Mobile and Tablet Marketing

The Trends Every Mobile App Developer Needs to Know for 2020

Wherever you look, it is clear that mobile technology has become integrated into society. According to Allied Market Research, the global app market size reached $106.27 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach $407.31 billion by 2026. The value that an app brings to businesses cannot be understated. As the mobile market continues to grow, the importance of companies engaging their clients with a mobile app will become exponentially higher.  

Due to the transition of traffic from traditional web media to mobile applications, the app space has gone through rapid stages of evolution. From the types of apps to mobile app design trends, there are numerous factors to consider when you decide to develop an app for your business. Just building an app and tossing it onto an app store is not going to function well for converting customers. Genuine engagement and conversion require an impactful user experience.  

The ever-changing demands of customers alter the market requirements, and utilizing design thinking for your app development is pivotal. With that in mind, there are some mobile app design trends from 2019 that you should keep in mind during the development process that are likely to define 2020.  

Trend 1: Design With New Gestures In Mind 

The primary gestures utilized in mobile applications up to this point have been swipes and clicks. Mobile UI trends in 2019 incorporated what is known as Tamagotchi Gestures. Though the name might cause flashbacks to virtual pets, Tamagotchi Gestures in mobile applications are for adding a higher degree of emotive and human elements. The intention of implementing these features into your design is to take the parts of your applications that are less efficient with regard to its usability and enhance it with a charm that users engage with to improve their overall experience.  

Beyond Tamagotchi Gestures, mobile app design trends will have users engaging with on-screen elements by utilizing swiping gestures over clicking. From the development of swipe texting to the swipe gestures utilized as a primary feature in dating applications, swiping has become a much more natural way to interact with a touch screen than clicking.  

Trend 2: Keep Screen Size and Wearable Technology in Mind When Designing Mobile Apps 

There is a large variety when it comes to screen size. With the advent of smartwatches, the screen shapes have begun to vary as well. When designing an application, it is crucial to create a responsive layout that can function as intended on any screen. With the additional benefit of being compatible with smartwatches, you are sure to make it easy for your customers to integrate your app easily and conveniently into their lives. Smartwatch compatibility is continually growing more critical, and as such was a major mobile UI trend in 2019. To attest to this, in 2018, there were 15.3 million smartwatches sold in the United States alone.  

Wearable technology is an industry that will continue to grow and define mobile app design trends this year. In the future, applications will have to incorporate augmented reality functions for smart glasses as well. Developing an AR strategy now and implementing those features into the mobile app can play an essential role in gaining the loyalty of early adopters.

Trend 3: Mobile App Design Trends are Emphasizing the Color Scheme

Colors embody your brand and are intimately linked with your brand’s identity. It is that very brand identity that assists businesses to connect with their future customers. 

Though color scheme may not seem like it should be a primary concern or an obvious app design trend, subtle changes in colors can often be the cause of a positive or negative initial reaction to your app – first impressions make all the difference. 

One particular mobile app design trend that is being utilized more frequently is the application of color gradients. When the gradients are added to interactive elements or the background, they add a vibrancy that makes your app more eye-catching and stands out. In addition to the colors, going beyond static icons and deploying enhanced animations can make your application much more engaging. 

Trend 4: The Mobile UI Design Rule that Never Goes Out of Style: Keeping It Simple 

Nothing causes a customer to delete your application faster than intrusive ads or an overly complicated user interface. Prioritizing clarity and functionality over the number of features will prove to create a better customer experience. It’s one of the reason why app design trends emphasize simplicity year after year. 

In order to accomplish this, it is crucial to take advantage of the various screen sizes, as mentioned previously. Minimalistic designs allow individuals to focus on one element at a time and avoid sensory overload that often results in people having negative experiences. One easy to implement feature for mobile UI design is the integration of customized location experiences. These utilize location services that mobile users have adopted more enthusiastically as time goes by. 

Trend 5: Utilizing the Sprint Stage of Development

The development process has many stages, from design sprints utilizing app mockup tools to building the prototype, testing, and launching the application. The initial sprint plays a pivotal role in identifying the key areas your users spend the most time and ensure those areas are telling the story of your brand while delivering a unique app experience to the users. It’s no surprise, then, that this process lands on our list of mobile app design trends to watch.

Choosing to engage in the initial 5-day design sprint can help identify and solidify the goals for the app. Additionally, utilizing storyboarding and building the initial prototype to test and collect feedback  can make or break the final product. This process ensures you enter into the development stage with clearly defined, strategically chosen goals. Plus, it gives you the confidence that your app development project will result in turning the concept into reality.  

Ensure Your Mobile App Design is the Best It Can Be

Developing a mobile application is becoming a requirement for customer engagement and acquisition. What is even more critical is ensuring that the app developed is of high quality and provides a positive customer experience. In fact, 57% of internet users stated they would not recommend a business with a poorly designed online platform. Over half of companies’ internet traffic is now coming from mobile devices. Keeping that in mind, UX is the most essential part of releasing a business app. That’s why keeping things like mobile app design trends in mind is so important.  

The mobile revolution is in full bloom. To flourish in the modern market space, adopting advanced technology, riding the wave of progress, and staying aware of modern app design trends ensures you remain relevant and capable of catering to the demands of your customers.  

Bobby Gill

Prior to founding Blue Label Labs in 2009, Bobby was a Program Manager at Microsoft within the Servers & Tools division. Together with co-founder Jordan Gurrieri, Bobby co-authored Appsters: A beginner’s guide to app entrepreneurship. At Blue Label Labs, Bobby’s role as CEO entails providing strategic and technical oversight for all apps we produce. Bobby graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Mathematics and Computer Science and completed his MBA at Columbia Business School. He loves crepes.

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