An increasing number of products and websites are designed using a mobile-first approach — and for good reason. Almost everyone relies on their smartphone to access important information. But fitting all of your company’s most important information into a small screen can be challenging. You also need to keep different mobile device structures in mind when you work on your design. As challenging as this can be, it’s not impossible. The next time you start designing a mobile app, keep these mobile UX practices in mind.
You want to make sure your products can be used by people of all backgrounds and abilities. By taking this user-first approach, you are encouraged to consider how you can make your products easy for people to use and access. For instance, the main ways in which people hold their phones can affect which buttons are easy or hard to reach. As you can see in the image above, there are three distinct ways that people tend to hold their phones, which affects which areas are the easiest for them to reach.
Because mobile devices have such small screens compared to those on desktops, fitting a bunch of information onto them can be difficult. Using color contrasting to increase readability can greatly improve your mobile UX.
Scrolling through long screens can be tedious if you are prompted to complete a simple task. Studies have even shown that the longer users are forced to scroll through a screen, the more likely they are to lose interest or become frustrated with a web page. Keep their attention on your web pages by dividing tasks into numerous screens and offering a ‘Tap to Expand’ feature.
Font type and size can make a huge difference in your web page’s design and readability. You should use a typeface that is readable in multiple sizes such as Arial or Calibri to ensure optimized usability. In general, your font sizes should be around 11 points. Don’t forget to use color contrast to make your text stand out too.
Just because you are dealing with a smaller screen, that doesn’t mean you should use a smaller font size or try to squeeze information into less space. Make sure you aren’t letting any elements overlap by increasing line-height and spacing.
It can be irritating to constantly tap the wrong button on accident. These accidental taps often occur because of small touch controls. To avoid this pain point from occurring, you should create controls that measure at least 40px.
Tab bars are practical and necessary additions for any app. Because of this, you need to keep them clean and concise. There is no need to use experimental techniques when making them. To ensure a satisfying user experience, avoid using icons alone unless you are certain their design clearly conveys their meaning.
When designing your navigation bars, make sure you are following standard sequences for them. Attempting to change up the design or order can cause frustration rather than joy in your users. By following common patterns, your mobile app or website will be much more intuitive to your users.
Want to learn more about improving your mobile app or website’s user experience? Get in touch with the experts at UXAX today.
