11 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR AN IOS MOBILE APP
Talk to any iOS user and ask them why they won’t ever switch to Android. One of the top reasons would be…
“Android’s UI feels cluttered; the design isn’t neat. It might be good but nowhere as clean as iOS.”
You’d hear variations of what I said above. And that is 100% true.
When designing an iOS application, you need to make sure you don’t blot iOS’s upper hand in design over Android.
App design in itself is a critical factor governing the success or otherwise of your application. However, with iOS applications, you also need to make sure you don’t just pass the threshold but also live up to your audience’s expectations. (And mind you, the expectations are set too high.)
Why follow this guide and not Human Interface Guidelines?
The Human Interface Guidelines issued by Apple to aid iOS app developers is a complicated set of documents to understand. And an even complex document to practically implement.
This guide right here is a simpler and more humane version of that. My aim is not to contradict what Apple says. My aim is to make it clear what Apple (and your users) expect from you.
Let’s begin…
Design Considerations for A Successful iOS Mobile App
Here are 11 of the most important design considerations for an iOS mobile application.
Follow these, and you’d have an app with buttery smooth UX. Choose to ignore these and see how your application gets ignored by the end-users.
· Respect Resolutions and Display Specifications
For the iPhones of the past, the screen size was manageable and kind of consistent. Now, that’s not the case. Every new iPhone comes with a different scale and screen size. But your app needs to look and feel perfect on every device it supports. And that’s why the resolutions and display specifications need to be adhered to.
How?
Check out the scale factor issued by Apple. And make sure your images and the app, in general, are suitably designed to fit various screen sizes.
· Think in Points, Design in Pixels
In digital displays, a pixel is the smallest physical element that you can control. The more pixels you can fit on a screen, the higher will be the Pixel Per Inch (PPI), and the clearer will the rendered image be.
As for points, it is a resolution-independent measurement. In the first iPhone, the points and pixels were equal.
320×480 pixels = 320×480 points
But the introduction of retina screens changed that. Now, one point can contain multiple pixels. For regular retina screens, the equation is 1 point = 2 x 2 pixels.
Thus, when creating design assets for modern iOS devices, make sure you think your ideas in points. But design it in pixels to make sure the elements fit the screen to scale.
· Keep The Notch Intact
The ‘notch’ or sensor housing is an element that prevents the screen of an iOS device from becoming edge-to-edge. And you should keep it intact.
Now, it is obvious that you are tempted to create a complete square design and hide the notch with a black bar. But don’t do it.
For one, if you hide the notch, it makes your app look inconsistent with other iPhone apps. And two, without the notch, the screen looks smaller than it actually is.
Both these results of hiding the notch do you no good. And instead, hamper your user’s overall experience. It is simply not worth it.
· Go With ‘San Francisco’ – The System Typeface
Typography is essential for any app. Your app is a waste of your time and money and your user’s storage space if it doesn’t read well. The content should be sharp and visible.
The best way to do that? Use the system typeface. The iOS system typeface is called San Francisco, which is designed for unparalleled clarity and sharpness. Also, the system font is dynamic type. Thus, it is adjustable based on user preferences.
· Use Vibrant Colors And Interactive Elements (Within Limits)
When you want to attract your audience’s attention to a particular UI element, the simplest way to get that attention is by using vibrant colors.
But remember not to overdo it. Adhere to the standard 10% limit on using vibrant colors. The rest 90% of your app should have subtle shades.
· Say No To Tiny Touch Targets, Optimize For The Thumb
If it takes too many attempts for your user to tap on a menu or control option, they will get frustrated. Tiny touch targets placed too close to each other and in zones where the app user has to stretch their fingers are counterintuitive.
Your minimum tappable area should be 44pt x 44pt. And the controls should be located in thumb-friendly zones for easy tapping.
· Replace Hamburger Menus With Tab Bars For Clearer Navigation
The latest iPhone screens are bigger. You have sufficient space to do away with hidden menus. Hamburger menus are a thing of the past. They sure save space, but they also make the app user question in which section they are in your app.
Tab bars are a more straightforward and clearer navigation option. Plus, you can also use colors to show where the user currently is.
· Animate The App To Convey Hierarchy
Your application won’t have screens that can be counted on fingers, right? There are going to be several screens. How do you expect your user to understand the hierarchy between those page screens? Well, animations and motions are the way to go.
Animations keep the user aware of what’s happening and also engaged.
If you use system animations, it would come in with another advantage. Your users would feel comfortable and acquainted with the animations. This increases the likeability of your app.
· Design A Dark Mode
On devices running on iOS 13 and above, users can choose to go for a darker appearance across the system. This Dark Mode enhances visibility at night and in low light conditions. Also, it enhances the viewing experience by reducing eye strain.
Your application should look equally pleasing in both the Dark and Light modes. Testing and touch-ups to design to ensure a uniform and comfortable appearance in both modes is essential.
· Format Your Content Right
No matter how great your app content is, it will go unread if it isn’t looking pleasing to the eye. And your app would be uninstalled within seconds.
A few formatting basics that you just cannot ignore include –
· Your users should be able to see and read the content without the need for horizontal scrolls or zooming. It should be placed well on the screen.
· Keep your content sized at 11 points. With that size, content is visible from a logical distance, and there is no need for zooming in.
· If your app background is light, keep the font color dark. For lighter backgrounds, go for darker fonts. There should be enough contrast to make text legible and reading easy.
· Set the line height and spacing such that two consecutive lines don’t overlap each other.
· Keep Popups And In-App Alerts To A Minimum
Popups are good for when you want your user’s immediate attention. But in-app alerts when your users are doing something important on your app mean you’d be distracting them. And that’s never a great idea.
Limit in-app alerts and popups and make sure the exit option is clearly visible and easily clickable.
Pro Tip – Don’t Go Solo
These design considerations are not meant for newbies just trying out their hands-on iOS app development. It is a job best fit for the veterans. Also, if you believe you can do it all by yourself, you need a reality check.
Instead of burdening yourself and your team with the weight of expectations too high, hire experts. Partner with teams that have designed stellar iOS applications before.
Sphinx Solutions has a team of iOS app developers who swear by these design guidelines (and many more too.) Don’t shy away from contacting the pros when you need perfect results.
Ignite an iOS Design Revolution Today
Now that you know the most critical design considerations, you are all armed to ignite an iOS design revolution. Have experts guide you if you feel you aren’t cut out for the design deeds.
No matter what you do, keep your app easy on the eyes and heavy in impact for your end-users. Success is just a perfect design away.
