Designing Intuitive and User-friendly Navigation in Mobile Apps

Mobile Apps

Mobile app development is one of the emerging opportunities for businesses to flourish in a competitive market. Mobile apps are useful for various functions, starting from selling products online to conducting business operations. Everything is possible with the help of a mobile app. But what does it take to develop a stunning mobile app? The most important aspect of a mobile app is designing it. It should be done by keeping in mind business objectives and a targeted user base. One part of mobile app design is developing intuitive and user-friendly navigation. As a mobile app development company in Kolkata, we are going to share some insights on what it takes to design an intuitive and user-friendly navigation system using mobile app development approaches.

Uniform Navigation Structures

It is important to create a clear and consistent navigation design so that users can navigate easily without getting confused or finding it hard to find something. It is advisable to use common elements such as hamburger menus, bottom tabs, and swipe gestures so that users can easily search for their desired information or products.

Simplified and Minimalistic Navigation Experience

One of the main differences between a mobile app and a website is the screen size. Smartphones have smaller screen sizes, which makes it challenging for developers to adjust content within such small screen sizes. For which a simplified and minimalistic approach is necessary. It is important to display necessary navigation elements, keeping in mind the screen size, and avoid using unnecessary elements or giving users too many options.

Gesture-Based Navigation

From our experience as a mobile app development company in Kolkata, we have observed that users do not like to use their brains that much while using their smartphones. For this, they prefer a gesture-based system in which they can easily move from one section to another with one gesture rather than reaching it with many clicks. Some of the most common examples of gesture-based navigation are:

  • Swipe: This gesture allows users to navigate between different screens and pages with the help of a horizontal swipe to the right or left. A downward swipe brings down the notification bar, whereas swiping up can open up the home screen or trigger other actions.
  • Pinch: This is a zoom-in/out gesture that can be used by users by placing two fingers on the screen and bringing them closer to zoom in or spreading them apart to zoom out.
  • Tap: This gesture encircles tapping on the screen to open up a specific function or select a specific element.

Visual Hierarchy

Visual hierarchy is the most important aspect when it comes to the navigation of mobile apps. It deals with the strategic arrangements of the elements of the websites based on their importance and relevancy. The aim of the arrangement should be to guide users throughout the app so that they can prioritise their tasks based on their intended importance.

As a mobile app development company in Kolkata, we find these techniques very useful for crafting a distinct visual hierarchy.

  • Using appropriate colour and contrast: selecting the right combination of colours can contribute to creating a visual contrast that can be eye-pleasing and attractive to users. This can also be maintained as per the branding guidelines so that it can promote positive brand awareness among users.
  • Thoughtful scaling: The scaling of the design elements needs to be done keeping in mind visual hierarchy and their importance. Manipulating some of the design elements by enlarging or shrinking them as per their importance can be a useful way to influence the viewer’s perception.
  • Purposeful Grouping: Mobile app designers should aim to use related design elements so that it is possible to create logical connections and establish an understanding of the overall content for the viewers. This encourages the mobile app to be visually appealing by streamlining the consumption process and guiding users’ eyes to smoothly transition from one group to another.

Progressive Disclosure and Layered Navigation

  • Progressive disclosure: Using this reveals the important information at first based on user needs, so that it does not overload information and simplifies the user interface.
  • Layered Navigation: This navigation deals with the arrangement of information layered into multiple layers or categories, allowing users to search for their desired information or products in a refined manner by applying filters or criteria.

Esspesoft is the best mobile app development company in Kolkata, specialising in developing the best mobile apps that not only look stunning but can fulfil your business goals. We have the best mobile app developers in Kolkata who can develop mobile apps for any platform. We have access to the most cutting-edge technologies, which ensure best-in-class functionalities for mobile apps so that they can cater to your unique business needs. Check out our website and contact us for more information.