Why does app design matter?
Engaging user experiences
Just developing a mobile app will not be enough to engage and retain users. A well thought-out user experience and strategy is the foundation of a successful app design.
Engaging user experiences
Just developing a mobile app will not be enough to engage and retain users. A well thought-out user experience and strategy is the foundation of a successful app design.
Credibility
75% of people judge a company's legitimacy solely on the basis of its aesthetic appearance.
Brand awareness
65% of users say a poor mobile experience negatively impacts their opinion of the brand.
Conversions
Good design ensures users can complete the apps main objectives without running into issues
Why us?
Having started in E-commerce ourselves we know inside out what is involved in designing, building and maintaining a WordPress website. Having built over 200 websites for our clients, ranging from e-commerce sites to blogs and forums, we will guide you through the entire process, advising on the best options and features to achieve your goals with the website.
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Worked with these guys on getting a company web presence up very quickly. They understood what we needed right away and delivered a quality product. I highly recommend them.
Tim McKendrick
Founder and CEO
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What's included
Free consultation and advice
We will have multiple calls to understand your problems and advise you on all options available throughout the process so you can make informed decisions on what is the best scope for your objectives.
Proven value for money
Our rates are in the lowest 5th percentile for professional design agencies. Couple this with a very experienced team and tested workflows and you’ll find that our packages for the same output will cost you around ½ of what a comparable agency or an in house team would cost.
Nifty turnaround speed
Although the timeframe can vary greatly depending on the request, for most requests we aim for a turnaround of up to 2 working days, working Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm UK time (GMT).
Top notch quality
Every member of our team has at least 5 years of experience in their field and every deliverable is checked by an art director with over 15 years of experience, the project manager and your account manager before it is submitted for your review.
Full ownership
You will receive complete ownership of all designs or other assets produced as part of the engagement, including source files as well as website and hosting admin logins. You will also have access to dozens of licenses, plugins and tools free of charge!
Scaleable to your needs
We are here to support you throughout the journey, so you will have regular calls with your account manager to evaluate progress, discuss upcoming tasks and make any adjustments necessary to the services we provide.
What’s the process
Introduction call and scoping
Choosing design
Information needed
Build, revisions and edits
Go live
Book a call
Frequently
Asked Questions
Whats the difference between custom design vs using an existing template?
In essence custom web design can be considered a luxury service. As you may know there are thousands of ready templates and designs that you can choose from which come at a fraction of the price. If looking for a quick and budget solution going with “guided design” with one of these ready templates might as well be the best route. However, none of these templates will be able to truly capture your brand. Furthermore, most certainly a few similarly designed websites will exist and it is truly difficult to find templates or themes that will mesmerise visitors and permanently engrave your brand in their memories. Last but definitely not least, very few ready designs will be optimized to your website goals.
On the contrary, with our custom web design service every single detail in the design is thought about. From layout and colours to iconography and typography, everything is tailored to truly convey your brand and achieve high conversion on the goals you have, whether it may be for the visitor to purchase, get in touch or simply share the website: everything is thought through! Thus to put in perspective, it takes us around 10-12 hours of work to put a concept together (excluding revisions)! So whether you need this service or not essentially boils down to a trade-off between quality and price, and that’s ultimately for you to decide!
Why do you use WordPress/Webflow - can we build the site in Wix or SquareSpace instead?
WordPress, Wix and SquareSpace are all examples of CMS’s (Content Management Systems).
Wix and Squarespace have similarities in their easy-to-use interface, low-cost options and accessibility to new web designers, but also in their shortcomings with respect to scalability and customisation. Both are better suited for simple websites, such as blogs and portfolios, but SquareSpace offers more eye-catching designs and Wix has more variety of templates.
Both are inferior when it comes to SEO, lacking the advanced settings that are built into WordPress plugins. Only 1.4% of Wix sites get organic traffic!
For complete control over your website, for the potential for customisation and scalability, and for the availability of a wide range of plugins and features, WordPress is by far the best option. WordPress is less beginner-friendly: we’ve invested the time and energy in becoming complete experts in WordPress development to deliver you custom WordPress sites so you don’t have to learn an entirely new skill!
So in a nutshell: if you’re only interested in having a basic website, with limited functionality then you can build and manage it without the need of experienced developers in Wix or SquareSpace, all by yourself. If you’re looking for a website with more complex functionality, a unique design and lower monthly fees then we’re here to help! (-unless learning how to use WordPress is on your bucket list 😉)
What project management tools do you use?
We use ClickUp for our internal processes and for time tracking, so we can invite multiple members of your team to the ClickUp board and manage everything there. We can also join other project management tools that you are already using if you prefer.
Will the designs you provide be unique?
Absolutely! You can reverse image search any concept or variation we provide, and even individual components of the design, everything we design is made from scratch fully tailored to your brand!
Do I get ownership rights?
Certainly! From the moment you make the payment all rights to all concepts and variations developed during your project, including the final designs pass to you. We do however reserve the right (unless discussed otherwise in advance) to present the work done for you as part of our portfolio. Finally, upon completion you are also provided with the source file for the design, which can then be passed on to other designers or companies (such as a printing company) for their use.
Request a free proposal
App design combines the User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) to create the look and feel of the app. App designers take care of the app’s appearance (the colours, fonts, layout) while also focusing on usability and functionality.
What should you consider before starting app design?
App design is crucial in every app creation process, but it doesn’t start right away: a lot of preparation and research occurs before the app is designed.
Before you start drafting your app’s interface, ask yourself a couple of questions: What will your app serve for? What do your users need, and what is the problem your app is trying to solve?
The success of your app is in the correct answers to these questions. So make sure you conduct proper market research before getting your hands on the app design.
What makes an app design good?
The essence of creating a good app design lies in finding the perfect balance between a beautiful interface and good functionality. However, finding that perfect combination is not that easy, so the app design usually requires multiple changes and iterations before it is final.
It’s crucial to understand that app design is a continuous process that is constantly evolving and altering based on the users’ demands, expectations, and experiences.
Here’s a couple of useful tips for creating a good app design:
1. Keep the design simple
When we say a good app design, we don’t mean a mind-blowing interface with 3D visuals, abstract navigation options, motion animations, and sparkling buttons. Although there is nothing wrong with going a little extra, that choice is not for every app. Sometimes the best solution might be to keep it simple.
Remember that your users will view your design on small devices, so you don’t want to overstuff it with visuals. Instead, leave a little space to breathe between the elements.
One more important thing to remember is that a complicated design also means that it will take longer to load. And you don’t want to irritate your users by making them wait for too long. Most app owners know how important the app’s speed is in keeping their users satisfied.
So, to be brief, unless you’re sure that a complex design is what suits your goals, try to keep the UI/UX of your app simple. It will help your users to stay focused, as they won’t have too many distractions on their way.
2. Don't try to reinvent the wheel
Let’s be honest: you’re not the first one designing an app. Others have done it before you, and they have already come up with certain things that work and some that don’t. So instead of being a pioneer, why not make use of what has historically been proven to work?
You might have already noticed that most of the apps on your phone have started to look pretty similar. And trust us, it’s not a bad thing. Most successful apps have a similar design, and changing that already established norm of design for your app will make it harder for your users to figure out what’s what.
So what we suggest is to take a look at the most famous apps in your sector and try to understand which are the most popular design choices. You can use their layouts and elements as a reference for creating your own features and the overall interface.
Of course, it does not mean you need to limit your creativity. Just make sure you meet the common UX expectations: for instance, spreading two fingers apart on the screen means zooming in, and swiping the finger means moving to the next page.
If you try to reassign these functions, you will confuse your users.
3. Remember about the screen sizes
Remember that its going to be used on a multitude of screen sizes when creating the app design. Even smartphones from the same brand have various screen shapes, resolutions, and sizes. You can take a look at the most recent iPhone models as an example, and you’ll see that the difference is apparent.
Aside from smartphones, it would help if you also thought about other mobile devices, like tablets or Smart TVs. Remember that for the best user experience, you want your app to be optimized for all the screen sizes.
By the way, if you also have a website, don’t forget to make it optimized for different screen sizes, too, by following the best responsive web design practices.
4. Constantly update your design
As we mentioned earlier, mobile app design is a continuous process that requires a lot of modifications and alterations on its way. That means that even when your initial design is finished, you can’t really lay down and forget about it.
On the contrary, developers and designers should always think of new ways to improve app performance. Otherwise, your app will soon become laggy and outdated.
However, you also want to avoid big changes, especially if your users are still new to your app. But even if they aren’t new, remember that the users do not always welcome a complete redesign of an app. For instance, when Snapchat offered an entirely new design solution, its users were pretty hostile. They even opened a petition on Change.org to remove the newest updates, collecting over 1.2 million signatures.
What is the app design process?
The app design process usually consists of these key four steps:
- Discovery and specification
- Wireframing
- Edits and revisions
- User interface design
Let’s take a look at each of them in more detail.
Discovery and Specification
Every app starts with an idea. In the app design world, the process of coming up with an app idea and putting it down on paper is called the discovery phase. This is where you decide on the main objectives of your app, how it will look and feel, and define your goals and expectations.
The app discovery usually consists of the following stages:
1. Analyzing the concept
Anyone can come up with a bizarre app idea. But not all those ideas can be turned into reality. So, first of all, establish the feasibility of your idea. Can your business afford to develop such an app? Is it technically possible to create the app you have in mind? Is there enough interest in your idea?
2. Researching the market
In the app discovery phase, you also conduct the market analysis, researching the industry and defining the demographics for your app.
3. Gathering the requirements
After the market research, you need to understand which features you want to include in your app. Remember to keep your end-users in mind while creating the list of desired features and functionalities.
When you’re done with these initial stages, you need to create a detailed app specification document that includes all the app requirements. In general, it helps the designers, developers, and app owners stay aligned with the project vision and clearly comprehend what should be done.
Some of the sections you can include in the specification document are the introduction, the app idea, features, timeline, budget, and target audience.
Wireframing
The second phase of app design is creating the wireframes. What is a wireframe? In simple terms, a wireframe is the 2D sketch of your app design that visually illustrates how the future app will look and work.
The wireframe does not have to include the complete design of your app. It is mainly representing the most crucial interface elements and screens.
The wireframe does not necessarily need to be a high-fidelity graphic design either. Think of it as an architectural plan of your app. It is the first sketch that helps you get the overall idea of the app design.
UX designers mainly create wireframes to help the developers start the work and refer to the wireframes as a guide. That’s why wireframes are kept simple: it allows developers, designers, and project owners to modify the design together.
Here is what wireframes generally include:
- The content hierarchy
- Distribution of space
- Possible actions of the future app users
- Main app features
- The transition between one page to another
Anyone looking at a wireframe should understand the different features integrated into the app, how much space is allocated between these features, and the main navigation options available.
Edits and revisions based on the feedback
The main goal of creating wireframes is to get feedback. So the logical continuation of wireframing is getting reviews and making edits and revisions to the app design.
Remember, feedback is fundamental. Most successful apps and designs go through hundreds of modifications based on others’ feedback and opinion.
However, not everyone knows how to provide constructive feedback, and it’s especially challenging when it comes to something as ambiguous and abstract as app design.
So when reviewing the wireframe, make sure you remember the final goal. This will help you understand whether the functionality and structure of the initial design represented in the wireframe help fulfil the app’s main objectives.
If you’re not sure you understand the goal, here is what to ask yourself:
- Is your app’s primary purpose informing or converting users?
- What is your app’s main subject, and does it require long and detailed content or a concise one?
- What kind of media do you want to have in your app?
Another thing that will help you conduct an objective revision of the wireframe is putting yourself in your users’ shoes. This will help you avoid giving opinionated feedback based on your likes and dislikes.
Try to understand what the app’s potential users would think about it? Which aspects will make them annoyed, and which features will make them stick with the app?
In the end, after the constructive feedback is given, the designers will go through the edits and revisions based on it to make the wireframe better and finally get into the following:
User interface design
The user interface design process is one of the last steps in app design. It goes along with the UX design, as without supporting the app’s functionality goals, good UI cannot be created.
Good UI/UX design is one that the users do not even notice, as when it’s done well, all the users’ focus is directed towards the usage of the product.
The following will help you design a better UI for your app:
1. Let your users be in control of the interface
In order for your users to feel comfortable, let them have control over the app they use. Be forgiving and make all the actions reversible. You don’t want your users to lose anything important just because they can’t undo their actions.
If you don’t provide the backtracking option, your users will constantly fear failure, which will harm their experience with your app.
2. Make navigation easy
The routes between one page to another should always be self-evident.
Even if you have a B2B app full of features, you shouldn’t intimidate your users. Remember that a good UI is about making your users feel at ease with your app.
3. Make the UI consistent
Stick to a clear colour palette, use fonts smartly, and keep consistency in your design choices. This will help your users connect better with your brand.
Talking about branding— don’t forget that you need to have clear branding guidelines before starting the app design. Here, at Passionate, we can help you with this critical aspect of app creation. We’ll help you create a brand your users can identify and build a strong connection with.
You can trust both the branding and app design process to our professionals. We know exactly how to create the best app for your product, helping you get more converting users. So if you are looking for an efficient app design solution, look no further!
