So you have an app? Big deal! So does this developer, and that developer, and that other developer has one too. The problem with the app market today is that it’s over saturated already. There are so many apps to choose from whether they are locators, business apps, educations apps or even gaming apps.
How do you make sure your app will be the one that gets noticed? Make it look good of course!
Gaming Apps
Make the graphics as good as you can and you’ll have better chances of the money rolling in, according to programmer and app consultant Tim Buchalka.
“What you should be aware of is that the graphics are probably the most important aspect in a game. There is no doubt that graphics are going to play a major factor in your players decision to even download your game, let alone whether they keep playing it,” Buchalka says. Buchalka advises that were graphics are concerned, you, as the brainchild of the mod, should not leave it to chance.
“Make sure you take the time to get some great looking graphics from real artists that look great. Get involved with the process, ask for some samples of your artwork during design. Don’t assume an artist will be good. Find out,” he adds.
Other Apps
We may all come to appreciate the functionality and utility of an app eventually, but what usually catches our attention first is the way it looks. And “first impressions last” also applies where apps are concerned. When it comes to non-game apps, sometimes is not as much about the graphics, as it is about the design. What are other tips you should be aware of in coming up with your app’s graphic design?
Have an eye for details.
Never underestimate the beauty of simplicity. A lot of the most successful apps make use of awesome scenery, happy people, beautiful things and other positive elements as their background. However, if you choose to go with this, make sure you have high-res images. You will be making a bad impression with low-res ones.
Always strike a balance.
Another thing to consider is how the elements are arranged, or if there is too little or too much. Designers advise not to place too many elements in the first slide of your app. This is both functional and strategic; you don’t want to put all the functions there and you also want to intrigue users as to what other features you might have further on.
As for the slides themselves you also want to have a balance between elements and dead space, you can’t have all the visual elements, button and triggers on one side or half of the page and leave the other empty. Make sure there is reasonable distance between functional elements also.
Don’t forget brand promotion.
Never forget that in the end, you will still be promoting your brand after all. So make sure your brand name or logo can always be seen in all slides of your app. However, take care not to make it too obvious; for instance don’t let it take up more space than it should or don’t put it somewhere it should not be.
When it comes to the brand name or logo it’s more advisable to have it as a header rather than appear in the text. Be consistent with the font, size and color of the brand name or logo. Don’t have it appear different with each slide, you don’t want to confuse your user with too many visual elements.
Use color to your advantage.
There is such a thing as color psychology after all. For some people, color will either lure them in or turn them off. Some colors evoke feelings in different people. Brown is associated with wealth, black with uncertainty or surprise, white with fear and pink with playfulness, for example.
This is not to say you should flood your slides with a spectrum of colors as that would tend to confuse your user. Rather, choose a color scheme and stick with it throughout all the slides, the color scheme will even help users remember your app.
Avoid mimicry.
It might be tempting to follow the color scheme, font and general overall look of another successful app, but the last thing you want is to have users look at one of the slides in your app and say it reminds them of that other app.
Also, one of the practices during the earliest days off app making was to make the app look the like the website it was promoting, particularly if your app was a web application first. Designer Cecily Kellogg says this is best avoided. You are designing for a smartphone or tablet, not a PC. You might fool people into thinking you will be offering the same services with this smartphone or tablet app as you did with the web app.
Design for the platform and the phone.
Before, you only had to design apps for the iPhone. However today there are now many devices and operating systems that you may want to target with your app. Before you design your app consider how it will look throughout the different devices and operating systems. Consider what elements should be retained in some platforms and discarded for another.
Also remember that phones vary widely in size now, you can’t have an app slide that can only caters to one size, your users have to be able to see all the visual and functional elements of your app without the added inconvenience of having to scroll down. Have three sets of graphics: high density, medium density and also low density for the different kinds of devices.
Customize for your user.
Remember that in the end, you will be designing for your users, not for yourself. Try to think about how the user will interact with your app. What elements can make it appealing or unappealing to them. Will the color contrast make it nicer to look at? Will the size of the font make it harder for the older users to read? Will playfully arranged visual elements and bright colors make it more attractive to kids?