Introduction:
The mobile app design agency overlook carrying in-depth user research to find user requirements and expectations from the app and missing often testing user experiences with app prototypes using the latest technologies and techniques. Mere assumption-based design decisions result in cookie-cutter software that falls short in delivering UX, usability, and performance like quality metrics. UX is a vast subject, and perhaps usability and performance like other app success factors fall into it. However, today, our discussion is restricted to usability. We will see what we are missing on the usability front while developing a quality mobile application that belongs to any category or business niche.
Factors Determine App Usability
Before fixing the usability issues, we must have enough knowledge to determine which factors contributing to mobile application usability and app success at the end.#1- Usefulness
App users always come with some goals. If the app proves capable of achieving those goals with optimum efficiency, users consider that app as a useful one for them and like it and use it repeatedly.#2- Effectiveness
It can be measured quantitatively how fast users can achieve their predefined goals on the app without any hurdle like errors, crashes, and stalling.#3- Learnable
It is about the ability of users to gain competency at a level within a period. Thus, it defines intuitiveness in a sense.#4- Likable
It is about positive or negative emotional responses evoked by the app. Thus, it considers the perceptions and opinions of users regarding the app.Common Issues with App Usability
We have been working in the mobile app development niche for years at SysBunny. Based on our prolonged experiences, we have sorted out the following common issues during app development that affect app usability to a greater extent.1 – Platform Specific Customization
We know default design specifications and guidelines are different from platform to platform, like Android to iOS and Windows Mobile. For example, Android OS-based devices have a back button while it is missing in iOS devices. Thus, app designers have to consider such major to a minor hardware and OS-specific requirements during app design and follow those conventions religiously.2 – Use Cases and Contexts
The app may be used in different contexts and use real-life cases than app designers have assumed while designing. For instance, disruptive connectivity demands some offline working capacities and restoration once the connectivity is established. Similarly, the app has to function in constantly vibrating conditions in the hands of drivers or commuters. If the app QA team has missed the testing with real devices in real and different contexts, your audience may encounter several issues during app usage in real-life conditions and contexts.3 – Inadequate Onboarding
Whatever intuitive your design, you must have some onboarding to guide your first-time or mid-way app users. Today various onboarding techniques are in practice, and you must apply the appropriate techniques to provide a smooth app journey. It improves overall usability, user engagements, and user retention.4 – Breaking Security Credentials
Some category of apps like eCommerce carries very sensitive and confidential details and transactions. Such apps demand enough security measures right from internal security, secure connectivity, and secure app use cases.5 – Design Missing Touch Gestures
The design requirements for touch screens are different from the pointing device-based design. You have to leave enough space around the interactive UI elements, orientations, and tilting.6 – Inadequate Information and Navigation Architecture
App users love to reach their goals using apps quickly and easily. In due course, navigation and information architecture play crucial parts. In many advanced and big scale apps, more than one navigation scheme is implemented. For instance, off-canvas navigation and advanced search engine integration incorporate suggestive, faceted, and filtered search. Categorized information architecture help in finding the right content easily and quickly. Appropriate content layout design enables users to get desired content at first glance on any screen with the right responsive design.7 – Distractions
User experience is a vital thing in augmenting usability. Anything that comes on the road to excellent UX may break usability too. For instance, an inappropriate amount of popups can distract the UX, hence usability.Conclusion:
Usability demands are paying attention to details in app design and the inputs of experts and experienced app designers to craft bespoke app. Suppose you are looking for an avid team of mobile app designers with many apps with excellent usability in their credits in the portfolio. In that case, your search will end up when your settle with the mobile application development agency to discuss your next project.About Post Author
