OUGD504- Creating an App

An app is something I have never created or designed before so I think its important to do as much research possible and to take advantage of any resources and articles provided by tutors in order to get the best possible result out of my work.

Reading an article from proto.io called 'The 10 Commandments of Mobile App Design' it has enabled me to carefully consider all the components of what needs to go into creating a successful app.

Don't overcomplicate things 
Limit feature to what are necessary and ensure your user interaction reflects something similar, you should do exactly what the user needs.

Ensure your design is accessible
Test your app on both Android and iOS, it needs to reach a wide audience of users. 

Don't reinvent something already out there
Don't throw away convention just to make you app different from everyone else out there, ensure you work with your users familiar design language- if you decide to add new elements make sure they work and not just for the sake of making your app seem different, ensure it adds something to the app experience.

Always remember who you are designing for
Every audience will have different expectations and needs for an app and they will each be responsive to different types of designs.

Don't use obnoxious fonts 
It's just as important to use suitable fonts on an app than a website etc.. They are crucial to user experience so you need to ensure the font is readable and fits the design.

Stay consistent  
Stick with similar design choices throughout the app, it needs to be unified or it will make the user feel uncomfortable and confused. If the app is being designed for a particular company or industry then it should match their style.

Keep mobile in mind 
Although phone devises have got larger to make it easier for users to navigate around, they may still expect to have a one-handed usability. The environment in which the app is going to be used in will also need to be considered, the user interaction needs to be clean and uncluttered so users can find the function they need.

Remember user flow 

• Consider these basic questions: 
• What purpose does your app serve for the user?
• How will they navigate through it to get to the functions they need?
• How many pages will they have to parse?
• How many menu clicks will it take to access a certain button?
• Which functions need to be the most accessible?

Create a realistic prototype 
Creating sketches will only get you so far, an interactive, realistic prototype can make your client much more excited about the app.

Test and test again
Testing is crucial to user experience, even if the app doesn't have a fatal flaw, users will be picky and one small thing would make them delete the app.