7 Android UI Design Tips to make your app look great

The first thing a user notices in an app is its design, including the UI colors, fonts used, texts used, the menu styles, the graphics, images, etc. So, here’s how you can improve the visual appeal of an android app.

When it is all about successful Android app development, the UI design and style play a significant role. There’s a saying that ‘the first impression lasts forever’. And the design is the first thing a user gets to see on installing an application. Hence, a good design with the perfect use of colors, styles, fonts, menu, texts, etc. can help a lot in keeping the users engaged.

Now comes the question – How can you give a great visual appeal to your application? The competition is tough as android has millions of applications today. So, you have to keep certain tips in mind to give a competitive edge to your application’s UI.

Here’s what your need to follow.

• Tip 1- Use the right size of graphics

To make your app look stunning, you must include creative and device-compatible graphics to make sure they look the same in all screen dimensions. For this, you need to have an idea about the right choice of graphic styles and sizes.

• Tip 2- Use formatted graphics

You must have seen applications, which keep taking halts while loading some gigantic graphic files that are not only of the wrong sizes but are not formatted appropriately as well. Android supports a plethora of media formats such as JPEG, PNG, WebP, BMP, GIF, etc. Though all are good, PNG is the best option for getting and uploading correctly formatted images.

• Tip 3- Use colors for displaying state changes and apply subtle animations

Using different soothing colors for displaying state changes and using subtle animations in the UI can add a professional flair to your android app. For instance, using a fading effect during any activity or changing the button color when it is clicked can highlight an action taking place, thereby clarifying what the current user is doing.

• Tip 4 – Soften the UI design with rounded corners

The buttons, images, and the other icons or widgets on the UI should be given a softened look. These UI elements generally take up rectangle shapes. This gives a sharp and harsh visual appeal to the app. Soften the corners with rounded corners to make these soothing to the eyes.

• Tip 5 – Use consistent lighting to give 3-D effects

The most recent versions of android use the holographic styles, and 3-D icons. If you are using things like fading effects, drop shadows, and some other styling effects on the controllable UI elements, make sure to use consistent lighting to give clear visibility. Similarly, with gradients, ensure to use consistent and appropriate values in the graphics editor like Photoshop, for creating the right textures.

• Tip 6 – Use contrasting color schemes for clear viewing

Well, there are some applications with dull and hazy screens, which make it really difficult to navigate and read. To avoid ending up with such a UI screen, make sure to use high-contrasting colors to give a clear view without creating a strain on the eyes. What you can do is mix and match light and dark tones to keep the contrasting effect intact.

• Tip 7 – Use readable and large font styles

The font style and size are also important factors. Make the font style big enough to easily read from a certain distance and without losing balance with the other features on the UI screen. Choose a clear and readable font from the options to make sure users can easily read it without putting much strain on their eyes.

Other than these, you also need to follow the UI design guidelines of Android for more help and suggestions according to the android rules and regulations. This will help you to easily launch your app and get a high rank on the Google Play Store as well. And don’t forget to beta test your app’s UI before launch. It’s the most important thing you need to do before starting with the programming part.

Alex Forsyth is an expert in android app development and is associated with one of the leading firms in Australia, Envertis Software Solutions. Along with the development expertise, the author has in-depth knowledge and experience in application designing as well, which has helped the professional come up with these useful tips for a great UI design of an android application.

Alex Forsyth is one of the expert app developers in Sydney who is working for Envertis, an earmarked Australian company for mobile app development which has been delivering dynamic and revenue-centric apps to businesses.