Solution The best solution is to communicate soon and often for abstaining from the discord between development and design. Engage developers ASAP, which will help them recognize every possible problem. Knowledge sharing is another solution. Take some time to understand how developers work and face challenges if you don’t want to learn to code. 2. Budget and Time Restrictions Budget and time are two main factors that impact not just design but the entire development cycle and these two are associated. If a designer is underpaid or offered little time, he/she will do poor work. Sadly, many clients don’t value the designers’ input as they think that creating a button or changing a gradient is easy enough and can be done in a few minutes only. Everything is connected in good design and even color layers also cater to different purposes. Hence, designers need more time and extra work or costs for introducing even a small change. When designers are forced to do something in hurry, they cannot properly focus on what clients need and thereby, deliver less creative input. Solution Business analysts and project managers can help in this regard. They can negotiate T&C (terms and conditions) for UX designers who then can freely give a good performance in a specific time. 3. Confused and Complex Chatbots Over the last few years, the utilization of chatbots has highly increased as they are very useful for improving conversions and solving client service problems. Although these virtual assistants have been helpful for several organizations by offering immediate assistance, they have not always been very user-friendly. Studies say that 73% of clients who have experienced a defective chatbot won’t use them further and 61% of customers found them more annoying to handle and would rather prefer a human executive. In case chatbots are not enough smart or sophisticated to fix client issues, they can cause annoyance, wrong answers, or conflicting messages – and all these can harm the user experience. Solution Chatbots should be focused on conversational UX, instead of only trying to fix a problem fast or providing a smart response. And this can be done by including smarter AI systems that employ machine learning to get emotional intelligence and interaction cues. This technology virtually helps chatbots learn the responses that are useful and relevant for different situations so they can enhance with every interaction. 4. Lack of Understanding about Your Role This is another challenge faced by a UX designer. Sometimes, UX’s multidisciplinary nature is underestimated. Many people think that UX design is all about making things look great. Simultaneously, you might find that the user experience’s business value is also neglected. If basic stakeholders are unaware of your role, it can become difficult. UI/UX design is a collective role, which needs buy-in from almost everybody in a business. You must meet with company representatives to know their vision and you may depend on the client service team for important user insights. And if your role and its importance are not clear, you cannot engage the right people. Solution UX designers need to establish expectations very soon. Begin every new project with a stakeholder launch, describing your role and its purpose. While moving through a project, give daily updates and scopes for your co-workers to ask questions. Moreover, control the eagerness of guarding your work. Invite others for understanding your role, whether through a lunchtime workshop or a casual chat at your desk. You can clear all misconceptions about what you do by encouraging an open-door culture. 5. Product Display In terms of online product selling, the main disadvantage is that you don’t actually know what you will get until it appears. With the availability of several online sales options, brands should always try to build confidence and communicate why customers must use their products. Only depending on product images and ratings from previous buys may not be sufficient, particularly since all retailers use these strategies these days. Solution Technology and slightly creativity can help in this matter. Online sellers are now using VR and AR tools for making 3D product models for a virtual primary buying experience that was tough before. Using this type of technology, consumers can see precisely how a product would look in real by just using their mobile phone. This type of product showcasing brings the best elements of

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