7 Important Things to Consider When Designing for Android and iOS

Designing an application for both Android and iOS is a common requirement in the mobile app development industry today. Since Android and iOS are different operating systems with different characteristics and diverse audiences, it is necessary to keep some factors in mind to provide a good user experience.

Both platforms have their own design guidelines based on which the design is built. For Android, it is Material Design, whereas, for Apple, it is Human Interface Design. Now, let us look at some of the design aspects to consider when designing for both Android and iOS.

Style guidelines

Both Android and iOS have their own unique style. Apple has a flatter design style, with minimal or no use of shadows, textures, or effects. Android, on the other hand, has a layered approach. It creates more hierarchy and provides a real-world reference in the design.

Back button

One of the major differences between Android and iOS is the back button. Most Android devices have a navigation bar that contains a back button. iOS does not provide a back button. Thus in iOS app development services, developers have to design a path for the users to go back to the previous screen at every point in the app.

Global elements

Global elements are the elements that are present on all pages of the design, such as status bars, headers, etc. These elements should be consistent throughout an app; that is, their dimensions or style shouldn't change from one screen to another. It should also provide a native feel. One difference in headers between Android and iOS is, in Android, the text is left-aligned, whereas, in iOS, it's centered.

Navigation

Navigation patterns are entirely different for both Android and iOS. Android goes for a drawer menu with the bottom navigation still being viable from the back. iOS implements a tab bar that is placed at the bottom of the screen and does not obstruct the app's top parts.

Ideally, the navigation pattern should be kept simple and consistent. The app shouldn't be overloaded with too many bars or directions. The users' path should be clear and not confusing.

Typography and layout

The default typeface for iOS is San Francisco, and for Android, it is Roboto. While designing an app, it is good to stick to the default typefaces for giving the apps a native feel. The general trend seen in Android designs is that it uses a lot of white spaces in its layout. Also, it creates a hierarchy by varying font sizes. On the other hand, iOS defines the hierarchy in a design by using varying font weights.

Button style

Two prominent buttons defined in Material Design, followed by Android app development services, are floating action buttons and flat buttons. iOS uses flat buttons or plain text style buttons. Apple doesn't play with depth or drop shadows in button styling, as Google does. In Android, the primary button is made in an accent color and the secondary button in a less prominent color. In iOS, the primary button is filled in the accent color, and the secondary button is reversed out using the accent color tone.

Segmented control

To shift between different content in a single window, segmented control is used. Their actions are the same in both platforms; the difference is in the way they are designed. In iOS, it is achieved by using multiple tabs styled like buttons, with the active tab denoted by a primary button design and other tabs with secondary button design. It is designed as a text in Android, with an underline used to denote the active tab.

These are some of the design aspect differences between Android and iOS. In the end, whichever the platform the design is for, it should adhere to their native ecosystem. Both platforms discourage the use of custom elements in excess, as it would lead to confusion among users. The best design approach is to stay within the lines familiar to the user and not bring drastic design changes.

Natalia Jane is a freelance app developer in India. She loves to read a lot. She is really passionate about her coding skills.