Top 3 Tips to Creating Your Own Web or Mobile App: An Expert Insight

The pandemic brought with it restrictions on travel and public gatherings, but despite that we managed to stay connected. Mobile phones, the Internet are a huge part of the very digital world we live in now; and as tech experts who are keen to maintain the status quo, we, at BIGFORMULA understand that the connection is nuanced. We understand that for businesses to thrive and succeed, it is imperative that they embrace the new digital world. We also understand that a viable online presence is where it all starts.

For us, the key rests with a well-designed web or mobile app. They are essentially the face of any organisation, the voice that takes their ideas to the world beyond; and they become the platforms that, well, help connect the world. So, in response to a poll we put out last month, here are top 3 tips or rather pointers to keep track of when designing a web or mobile app. Please note that these are not deep, technical, programming insights, but rather a quick review of lessons we’ve learnt in our experience of successfully developing a number of web and mobile apps. So, without further ado:

#1 Plan your Data Relationship

Regardless of its intention, purpose, function, scale or feature set, any web or mobile app can be understood through simple operational mechanics.

Input Data → Process Data → Output Solution

So, when designing a web or mobile app, perhaps the most important questions you could ask yourselves are: How will your site or app deal with its users’ data? How will you collect, store and assimilate them? What aspects will you prioritise? What services or technologies will you include? What exactly will users take away from your site? And finally, how will you present it?

#2 Study your Peers

There is a reason Pinterest became the phenomenon it did. For as long as design as a study has been pursued, we’ve known that inspirations can be found anywhere. True, tried and tested methods can often be the simple difference between a reflex action and surprise reaction. It is important to study multiple sources and there is a lot to be learnt from some of the best creators out there shaping the digital world. Simply make a note of all things that caught your eye in other sites and figure out how best you can incorporate or better them in yours. Even something small like an icon or colour scheme or the way a button reacts when clicked can contribute to a crucial user experience.

#3 Form Follows Function

When designing something for the online realm, something that hopefully will be widely and publicly accessed, it is best to assume that the user interface is a crucial component. But a user interface that prioritises aesthetics in the face of its purpose is of no use to anyone. Always remember that the user interface is only as good as the solution it presents to a problem at hand. Focus more on the execution of your idea and rest assured that the chips will fall in place. Of course, you will have to tweak it around a bit at the end, but who among us developers are not familiar with last minute touch-ups!