As a user, what is that one thing that draws you towards any app?

Of course, choosing an app to download purely depends upon the needs of the user. But apart from the obvious reasons, there is a lot more to it while deciding which app will suit your wants. 

For example, of all social media apps, telegram is the most useful app for me. The way it is structured suits my needs. Being a student, I can find notes and free pdfs which may not be available online.

Hope this sets the tone for this article. Every company has a UX team working on the design. But what makes an app an exemplary one? What makes it great in look and feel as well as in functionality?

This is what we are going to find out. 

To design an app that is widely acknowledged, it has to undergo scads of research. Research related to demographics wants, patterns, customs, etc. helps to know about the target audience.

What follows research is user testing.

User Testing lies at the very heart of the app design process. A user is provided with the model of an app to play around. The user behaviour such as facial expression, time to perform an action, activity are monitored. Furthermore, after the user has used the app, a questionnaire is shared. Based on user's actions and the feedback the efficacy of the app is determined. If necessary an iteration of feature(s) is done.

Another step that is the most crucial in app design is the art of ideating. 

Ideation is about the exploration and identification of potential ideas. Not all ideas will be viable solutions, and that’s okay. The foundation to design an app comes from innovative ideas. Ideation works differently for every app. You cannot use the  ‘one size fits all' approach.

Lastly, every effort goes in vain if the app design doesn’t go with the trend.

This poses a great sense of responsibility on the UX designer to be abreast of all the latest app design and development trends. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are both trends that users are looking up to if you are in the gaming, construction, interiors, automotive fields. 

Samsung is one of the leaders in the production of VR apps. Other companies that put their foot into the door include Google with its Daydream View along with its affordable alternative Cardboard, HTC with Vive, as well as Oculus Rift, owned by Facebook. If you are a tech company in the space where AR/VR is trending, you need to jump in it as well. If your users want it, then you need to provide it.

If you are still reading my article, you would have noticed that everything sums up to one basic principle i.e, the user-centric approach. The core focus of being user-centric is putting the user at the center of the process. A user wants an experience that is satisfactory for them. 

Undoubtedly, it is important to design the best user experience. I hope the mentioned information would help you to understand the outline of designing a great app. There is of course a lot more to this than just the four steps. But this will get you started with your design process.

That's all for now. Until next time.