Posted by Whether you are working on a mobile or web application project, it is important to prioritize the need for a viable and ideal User Experience (UX). Web and mobile application designs that survive bad reviews from app store users and continuous uninstallations from frustrated users follow the standard and recommended app User Interface (UI) design principles that lead to better user experiences (UX). It is the easily ignored menace called app over-design that is always producing bad and irrevocable app User Experiences. For instance, app over-design often fails to focus the User Experience (UX) on the top, center, and bottom User Interfaces of applications under development.
This article sheds some light on app over-designs. Also, why does avoiding it create a lifeline for your enterprise-potential app under development.
Why Over-Design is as Bad as Under-Design?
The secret formula to a good app design is learning from existing over-design mistakes. It is this problem-solving approach that draws the line between a good app designer and an evolving app designer. Consider the following consequences of app over-design:
1. Poor Information Architecture
When the use and implementation of an app’s architectural features like elements, colors, placements, typography, and fonts are misrepresented during the plan and design phase, the overall end-user interaction is affected. It ends up overshadowing the app’s ideal functionality because of the end-users perception of the unwelcoming design interface.
2. Contempt Use of Fonts
The use of extra fonts to beautify an app’s design might kill its aesthetic value if overused. System fonts on the other hand make app navigation faster. Migrating from supported system fonts to customizable external fonts requires the app designer not to breach a font’s software license and terms of use.
3. Congested Elements
If all the interfaces of your app do not have an easy and standard interpretation of UI elements, or the design permits the use of flashy objects, this would result in the app having a high chance of losing its popularity score. Proper element spacing and alignment are important as they give the end-user an intuitive interaction with the app’s interface. Know what elements to put on the left, center, and right sides of the app device screen.
4. Overloaded Data
The user of the app should not feel like the device they are using is stuffed with too much app data. The app design should be simple and responsive on any device screen. The app designer needs to properly consider the use of appropriate device screen resolutions and ratios.
5. Misleading Navigation Patterns
If the app is for iOS users, the designer should be familiar with the standard orientation of its navigation components. This rule also applies to Android users’ apps. Whether it’s top, bottom, left, or right navigation, the app designer needs to be familiar with the navigation traditions of all targeted devices.
Example Apps with Over-Design Issues and their Resulting Influence on User Experience (UX)
App over-design is evident in many already-published apps. Their resulting bad User Experience (UX) will lead you through endless community support forums only to discover other frustrated users. These UX design fails are popular in popular apps that define our daily interactions.
1. WhatsApp’s message delete feature
Promptly deleting an accidentally sent message on WhatsApp notifies the unintended receiver of the message that you deleted a message through the prompt You deleted this message. In most cases, the unintended recipient will want an explanation for the deleted message. Such interactions affect the user-to-user relationship especially if it’s an employee-to-employer relationship.
2. Netflix’s hover auto-play
The auto-play feature on this app can be disturbingly loud for users who only want to preview specific movie or television series details. The app designers assume all users enjoy this app feature which means that their end-user testing phase was not thorough enough.
3. Apple’s storage management system
The cannot take photo error prompt due to low storage space on Apple devices is a design fail for users that want to quickly capture special moments like an impromptu selfie with a celebrity or even a child’s first steps. Also, Apple users are not informed of the minimum amount of storage space they need to successfully take a photo. A user may end up deleting unnecessary device data.
Self-Control Checklist to Help Developers and Designers Avoid App Over-Design or Over-Coding
App designers and developers need to always keep the keyword unique in mind while attempting to come up with any app design functionality. This mindset prevents them from having to spy on and slightly copy/mock their competitors’ app designs and functionalities. This copy-paste app design habit often taints the uniqueness and reputation of already-established app brands.
With this overview, the following checklist (prepared in cooperation with Elinext app development company) should keep you safe from app over-design pitfalls associated with bad User Experience (UX):
1. Acknowledge the Existence of Bad UX Designs
No matter how performant an app may seem to be, a bad UX design is a bad UX design. The app designer should not focus on borrowing functionalities from competitors or top brands instead, they must focus on meeting the targeted users’ expectations. All finished app designs should get a fresh perspective from sampled end users. The usability tests carried out by these users will shed some light on the needed User Experience (UX) improvements.
The app functionality designs should be user-driven and not designer-driven.
2. Be Inspired by Top App-Designing Brands
Drawing inspiration from a trending app design in the software market or app store will not take away the uniqueness of the App design idea you have in mind. A visually pleasing app design is not the only secret ingredient in creating useful UX in apps because any well-funded competitor can achieve this goal.
If you take a glimpse at top app-designing brands, you will realize that their app design routines create a balance between aesthetic pleasure and polished app functionalities. This inspirational approach will help you balance everything in your app designs.
3. Get the End Users Perspectives
The app design footprints should never fail to implement the concepts of user personas and scenarios within the design window. They help with identifying and fixing all the loopholes related to User Experiences (UX). They also explore all questions that the end-users might ask. Sampled end-users should be allowed to use the designed app for a calendared period before its official launch. Thereafter, their questions and expectations based on their user experiences will make ground for further app improvements.
4. Continuous App Testing
While the app designer is the one on the payroll; for the app design process, the need for constant user tests requires this app designer to include sampled end-users throughout the app design process. Continuously user-testing your app designs leads to new user insights which then lead to app design improvements for a better User Experience (UX).
Final Note
As much as creating an exceptional app User Experience (UX) is a hefty task, it’s neither rocket science. The app designers need to unselfishly include users in their app design processes and continuously carry out tests aimed at bettering the app’s performance and User Experience (UX).