Let’s talk about mobile apps! In particular, UX for mobile apps in 2019.
We’ve already introduced mobile development, how it works and what’s important to know when building mobile apps. If you are reading this, it is no surprise that mobile phones have started to run the world, more so than laptops or tablets. In 2018, 52.2% of all web traffic worldwide was generated through mobile phones. This is a turn of events within just a decade since the first iPhone came out in 2007. And why not use mobile when it makes everything easier, right?
Knowing this, it’s obvious for modern businesses that they need to understand how you create great user experiences (UX) for your customers. Mobile apps should be easy to use and operate, while navigation and interaction should be clear and intuitive. So, what are the top trends in 2019 to create a great user experience for mobile apps?
Navigation
One of the basic – yet very important – elements in UX is navigation, covering everything from menus to Call To Actions (CTAs) to toggle options. Mobile apps with simple navigation offer easy and fast usage, and well-designed navigations can significantly speed up the process of achieving your business goals, satisfying users’ needs for a great experience.
Bottom menus
Nowadays, mobile designers are more likely to use Bottom navigation. This is due to the fact that we use our thumbs 49% of the time we interact with handheld devices. Therefore, a Tab bar with buttons is placed at the bottom, reserving content for the top-level area. Bottom navigation bars make it easy for users to explore and switch between top-level views in a single tap. Typically, bottom navigation menus consist of between three to five menu items, where users can then dive into more details within the content under each item.
Drop-down or slide-in menus
There are other menu options besides bottom navigations. The most common are side menus and header menus. The main benefit for these are the clear distinction between content and menu, allowing for content to display on a full screen. For example, a side menu is a useful tool to distinguish content between different categories.
CTA buttons
Call to action buttons play a crucial role within UX. They are colorful, but more importantly, they work! CTAs should be eye-catching, but not too distracting. Green and orange colors are said to perform really well. However, everything depends on your layout, so button colors will probably depend on your brands’ design. Make sure you leave some white space around the call to action buttons. It makes them stand out and draws the attention of your users.
Toggle buttons
A toggle button is a common feature on mobile devices, especially when it comes to settings. Toggle buttons are easy to use and makes an action clear, allowing users to change a setting between two states. Therefore, people are sure that the action is switched on or off. A slight animation creates a simple yet user-friendly experience. This button is usually used for an alarm clock or setting up notifications.
Interplay of voice
Voice UI is a complex play of distinct technologies, which allows people to use voice to interact with their devices. Nowadays, designers are even more likely to enrich their mobile apps with Voice UIs. Why? Because it’s quick and immensely helpful for users. Voice leverages great advancements in Natural Language Processing (NLP), including:
Automated speech recognition – works as a determination of who is talking and if a speech is purposed to device or not
Speech to text – basically, this API is recording and converting speech to solid format/text
Semantic analysis – figures what the speech means using spoken words and context
User response – responds to the user via TTS (text to speech)
All the major service providers are adding Voice UIs into their offerings. For example, Apple has Siri, Google has Google Assistant, Amazon has Alexa. All the big tech companies are pushing voice UIs hard, and that means mobile apps should follow suit to create the best experience for their users.
Visual trends
Designing mobile apps hasn’t really changed over the last 5 years. Designers prefer Flat UI design, however, it is symbolic to the core. So they add depth and dimension, but still, preserve the main idea of Flat UI design using simple elements, typography, and also flat colors.
White space
This approach was first popularized by Apple, such as the Apple Music App. Using more white space creates a more intuitive structure and helps with the visual hierarchy of the app. What else? Ah yes, we can barely see sharp objects or background colors for headers. These replaced round colorful bubbles and buttons. White spaces have also changed because of overuse and reliance on shadows.
Simply said, designers are trying to take minimalism to the next level in 2019.
3D graphics
Flat design is clear and very structural, which makes a mobile app easily readable. But nowadays, mobile apps face a new trend – 3D graphics.
This hot trend is the most time-consuming. Moreover, it requires specific 3D skills and an artistic eye to be crafted well. But, it is very eye-catching and visitors never pass by without noticing. User interface design is therefore enriched with a big advantage. Furthermore, the 3D renders look really photorealistic.
Design systems
Design systems consist of defining architecture, modules, interfaces, and data for a system to satisfy specified requirements. There are two widely incorporated design systems used for mobile app development. Material Design for Android and Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) used by iOS. If you want to build relevant mobile apps in 2019, make sure to follow these design systems.
These systems work as guidelines for components, such as headers, cards, bottom sheets, etc. The choice depends on the app’s design and if you want it to be more flexible instead of being prescriptive.
Conclusion
An industry has to adapt quickly to new UX design strategies, especially as mobile technologies constantly evolve and move forward. The design tools mentioned above are positively changing parameters of user experience. And UX has never been more important. If users don’t meet their high UX expectations, they leave.
So, we suggest to focus mainly on navigation and visual UX trends. Additionally, mobile designs should match the app’s core purpose. Remember that colors and CTAs are the best eye-catchers. Finally, but also very important, we need to stress that less is more!
If you need professional advice on how to implement the latest UX trends in your mobile app, don’t hesitate to contact Wiredelta’s team. Moreover, by subscribing to our newsletter, you will always stay updated with new trends and content!
