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Reasons your Web App UX needs to be Intelligent and Interactive

By Team #ARM Worldwide
September 4, 2017

When was the last day you didn’t use a mobile app? Probably not a day you want to remember! Web apps have become an inherent part of our lives. Apart from having their presence felt across the whole of business landscape, they have dramatically altered the way we use the web. Extremely engaging, highly interactive and imaginative mobile applications are sure to help you increase your business ROIs. Revenues can swing upwards if you know what to do right and how to do it right with feature rich web applications. Now that we’ve got your interest, it is but obvious that you too would love to embrace responsive web apps to drive sales up north. All you need is a bit of help with the right tools and tricks. Why is UX suddenly so all pervasive and important We’ve all been talking of user-centered design in the recent times. So simply put, we can say UX is important because it takes care of our users’ needs and engages with them directly. Interestingly, the industry experts have some wonderful news and views as to what will and will not work for web app UX.

Chatty interfaces – Think Chatbots and voice UIs. According to predictions, interfaces will become more human even if it takes time to reach that level.
Machine learning – The coming years will see an upsurge in machine learning in everyday apps. Spotify has shown the way, it’s time for the rest of us to follow suit.
Designs that tickle the emotions – Data scientists and researchers are sure that there will be a bias towards humanizing designs, such as adorable mascots and emotive chatbots. They will increase the engagement as well as appeal to a larger audience.
Virtual reality – It’s here and it’s all set to become bigger! Gaining momentum each day, it’s popularity is growing and designers are more than happily adapting to it.
Experiences that bind - A unified, reliable user experience, whether it’s at the beginning or the end would make all the difference while considering designing the app.
Colors – Bold and bright and funky too. These could be the order of the day but it would still be paramount to keep the target audience in mind. They might even like it toned down.
Knowing and understanding your location – With the growth of IoT, the canvas has become huger and the opportunities larger. There are chances that websites will become responsive to the environments they are in.
The marriage of UX and service design - As the world getting more digital by the day, and more digital products use services like never before, UX and service design will need to merge.
Design along with development – Designers will need to collaborate with developers for better outcomes and engaging web app UX. Working in tandem, they will reach their shared goals faster and more effectively.
Destination Facebook and Google – With higher standards for minimal UI and faster loading speeds, the designers will need to work in alignment to match the pace.

Now that we’ve talked about what will work for web apps UX, let’s look at what the app shouldn’t be:

#1. Unclear and purposeless

Would you like to use an app which is floundering around and its purpose is not clear at all? Designing such an app will result in a very poor user experience. So, it is of utmost importance to be clear about your target audience. A clear idea about what the app is all about and who it is for will aid in its designing. The aesthetics and the branding will come alive only if the app has a clear purpose.

#2. Overlooking the UX Design Mapping

The app’s UX design needs to be thought through and carefully invested in. This needs to be undertaken much before designing starts. The way the app will be structured as well its flow should be mapped out well.

#3. Text heavy

How long do you think you could go on reading text for? Not too long a span, right? With the average person clocking 8 seconds attention span, it really would be a no-brainer to jam the app with too many words. The app should be the right mix of images along with text. To keep the user engaged, the headings and sub-headings should be formatted well and accurately.

#4. Meant only for one device

The app should be designed keeping multiple devices in mind – from wearable ones to the ones that stay atop the desks. It would be a grave mistake in today’s day and age to design an app keeping just a single device in mind. It would do the app well to be optimized for multiple devices.

#5. Distractingly colored

The app should be using appealing and inviting colors rather than inappropriate ones. It would be overwhelming for the users to navigate through a riot of colors. A maximum usage of two to three colors would be deemed fit and look appealing too. Also, while designing the app, color blind users should also be kept in mind.

#6. Ignoring performance glitches

You’ve designed a wonderfully engaging app but the user is turned off because it takes more than the desired time to load. There is an intrinsic need to follow certain performance standards even if you think your app is a sure shot winner.

#7. Discounting the budget for app development

Would you as a user like to go for an app which does not have features to keep you engaged? Thus, the app which is being designed should keep well in mind the budget constraints. If the design thinking does not take into consideration the monetary restraints, it might lead to feature cutting later which will not bode well with the user.

#8. Difficult to navigate

The web app UX should be intuitive and not labyrinthine or baffling. The navigation should be easy and help the users search for what they are looking for conveniently. Moving back and forth will only irritate the users.

#9. Heavy on features

Excessive features on an app can only be a turn off. The user experience is marred by a perplexed feeling. What the stands for and what it intends to serve should be presented in limited features rather than hordes of them. A closer look at while wireframing could help in eliminating redundant features at an earlier stage itself.

#10. Left untested

Analyze, get feedback, redesign if need be. But do not make the mistake of omitting testing the app in-house. Your app could be beta tested by a sample audience before it makes it big in the larger world. One thing’s loud and clear now, that designers need to think and rethink of quite a few unused solutions to make a mark and carve a niche in the app scenario. How can you add to a plain text message, how about adding a link, how can the app look a little more attractive, these are questions that need to be answered by designers who want to make a difference. To sum it all in a wise manner, we could safely say that a successfully designed and implemented web or a mobile app engages the users and is capable enough to function well on its own. Apart from this, it would be great if the app was visually appealing too.