What not to do in UX design
As we discussed in a previous article, mobile user experience (UX design) is an integral part of the development process for most developers. If you center your design around user experience, you’ll quickly get ahead of your competitors. This isn’t true just when launching a react native mobile app, it also applies throughout its lifespan. A strong UX design might not be what makes you catch your break, but a weak one will definitely cost you dearly. That is why today we’d like to focus on what not to do when it comes to UX design.
1. Don’t design for yourself
The most important person in user experience design, as the name suggests, is the user. You may have great ideas, but they may not match your users’ preferences and needs. To make sure you are on the right path, you will need to define your target audience and answer questions like who your users are (their age group, socioeconomic status, geographical region, etc.), what their pain points are and when and where they might use your product. This will help you put users first and make sure you are focusing on what they want.
2. Don’t replicate web experience in react native mobile apps
Of course, if you already have a web product, you will want to reflect its essence if you later decide to develop a react native mobile app. However, you must keep in mind that you are dealing with different platforms that follow different rules. Users expect a different UX design from a mobile web page and a react native mobile app and this needs to be reflected in your product.
3. Don’t replicate the competition
You might want to get inspiration from what your main competitors are doing well, but make sure not to follow them too closely. Truth is, what works for them might not work for you, even if you are offering similar products. And most importantly, you want your users to be able to tell you apart. You want to stand out from the competition, so focus on comprehensive research instead of what other mobile apps look like.
4. Don’t forget UX design after releasing your react native mobile app
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, user experience is not something you just work on during the initial development process, it is something you update and improve on periodically. Just like with all the technical aspects of your react native mobile app, you will need to test your UX and get feedback to build on it. Also, trends change, and having an attractive and up-to-date UX is what will keep your react native mobile app relevant, so make sure to put it high on the priority list throughout your app’s lifespan.
5. Don’t confuse UX with UI
UX and UI (user interface) design are inextricably linked, but you should keep in mind they are not the same thing. User experience design is all about helping users in their interactions with your app, while user interface design is aimed at developing an interface that is aesthetically appealing. UX design should focus on how to solve the user’s pain points and how a user perceives and feels about the solution provided for them. Meanwhile, UI design deals with how your product looks, but also how it works and whether users are able to easily navigate your react native mobile app. It is important to keep this distinction in mind as you will need to make sure both these aspects are well attended to in order to succeed.
6. Don’t have dead ends
This might seem obvious, but users don’t like dead-ends. They hinder user flow, create confusion, and force the user to do extra legwork to work around them. When possible, whisk the dead ends away from your react native mobile app. If you’re dealing with an unavoidable error message, make it as appealing as possible and guide users on what they should do next to avoid confusion.
7. Don’t overwhelm users with too much information
Simplicity is key. You shouldn’t have more information than a user can manage on any given screen and all the information you provide must be relevant. Of course, you shouldn’t omit important information either. Be concise and make the most of visuals to avoid overwhelming your users.
Final thoughts on UX design
User experience design is a challenging part of developing a react native mobile app. When done right, however, it can lead to a very successful and profitable product. Just remember to always put your users first and to adapt to survive. We hope you can put these tips to the test and that they help you develop the best possible product.
