You know that you need a good developer to make your on-demand app function the way it’s supposed to. But how important really, is it to have a good professional designer? Perhaps you have an eye for design and an artistic flare and you are thinking that you can save some money by doing the design part of the job yourself.
Learn about the steps involved in creating an on-demand app.
If you are thinking that way, let us be the first to tell you that that is probably not a good idea. Hiring a good designer now will not only help to make your app look clean and professional, but it could also save you a number of headaches later on once your on-demand app has launched.
Building an On-Demand App with Good Design
Apps are primarily visual. And professional app designers have an in-depth understanding of the industry. Not only do they know what is going to be visually appealing, but they know what kinds of designs are going to give your users the best experience and functionality.
Let’s take something as basic as the forward, back and side swipe functions that you might find in your typically app. These features must be easy to find and intuitive to use. Furthermore, if you are developing your app for both ios and Android (and you should be developing your app for both!), even these very basic features need to be customized to each operating system because each system treats them slightly differently.
Elements of Good Design for Your On-Demand App
While a good app designer will give your on-demand app its own unique look and brand appearance, there are several elements that they will include in order to ensure the functionality of your app. These include:
- Making your app as easy to navigate as possible.
- Using familiar screens that don’t require the user to think too much.
- Breaking larger tasks down into smaller chunks.
- Incorporating smart features such as autocomplete.
- Including dynamic validation fields (so users can correct mistakes as they go along rather than having to use the back button later).
- Anticipating user needs (such as having an info button on fields where the user might need additional explanation.)
- Having visual weight to show user what is most important.
- Keeping the design of the app consistent with the design of your website.
More about UX design challenges of apps.
Professional App Designers vs. Your Neighbour’s Teenager
Another shortcut that some on-demand app entrepreneurs may be tempted to take is to hire a non-professional designer in order to save money. Your neighbour’s teenage son for example may be incredibly artistic and you may think he has the talent to design your app for you. (And who knows, in a few years, he just might.)
But the problem in hiring a nonprofessional, is that it can be hard to be sure if the design work that they do is truly their own design or if they “borrowing” design elements from various other apps or websites. If the latter is true, then you could find that your on-demand business is facing copyright suits shortly after launch – so instead of focussing on growing your business, you’ll end up having to go back and hire a professional designer to undo the mistakes that could have been avoided in the first place.
You Get What You Pay For!
The design of your on-demand app is going to be the first impression that the majority of both your buyers and sellers will have of your business. This is not the place to skimp.
As you can see, choosing the right design is not as simple as picking out a colour scheme and some graphics. Good app design has a number of principles that must be followed and hiring a designer with a talent for beautiful design must be balanced with hiring a designer that is knowledgeable in UX.
Like many other things in life, when hiring a designer for your on-demand app, you get what you pay for.
Are you able to put me in touch a with a designer who can help me please, thank you