When it comes to designing for mobile apps and websites, your design is only as great as its functionality. While beautiful UI is important, it’s critical for your designs to be useful.
When I’m starting a project, I find it helpful to collaborate with my developer to ensure that I’m creating the best design for seamless development. Here are a few questions I ask them:
How long will this take?
Sure, your design is beautiful, but how long will it take to implement? It’s important to be realistic with your creative choices. For example: if your developer has 6 weeks to build an app, and your animation design will take a week and a half to implement, take some time to work with your developer on a more efficient idea. They might have already thought of one that will be better in the long run.
Is this native?
Before reinventing the wheel, find ways to utilize the native functionality of the platform you’re designing for. Utilizing the native design elements of your platform will save time on development and will cut down on the learning process for your users. An easy way to create a great user experience is to design with what is familiar to your users. Plus, there’s plenty of ways to unleash your creativity within these guidelines.
What do you need from me?
The transition from design into development doesn’t have to be a difficult one. My team’s favorite tool to use for development prep is Zeplin for Photoshop. Zeplin takes the guess work out of the equation for your developer by displaying everything from specs, fonts, colors – anything your developer needs to match your design to their code.
What does it look like on other devices?
With multiple screen sizes for both iOS and Android platforms, your design for larger screens may not look so great for smaller screens. Keep this in mind during development and make sure you’re choosing the right fonts and icon sizes for the screens they’re on.
Creating an app means creating together. The best apps are made in collaboration. Utilize your developer’s smarts and your eye for UX to create the best experience for your audience.
