Mobile App Design

Mobile apps offer companies a unique branding opportunity, the user must download an app onto their mobile device before accessing the content and is therefore usually already familiar with the brand, beforehand. As such, businesses can experiment with the look and feel of their branding to develop a user experience that is distinct from their website. Latest studies have confirmed that smartphone users spend the majority of their time within mobile apps, as opposed to web browsers. As our phones increasingly permeate our daily activities, the presence of an app icon on a user's device acts as a subtle advertisement which keeps your brand consistently front of mind. However, before embarking on a mobile app design, it's imperative that you identify which operating system will run the app, as this impacts the user interface plus the experience and therefore all design decisions.

iOS App Design

There are distinct characteristics evident in the design of every iOS app for example icons must all be designed to fit a square with rounded corners, and cannot have a transparent background. To ensure a great experience for users who are evidently familiar with Apple's interface, it is often preferable to design an app interface which is consistent with typical iOS functionality. Specific requirements such as designing assets for different screen densities, the use line icons with particularly thin strokes, buttons with a flat appearance, action options are separated by dividers and copy is presented centre-aligned are all important. The design of iOS apps should ideally prioritise the content by using white space effectively. To indicate depth, or attract attention the design can encompass gradients, blurring or transparency effects.

Android App Design

While there is a broader range of Android devices made by various companies including Samsung Galaxy, HTC or Nexus; luckily all the apps tend to have similar designs.  Apps designed to run on Android devices should ideally reflect the interface and functionality users have come to expect on this operating system. For example, floating action buttons (FAB) are a distinct design feature used for popular options like composing a post, or starting a chat. 

Due to the extensive array of Android devices and sizes, assets must be designed for several different screen densities. Overall, the design of android apps is based on Material Design, drawing inspiration from layers of physical paper and therefore utilities lots of drop shadows, with an emphasis on motion and coloured elements.