UX Tuneup: 5 Ways to Improve Your iOS App

http://www.doubleencore.com/2013/05/ux-tuneup-5-ways-to-improve-your-ios-app/

The formidable task of getting all the details right in an app can leave your head spinning. You might have the bigger picture accounted for, but small misses can add up fast and in turn hamper the overall perception of your app.

Whether you are rocking development, design, interaction, or QA, here are some little things to consider that can improve how the user experiences your iOS app:

1.Deselect Cells when the user returns to a view. The user needs some bearing on their journey through your app, and letting them see where they’ve been makes it easier for them to decide where to go next.

2.Invert text, icons, and accessory views upon cell selection. This is one item that gives instant polish to your app. Users won’t necessarily be able to point out why that specific interaction was great, but they’ll know when your app just feels right.

3.Use a minimum 14 point font for text that is important for the user to read. Anything smaller than that greatly decreases readability, especially on non-retina iOS displays where text is not as crisp. Harder to read text increases an app’s risk of alienating that user who just purchased a new iPad mini or clings to their iPhone 4 because they are holding out for iPhone pequeño.

4.Use an Action Sheet, not an Alert View, to confirm a destructive action. The Action Sheet was created with this behavior in mind. The red destructive button immediately gives the user visual indication of which action is destructive, and the sheet is far less interruptive to the user’s workflow than an alert.

5.Allow user interaction while data is loading. The user’s ability to interact with your app’s UI should be paramount, so they feel in control of the experience. On the technical side, this means keeping data loading off of the main thread and avoiding the use of progress indicators that block the user from interacting with some or all of the UI.

The bigger picture of your app is the little picture too. When the details are accounted for, they reinforce the overall experience of your app, creating an experience that guides the user through visual feedback and expected interaction. Without blockades to their experience, more users will stay in your app longer, promote your app to more friends, and continue to stick with your app through all of those updates.

Related Insight:

Three Ways to Improve App Discovery

Find uniqueIdentifier Calls in Your iOS App

Lindsay Giachetti

Lindsay Giachetti is Director of User Experience for Double Encore, Inc, a leading mobile development company. She is a respected user experience expert for iOS and Android platforms, and is known for her work for major brands, which has consistently been featured on both the iTunes App Store and Google Play.