We live in a digital era where there is an app for anything. The difference between a good app and a bad one is how well it caters to target users’ needs, preferences, and behaviour. Designers and developers can ensure this by embracing user-centric design.
By doing so, they can also ensure users prefer their apps over those created by their competitors, and that they do not abandon them as can happen with a lot of apps on the different app stores. So, what strategies can designers and developers adopt when building user-centric apps?
Conduct Thorough User Research
Any app development project should start with thorough research that helps the developer understand its target users. Such research should aim to understand user behaviours, demographics, pain points, needs, and preferences.
Designers and mobile app developers in the UK can then use the data collected from this exercise to create user personas to help them create apps that appeal strongly to targeted users.
Design and Develop to Minimise Mental Effort
Designers and developers often fall into the trap of trying to create new and innovative solutions to problems that are already solved. Doing so requires users to learn how to interact with the solutions they come up with, which increases mental load and the chance that users will abandon the app.
Instead, they should use existing flows, design principles, and development strategies that users are already familiar with. A common example in this regard is the close button or menu. Users expect both to be on the top-right corner. Placing it anywhere else would make them harder to find, breaking the rules of user-centric designs.
Fortunately, the best mobile app developers in London have vast experience with what users expect and how to reduce mental effort, so you will not find such issues in your app if you work with such agencies.
Collect Feedback Early and Test Often
Feedback from typical app users shows designers and developers what is working and what is not. It allows them to improve or correct parts of the app’s design or functionality to suit target users’ needs better.
Such feedback comes from testing often using actual users. Every app design agency should conduct these tests at every step of the app’s design and development before moving on. Going back to fix something after the fact wastes time and money, something businesses cannot afford in an age of fast iteration and app releases.
Always Keep the User in Mind
A common mistake designers and developers make is creating an app for themselves rather than their users. They should understand they are not the user and should not assume what the user will think about the app or how they will use it.
Hiring the best mobile app development agency means you have a team that relies on research, testing, feedback and continuous iteration to create an app with users in mind rather than one based on their assumptions.
Apps have become a must-have and a revenue generator for today’s businesses. However, they are not useful for these organisations if developers and designers do not keep user-centric design principles in mind. All app development in London should be based on data collected from users. You should lean on user feedback during iteration, and embrace continuous improvement to ensure users continue using and finding value in the app.
