An application is, among other things, a piece of communication. It is part of a system and is an opportunity to extend the identity of a company or product. Through the different screens of the app, colors, fonts and backgrounds act as elements that reflect that identity. Clearly, one of the components of identity is the brand. Although it is tempting to make extensive and repeated use of it, it is recommended to include it in suitable places for that purpose, such as introductory screens, key and user entry screens, or in the “About” section. In this way, you can ensure a correct identity display without affecting navigation and user experience.
The user experience is often underestimated, it is the truth. When we design a new software product, some think that the most important thing is to leave the market as soon as possible with concrete functionality and try a “viable minimum” before investing more effort and money. Without a doubt, the above is totally reasonable. In the medium term it can be very expensive to wait for the product to be completely finished with all the functionality. Now, this does not necessarily mean that the user experience is deficient or that our product “is ugly”, on the contrary it can be vital how users experience our application, how they feel using it can mean life or death. They say what counts is the first impression. In the world of applications that first impression is limited to two visual components: the launch icon and the initial screen, also called splash, which will be displayed many times when you open the application. These elements will be seen first of all, before you actually start using the application. Do not underestimate their importance and give them the attention they deserve, guarantee to start with the right foot. Now, by taking all elements, we selected the different ways of how to achieve a pleasant design and incorporate it into our final product, that is, the application as such, so that the user experience is of a high level and therefore value in a good way what we are presenting.
1. A nice and simple visual design
It is not necessary that your design has the last visual effect that dictates the trend. But it must be pleasant and consistent with the principles of visual design such as harmony, balance, hierarchy, proportion, contrast or emphasis. And in each principle there are elements like the line, the form, the text, the color with which to work out composition. Our visual composition should help the user to understand the application, give a good first impression and build trust.
2. Use an “onboarding” screen to show your unique value proposition
The onboarding screen appears when we open the application for the first time on our device. This onboarding experience occurs in three or four screens where we explain how the application solves a problem and adds value. Most users usually skip these first screens quickly. It is advisable to place only a text that facilitates reading and transmits the message clearly, even accompanied by a powerful graphic. An illustration or a photograph can help you connect emotionally with the user who will only have 3 or 5 seconds to “enter the application environment”.
3. Welcomes and accompanies the user
It's about being that ambassador that receives the user. When you arrive at the home screen, design a welcome and ask if you need to take a tour to learn what the application is about. If the product is new and unique, be sure to accompany the user through the process that must be done, the goal is to provide a sense of success and achievement by understanding the concept of the application. It can also be beneficial to design a screen of frequently asked questions.
4. Design the micro feedback management
It is highly valuable to know the user's opinion after using our application, especially if we have a service involved. In the design of the user experience we can simply add a question like: “How do you evaluate our service on a scale of 1 to 5?”, Something simple, not a long and tedious survey that scares the user.
The “micro feedback” seeks only to collect little but concrete information from the users of the product. For example, the Uber application (an application that offers a private transportation network) asks users to vote and comment on the driver immediately after using the service. Collecting these microdata from the most committed users with your product can help you incorporate improvements in the next iteration and if there is something negative that indicates that some functionality is wrong, it will allow you to track it, resolve it and begin to delight users.
5. Designs an attractive onboarding, but above all useful and instructive
Finally, remember that it is not just about “leaving the market ugly”, it is also possible to design a minimum user experience for a viable product.