In the past, the biggest obstacle for most companies was the lack of effective and efficient internet options that would enable them to run their business and market their products and services across all platforms. Today, the best way for these companies to keep up with the times is to go mobile due to the rapid rise in mobile market potential.
Since 2019, the revenue generated from mobile applications has grown by almost 50% and has now reached $808.7 billion. The statistics show that mobile market potential is growing rapidly and is expected to grow over time. This means that going mobile is now a necessity for every scaling business.
This article sheds light on mobile app design, its importance, and some of the top mobile app design trends in 2022.
What Is Mobile App Design?
Mobile app design typically revolves around 2 aspects of a mobile application:
- User Interface (UI): User Interface focuses on the appearance and style of a mobile application. When designing a mobile app, you should aim for an interface that users would find pleasing to the eye and convenient.
- User Experience (UX): As the term suggests, User Experience focuses on how a mobile application would interact with users. When designing a mobile app, you should always account for clarity to the app user, efficiency in performing tasks, and ease of use.
Why You Need an Excellent Mobile App Design
For starters, your choice in a mobile app design could make or break your app – don’t underestimate the need for an excellent mobile app design. An excellent mobile application should offer great UI and UX to stand out from an ocean of applications.
Seeing as until 2020, iOS was home to over 1.85 Million apps, and Android hosts more than 2.56 Million apps, with the Android Play Store recording an addition of 6140 apps every day and Apple Store overseeing an increase of 965 mobile apps daily, you can imagine how difficult it would be for a new mobile app to peak users’ interest.
When so many apps are being introduced to an existing huge bulk, your application easily gets lost in the crowd. This means that your application would have to stand out. People will only keep an app if they love it or use it frequently; otherwise, they wouldn’t think twice before deleting it or leaving a bad review that would affect your mobile app’s success.
An excellent mobile app design is crucial to app development – this is why Tech Giants like Apple dedicate up to 60% of their project time to design. Your app should be user-friendly, visually attractive, and should offer substantial functionality for it to be retained and trusted by the end-user.
What Are the Mobile App Design Trends of 2022?
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Abstract Geometry
Minimalism was once considered a great approach to peaking user interest. However, with a never-ending list of design ideas to incorporate in developing a mobile app, it is easy to forgo minimalism to offer users everything they need.
Even as the minimalist trend moves to the next level of simplicity, it’s important to consider the elements that would bring out the best of your app. In 2022, using flat designs and simple geometric shapes to develop applications is out of the question.
Key visuals are a vital component of mobile app design since it helps craft the app’s brand identity. A well-designed key visual could instantly score you over 1000 downloads. Utilizing abstract geometry as a key visual can help you create a unique and brand-worthy app.
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Animation
Augmenting animation to illustrations or icons can be a great addition to a mobile app and generate feedback on users’ actions. Still, it’s important to be cautious about overdoing animated graphics.
When used strategically, animations could enhance user experience in a variety of ways, including:
- Creating the desired mood
- Evoking a specific emotion
- Indicating to the user that a particular action has been executed
- Drawing the user’s attention to a certain area of the screen
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3D Graphics
3D has become increasingly vital in recent years as it seeps into each aspect of a brand’s design language and identity. In fact, it appears that 3D is well on its way to superseding the flat, traditional design trends that have been employed over the past decade. 3D graphics continue to gain popularity among app designers since they allow them to develop stunning animations and effects.
Users are more likely to be receptive to an app with depth in its design and 3D animations that help them comprehend navigation better. Not to mention, it’s far easier to render 3D graphics on modern devices. Still, businesses should keep their app compatible with older devices even while leveraging this technology to provide a better user experience.
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Dark Mode
The dark mode is a design trend used in mobile apps to enable users to perceive content at lower levels of brightness while reducing the energy consumption of the user’s mobile device. Content such as icons and texts would still stand out nicely by utilizing favorable contrasting colors. The dark mode is usually used to alleviate potential eye strain, but most users seem to enjoy the sense of sophistication it adds to the appearance of mobile apps.
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Asymmetry
Asymmetry is an architectural design principle that dates back to the Roman era. It creates balance in the app’s layout to make it richer and visually appealing. Asymmetrical designs utilize new formulas to break away from the rigid lines of traditional apps.
When developing a mobile app, you should use different shapes, sizes, colors, and fonts to create a unique look – this guarantees that your app stands out from the rest. This trend is likely to grow in popularity in the years to come, which means that it is a trend every developer and company should familiarize themselves with.
Try These Mobile App Design Trends Today
Mobile app design is all about combining great functionality with outstanding visual appeal. If you work on these two elements carefully and to the best of your ability, you should end up with a brilliantly, uniquely designed app. When taking the plunge in mobile app design, you should always aim for a great UI and UX.
Still, it’s unrealistic to expect to wind up with a perfectly designed app on the first trial. Remember to set realistic expectations – like any other process; you will get better at mobile app design with practice. Plus, user feedback will help you learn from your mistakes, evolve your craft, test further, and eventually perfect the user experience.