The mobile app market has become very popular, with 2.53 billion individuals now using a smartphone.
This number will only continue to rise as we head into 2019 and invest in the future. Why is this statistic important? 180 billion applications were downloaded from the Apple Store in June 2017 alone. This means that the owners of mobile applications have a lot to gain from this promising market.
To flourish, however, you will need to know the app UI design cost. You also have to stay abreast of the latest mobile app designs trends, which we will look at below. Here’s a look at the top mobile app design trends, plus some tips to help support the app development process.
The Best Mobile Design Trends 2018
Mobile applications have, indeed, revolutionized how we live our daily lives. Because of this, their demand is constantly on the rise. This is very good news for start-up companies looking to use an application to grow. Let us identify some of the best trends in mobile app designs to take advantage of this year.
1. Bigger screens are in
It seems that people have become fond of their large screen Android and IOS devices. The tablet market has grown exponentially over the past few years and has never been as popular as it is in 2018. That being said, it is not always easy to build an app for larger devices from scratch. There are other problems involved when trying to make an application for smaller devices adapt to larger ones. Several changes have to be made to the user interface, and most of the navigation patterns have to be changed, which leads to a different UX.
2. User interface: the simpler the better
If you want to get a great design in 2018, your goal should be to make the simplest user interface possible. A simple UI design always translates into an application with better functionality, which is what users are looking for. It is important to keep the following vital features as part of your user interface:
- Open screen space is essential.
- Digital screens are taken advantage of.
- UI is clear and functional.
- Elements are used effectively but kept to a minimum.
3. Swiping
Another important modern mobile app design trend is developing the swipe action and making it more fluid. Smartphones have had this feature for a while now, and it is quite acceptable in terms of functionality.
However, there is always room for improvement and, this year, developers should pay a lot of attention to it. Additionally, the best ideas right now involve the use of a card-based feed which has been extensively used in applications such as Pinterest and Twitter. Another option includes the use of both the universal swipe and the card layouts.
4. More options in the navigation
Creating more navigation options is one of the more important mobile app design trends. This navigation trend involves the use of simple but creative navigational buttons. Other key features in the new navigation patterns should include:
- Provision of more navigational options. This includes horizontal, vertical, modular, parallax scrolling and hidden navigation.
- Infinite scrolling for mobile applications that have a lot of content.
- Navigation buttons should not remain on the screen at all times and disappear when the app is inactive for a certain period of time.
- Modular scrolling to tackle scrolling through several rows of content.
5. Adding an animation feature
Adding an attention-grabbing element should never be overlooked by any app developer – and what better way to do this than by adding a simple but well-designed animation.
Apps that have included this feature have received great reception from users. They also play an important role in improving the user experience. How will a typical designer take advantage of animations? Let’s review what you can do and what you can get out of it:
- The animation can lighten up the navigation
- It can be a transition between zooming in and out
- It can act as a confirmation of actions made by the user
- It may provide a better user experience for the user
- It can also provide a direct visualization effect
- It’s a great feature that makes use of parallax design
6. Creating a relationship with a customer
The process involves using your brand to create good relationships with your customers. This is only possible if you create a mobile application that can easily tell the story of your brand.
Most businesses are making use of special illustrations and graphics to make this possible. Remember the following principles of developing a relationship with your users:
- Aim at providing a unique experience to the user.
- Try your best to look for ways to get your brand out there.
- Focus on how you will improve your app user experience.
- Look for new technologies and what they will cost to make your job easier.
Branding for mobile app designers is still in its infancy. It will only get more important with time, and paying attention to it can make a big difference.
7. Using adaptable typography
Typography will always be an important feature of an application and should never be ignored. Many designers consider it to be secondary to other design components such as navigation and color; however, iOS 7 and the use of Helvetica Neue has changed this by introducing scalable typography. Scalable typography has the ability to greatly influence the overall appearance of the application and make the design stand out more.
Conclusion
We have reviewed some of the best trends in app interface designs in 2018. If well implemented, these can certainly make a difference for any business trying to capitalize on an app they decide to make, right from the start.
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