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8 UX Tips to Excite User with App’s Interface

Published Jan 22, 2019Last updated Jan 23, 2019
8 UX Tips to Excite User with App’s Interface

What keeps users coming back to a particular app? What makes them want to use it more than the other ones? What generates the retention and creates engagement? What demonstrates the value proposition of an application in the most practical manner? The answer to these questions is simple — user experience aka UX.
UX is the key element in the making of the successful application.UX defines the way an application is perceived and articulate the way it is used. In one way or another, every application lives and dies on the quality of User experience it delivers.
It makes it or break — if UX is lacking — oblivion is right around the corner, but if it is exceptional — prosperity is definitely on the horizon. Because of that, it is important to make UX as solid as possible.

Here are 8 tips that will excite users and leave a long-lasting impression.

1 Distinct branding identity

Making the first impression is “do-or-die” situation for mobile applications. You just need to nail it or you are in the trouble. The key to getting it right is in developing a distinct brand identity. It is what differentiates your product from the rest of the competition. Users need to get it from the get-go.
Distinct branding identity includes:
catchy, easy to follow logo (hook for the app store)
The consistent presence of the branding elements throughout the screens of the application.
However, it is important to keep in mind that branding identity should remain in the background and never take the center stage (which is reserved for the application’s features). It should be associated with the product but not define it.

2 Nail Smooth Onboarding

Onboarding is the early period of an app used by the user. In a way, it is considered the most important stage for the future prospects of an application due to high risk of abandonment because of clumsy or dense design.
The word you need to remember is “momentum”. After the app is launched, you need to show its worth and make a representative showcase of its capabilities.
Keep in mind, that users, for the most part, don’t like to try hard to use an app. If it is too hard to use — they will look for another one, plain and simple. Because of that, you need to make the entry point as smooth as possible.
Which means, starting screen needs to show all the stuff that matters and every next screen of application should accessible on an intuitive level. Basically, just avoid situations, where users might stumble thinking what to do.
In addition to that, you can include a short tour that will explain the structure of an application and the purpose of the particular elements.

3 Keep it simple / Streamline

KISS principle (aka Keep it simple, stupid) is the thing you should burn in your brain if you want to succeed in app development.
Basically, this principle is the extension of the onboarding experience methodology.
The thing is — people don’t like densely designed apps. They like when it all comes naturally and requires little to no effort. Sure, there are hardcores who like challenges, but it is always just a fraction of a target audience. In order to appeal to the biggest possible audience — you need to keep things simple and to the point.
There is no need is superficial elements or fancy design — your app must do what it supposed to do and do it without a fuss.

4 Avoid Distractions

The other important element of streamlining is avoiding as many distractions on the particular screen as possible. Especially when it comes to screens where serious decisions are made, such as checkout pages or registering.
What are the distractions in the realms of applications? A lot of things, here are the most damning:
overbearing push notifications without rhyme or reason;
hapless ad placements in the middle of the active zone;
process-breaking pop-ups;
The secret of keeping these things in control is simple — show the stuff that matters when it is important and don’t tire users with things that might annoy him. You know what happens when someone annoys you.

5 Highlight key elements

Another useful thing to include to the design scheme is highlighting key elements of the particular screen.
Here’s why: colors navigate the user. The key is contrast. There is a general color scheme which is relatively muted and not attention-grabbing. Then there are key elements with the recognizable color coding. However, it is important to remember that you must avoid turning an app into a rainbow-colored explosion.
For example, you know instinctively that elements colored in yellow represent the most important parts of the text (it works in terms of use, for example), or red elements mean something very important or requiring irreversible action (for example, deletion of the file), while elements covered in blue probably follow-up on something via hyperlinks and so on.

6 The clear purpose for every element

The practicality of the design scheme is one of the hardest things to pull off in the app development. It is also the reason why users keep coming back to the app.
Overall, it is the process of trial and error which usually takes several iterations to get 100% right.
However, you only need to nail down one particular element from the start — the clearly understandable purpose of every element of the application. You need to provide instant understanding of what does what.
The simple way of checking this is to question what does which element of an app. If there are doubt or the answer is not obvious — you need to go back to the drawing board and make corrections.

7 Use in-app user behavior analytics

In-app analytics is a treasure trove of all sorts of data. There is something for everybody.
On one hand, it can play an instrumental role in the adjusting of the marketing campaign for an application. On the other hand, it can show which elements of user experience need improvement.
Keeping that kind of user feedback is a surefire way of retaining a high level of user engagement. Here’s the list of what matters the most:
Which elements are usually tapped?
How users navigate through an app?
What are the most converting routes inside an app?
Which elements are completely or partially ignored or missed by the users?
This information will provide you with the roadmap of the elements for further refinement.

8 Create a Feedback Loop

According to the ad tech experts,The feedback loop is a term used to describe the correlation between action and reaction or cause and effect. In terms of app user experience, it is a through-line that corresponds to everything that happens in the apps.
The feedback loop is based on a simple human need on comprehending what is going on. Design-wise, it is a way of pacing user experience — giving sense to the app’s flow, providing an internal narrative.
A good example of a feedback loop is a loading screen. It is there to inform that the system is loading something and not just frozen all of a sudden.

In Conclusion

Getting User Experience right is a big deal that requires a lot of effort combined with the continuous process of trial and error.
However, with the little help of these tips, you will be able to nail down the fundamentals and deliver distinct UX that will keep users coming back for more.

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