2017 Mobile App Development Trends

27 March 2017

“We cannot solve problems with the same thinking we used when we created them” Albert Einstein


mobile app user The growing popularity of mobile applications forces developers to improve them constantly.

Modern world survived a lot of technological transformations to gain the most convenient and simple things. The technological wave has covered mobiles, and a a thousand variations of mobile app, which are produced permanently. The biggest problem is rapid development, which causes the big amount of low-quality applications on market spaces.

App2World proclaims: “It’s time to face the future, to provide our best to users.”

As the technology progress is on the rise, developers need to work harder to gratify users’ tastes. And mobile apps progressed a lot in last few years. All the new fascinating things are now just daily boredom killers attributes, yet some are also high-level gadgets (like Google Glass or Apple Watch). The purpose of mobile apps is to perform best service to the urban man and protect him from the cruel reality.

Some topical trends have been analysed by App2World. We think that every wise developer should check them before making the stunning mobile app in 2017.

Fresh App Development trends

1. Security Improvements

As the IoT forces the reality to be more connected in all ways, the gap in security systems is increases. Mobile wallets and banking, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) enterprise practices, the huge amount of mobile devices and other subjects, interacting with each other. All this makes a great challenge for the developers to provide high-level security for their apps. But every wise developer know that it worth the money. For instance, if the manager wants to use service like SmartMarket for business goals, he needs to be sure that the system is actually safe. Amplifying the security rate is the first thing that you should pay attention for.

2. Rapid Mobile Payments

Non contact payments become more popular in everyday life. For instance, Apple Pay and Google wallet are already on the markets, ready to provide advanced mobile payments. Google recently presented a new service for mobile payments by Gmail. Now you can make money operations by just adding a letter with payment request. Mobile payments are gaining popularity and continuing to expand. Android pay and Samsung pay are going to be released soon this year. And Amazon already embedded Alexa voice assistant into the iPhone shopping app. Simplifying digital payment is going to be a strong trend in the nearest future.

3. Android First

The world-old battle between Android and IOS systems seems to end up with a leader. Of course it’s statistics which doesn’t mention particular business preferences. For now Google Play counts twice more downloads than Apple Store. There are two reasons for popularity rise. First, is the progressing inner ecosystem of Android. The second is, the growth of China, India and Latin America markets, where the quantity of smartphones on Android overwhelms IOS.

4. Location-Based Services

Yes, this trend is still a powerful tool to use. It is obvious that person’s location makes a huge potential to provide him propositions from nearby companies.  Nowadays the location-based services are becoming popular among both users and enterprises. Make local propositions by adds and messages, wherever consumer is at the point. Get your goals directly and easily. This is certainly the service that you need to implement in your app in case you want to involve a solid cash in your purse.

5. The Power of IoT

Devices with inner-networking are the growing tendency for mobile devices, and it has no limit. IoT is the thing that best app developers should consider, as it is progresses exponentially. By next five years there would be billions of things and people connected together. And the growth of the Global IoT market by 2019 is going to be 30%. So there’s a clue that the IoT suppliers will win the bank in the world of integrated multi-system devices.

6. Head In the Cloud

We all know about Google Drive, or Dropbox, or other service that help us store the data simple without any additional devices. And the better storage is not the only option. Don’t forget about reliability, scalability, power processing capability, sharing options advantages, etc. This is productive app development platform, which can accelerate development process and make an easy execution of cloud technology in mobile apps.

7. Augmented and Virtual Reality

AR and VR are well known long before the appearing of Pokemon Go on the market. But the game stimulated the new wave of interest to this niche. The Vr devices are tended to improve constantly. For example: Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard and Oculus Rift. For now, unfortunately, this isn’t too profitable investments. All because the methods and the technology haven’t found each other yet. On the other hand, similar projects continue to appear and actively evolve, but this will probably take at least a year for entrepreneurs to learn how to make money and benefits from VR applications.

8. Micro Applications

It is certainly topical trend of splitting the large multi functional projects into narrowly focused solutions. For instance: Foursquare and Swarm, Facebook and Messenger. Instagram has released a whole bunch of applications for editing photos and video: Hyperlapse, Layout, Boomerang. And, by the way, App2World have made the design of photo editor called Avatars. VKontakte launched a separate channel called VK Live after a long period of testing live broadcasts on it’s website. Soon we will see even more new functions from global brands, realized in separate applications.

9. Process optimization

More and more companies will optimize their internal processes with the applications. Over the past couple of years, large corporations have begun to treat mobile applications not only as an additional channel of sales and loyalty enhancement, but also as a way to optimize inner procedures. Applications for couriers, logistics, merchandisers, HR managers and others – all of this already exists. Development for domestic needs will become even greater In 2017.

10. Machine Learning

The 2016 year was known as the year of neural network applications entertainment. Let’s mention the popularity of MSQRD, Prisma, Mlvch, Fabby, FindFace. And the experimental game called “Quick, Draw!” made by Google just fueled interest to neural networks capabilities. However, the potential of the sphere is way more wider than just fun apps for processing photos and videos. Now companies are interested in machine learning for business tasks implementation. The minus is that it requires constant research and algorithm improving, that takes money and time.

Conclusion

The future provides us a huge amount of opportunities and custom services, that bring a digital communication and business on a new level. Trends are not just fashion, they dictate the new law of quality in mobile and web solutions. So the mobile app developer should constantly improve his skills in order to stay demanded. Saddle the wave to build effective development business today.

How to Make A Stunning Medical App

22 March 2017

Med_App

Why Medical App?

The answer is pretty obvious: because. Because of convenience. Because of rapidity. Because of portability. People with different sicknesses all over the world need them as much as hospitals do. Medical apps provide a vast space of opportunities for designers and developers. And, finally, we do not live in Dinosaur Age, do we?

Service Revolution

Modern medicine provides a huge amount of mobile app services, that simplify the medical supplies and doctors’ search, help to clarify disease and even show human body’s organs using AR technology.

There are numerous innovative mobile applications appearing in medical sphere. All of them undoubtedly have benefits for patients with different patterns of diseases and, accordingly, have their own specific features. This subject is close to App2World we had a UX/UI design experience for several superior projects, like CardioQvark and Pulsir. And without too much modesty, we declare that we’ve succeeded in it.

Designing Application

UX or UI

App2World insists on the importance of UX design for this sort of applications. Without decreasing UI experience, let’s figure out how medical application design works. In the end, decisions made in UX are actually UI decisions.

Questions to make and Steps to take

Final scenario should contain answers to UX questions such as:

    1. Who is target user? Drawing common portrait, forecasting expectations.
    2. What should application deliver to user? Define value of the end-product.
    3. What medical problems target audience might have? Analyzing medications people take and how these meds are served.
    4. How many devices people might use for this app? Don’t forget that tablet and iPhone are used differently.
    5. What can we do to simplify the usage of the app? Reducing unnecessary steps, eliminating the typing.
    6. How does the regular usage should look like? What happens when patient using it wrong and how to bring him back on a “happy path”?
    7. How to use it in vacation? Handling of an application while traveling.
    8. What about requirements for elder people? Think about audience with visual, sound and manual disadvantages.
    9. How to make app’s health advice look authoritatively? You should make it look believable to make people follow the advice instead of ignoring it.
    10. Who will pay for device? Motivations and opportunities depending on who or what organization will actually buy it.

Summarizing, these clauses are core in developing really worthwhile medical app. The final product should be trustworthy, convenient, encouraging, as realistic as possible.

Famous Medical Apps in 2017

  • ‘Buoy’, the Symptom Checker. This application was created by medical student of Harvard. The purpose of program is to diagnosis person’s illness without creating panics and fake diseases. It is a free app, that has it’s chatbot, which asks politely about particular bothering symptoms to build up common scene. Application points to a potential cause of your bad feeling or recommends visiting the doctor immediately.
  • ‘Kardia Mobile’, ‘CardioQvark’ and other applications that help people manage cardiovascular diseases. Developer from the Silicon Valley built up an AI device, that diagnoses atrial fibrillations with fingertips and transfers them directly to smartphone. Similar device was made in Russia and it consists of special sensors on iPhone’s cover. These revolutionary devices not only help patients to take care of heart’s health but to be in touch with attending doctor constantly.
  • ‘The Beats Medical’ — application that helps people with Parkinson disease. This is the solution of Ciara Clancy who has been already awarded as an Ireland’s best young entrepreneur. The app produces sound or a beat from smartphone that helps patient to control his moves and speech. It provides individual physiotherapy and contains a bunch of professional exercises.
  • ‘Dementia Guide Expert for Families’, an app that clarifies everything you wanted to know about dementia illness. This free app was developed by researchers from College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy, Chicago. Application helps people to notice first warning signs of the disease. It describes all stages, risks, treatment and management tips, including links to external resources and service centers.
  • Virtual Reality Medical Applications. There are numerous VR apps, that helps patients, doctors and students worldwide. Taking over the healthcare system, it transforms medicine, improving surgical learning and teaching process, reduces stress, treats people with mental health problems by exposing their worst fears and so on. Application called ‘Farmoo’ relieves cancer patients from pain by diving them into the game during chemotherapy. “DEEP” helps people to meditate after a hard day by teaching them how to breathe deeply.

Conclusion

We all getting ill from time to time. But what to do, if the illness is chronic or unexpected? It is a great idea to produce an app which will make life simpler and bring relief to the man in need. And, of course, medical app is a specific area for design or development which has special requirements.

Customer Experience Strategy & Mobile application

24 January 2017

Customer Experience Strategy, In everyday life, for example, when you enter the store, you pay attention to everything: the quality and variety of goods, the smile of the seller, his professionalism, interior decoration, ease of calculation and delivery. To make the current and future purchases, you need to arrange all the parameters. This is the Customer Experience.

Positive Customer Experience Strategy

CX (or Customer Experience) Strategy  it is also a methodology, which deals with the involvement and interaction with the regular customers of the company.
In practice, it is a sum of impressions, which the buyer receives from:

  • the buying process;
  • interaction with the supplier of goods/services;
  • interaction with the product during the purchase and using;
  • on subsequent addressing to the product/service provider.

Positive customer experience includes:

  • the original concept of the brand;
  • excellent quality of the product (goods or services);
  • easy and enjoyable process of their acquisition;
  • positive experience of using the product/service after purchase (usability);
  • constant and pleasant interaction with the supplier of the product (advertising campaigns, technical support, chat, etc…);
  • a good reputation and reviews about the product or company.

That’s only what the company must do to create an audience of regular customers.

Research and development of CX allows you to present yourself properly on the market and be in demand. Large companies use Customer Experience methodology in order to have a unique competitive advantage.

Wide opportunities for study and formation of shopping experience open the mobile app.

Application for loyal customers

Because regular customers actively use the mobile application for their ease. Therefore, the work on it should not be stopped after the releasing on the Market.

This is where the fun begins. You are closer to your customer and you are with him everywhere: in the hand, in the pocket, under the pillow. All the important moments in his life he now will spend with you. This is a great recognition of your company and, at the same time, a great responsibility which you are carrying now.

Your task is not only to strike up a lasting friendship with the client, but also to extend it for years. Use the mobile app to your marketing strategy.

Here’s how it works

Application – is an investment, not a fad or a trend, although its presence is already says a lot about the level of your business. It is used for any interaction of the company and the client, for example:

  • when making an online purchase by the client;
  • in perception of the content by user;
  • generation of the user content;
  • links to social networks, or service support;
  • in addressing other user tasks, along with the acquisition of services.

Mobile application helps the company to show incredible flexibility to information: that is, to render it to the right user at any time. For this to happen on a regular basis, you need to take care of the user come back to the application.

Constant interaction

Often, the application of many companies are not initially focused on the user’s come back. It means that the purpose of application for business and for user is not entirely thought out, and hence the design too. CX solves the problem of “burn-out of the audience”, typical for many applications. Learn what the client wants and give it to him.

It is important to remember that the user’s come back can be ensured by the correct application design. Push-messages client may get bored the client but interesting content always attracts. To make the client open application as often as possible, come up with additional useful for him solutions and update the application design.

For example, the main function of the application for a restaurant is the ability to order dishes and to make reservations. If the application will contain additional recipes, there willl be more comebacks.

Emotional connection

The mobile application is a tool for handling the emotions of customers. Show them that you are great together! If you can convince people that your work has been done with the soul and conscience, that you were thinking about people then the comebacks will not take long.

Brand atmosphere

Man has always wanted to be part of a great idea to identify himself with a particular philosophy and lifestyle. Branded CX – product impressions and emotions with the brand values. It occurs when a person, for example, becomes the owner of a new iPhone. And all because the brand and Apple products are perfect, what can say crowd of fans queuing for the new device.

Express your idea in a mobile application. The man who daily watches over its development, is also imbued by it. Moreover, it will help you in the development of this idea. Give the customer feeling that he is your inspiration.

Designer’s task is to connect brand values, the outer perfection and functionality in one application.

Personalized approach

This approach is carried out through

  • geolocation;
  • social networks.

The app allows you to be in touch with customers constantly and “personally”. When a user accesses your application the system will take into account his location, the search query, the preferences. You have a unique opportunity to make the client understand: he is the only one and all that you do is just for him.

Analysis and transfer of experience

In the modern world it is not enough to know the basic information about the client. You must always keep in mind that it changes. You need to consider the slightest changes in the cultural environment of the user, to know how to perceive your company. Then you will get additional leverages on the needs and opinions of potential buyers.

The mobile app is always in your customer’s hands. He can share data to help you to improve the quality of services and to capture trends and buying behavior.

Link in the application on the social networks. Firstly, they contain a lot more of customer information than you can get in any other way. Secondly, this information does not need to be asked for. It is shared voluntarily! Thirdly, you will be able to collect, report and monitor the comments about your services.

Advertising and content

Cost-effectiveness of advertising and communication is very important. The modern user is very fussy to advertising as such, but perceive the content easily. Especially when he can create it and show to others. Let him do it at any moment. If you do not have such function in your application so use only original content.

Promotions by means of the App are the most effective. They are the easiest way to render to the client. Encourage users by discount in the case of, for example, the order through the app, rather than through the site. So you can promote the application and turn occasional customers into regular.

The quality of the application

In the fierce struggle between the companies for every customer the quality of mobile applications can play a key role. The main thing here is to meet all the requirements of your applications customers’. Imagine for a moment that your mobile app is much more convenient and has more thoughtful functionality than the competitor one. Of course, the user selects yours. Otherwise, you should run to the designer of the UX-card.

If the mobile app – this is this very product, its quality determines the future success of the project. The producer sees it as a business project, whose ultimate aim is to profit from users downloads. This mobile application is aimed at the implementation of the current user’s daily tasks and will not be tied to the services of a particular company.

The far-sighted businessman would try to host customers not only with beautiful design and advertising, but also would provide application with such features without which users will no longer imagine their life. UX-designers will help to bring these features to the user and not to get lost in his own ideas.

User retention problem is solved by updating the software applications and features design, as well as a high level of promotion (social networks, leadpages, user reviews).

In this case, the convenience to download, install, understand and use, updates of the application create customer experience and the popularity of the following author’s projects, as well as the success of the current application are to depend on this.

UI-kit in mobile platforms

09 January 2017
App2world.com_UI-kit_site_en

While hearing this word (UI-kit), you, as a customer, might think that UI-kit – a trendy curse or a tricky term for which you require a lot of money. Indeed, the network is full of information for professionals and no intelligible word about what UI-kit means. Let’s see and we’ll explain what is it and for what it is used.

How not to be afraid the word “UI-kit”?

UI stands for «User interface» and kit is for «package».

Visually UI-kit is a graphical representation of a set of elements of the finished application screen with which the user performs various operations.

An example of a good UI-kit can be found here or here.

What is included in the UI-kit

The UI-kit depicts the elements of navigation and interaction.

1. Building blocks:

  • tabs;
  • application buttons;
  • social networks button;
  • indicators of progress;
  • flags in different states;
  • text fields;
  • keyboard;
  • sliders;
  • dialogues;
  • links;
  • fonts and text examples.

2. Internal application icons and symbols for control panels.
A feature of UI-kit is an image of the interface elements in all possible states. For example, a button can be in these states:

  • active (you can perform an action),
  • inactive (the action is not available),
  • confirmation of the action (the previous steps are OK, you can continue the operation),
  • wrong action (the error in the previous step, it is impossible to continue).

How our clients see it?

For mobile applications owners all of these dice, sliders and buttons are as a set of accessories that forms the aesthetic of applications. Beautiful design helps to sell.

How we see it?

For us, UI-kit – all the user interface elements that are created for all mobile application screens. UI-kit is done in the same style according to the design of the application and operating system standards.

UI-kit is a kind of art in the design of mobile applications. It can be created without reference to a specific project.

How UI-kit is used?

Interface Customization

UI-kit helps to create an individual and unique user interface taking into account all the characteristics of the application clients’ audience.

App Integration in Platforms Ecosystem

Besides the customization it is important that the mobile application looked and worked in the system as a native. The designer develops UI-kit, using the specification, the latest trends of interface design and updatings of mobile platforms.

Updating of the current design

With the release of the new version of mobile operating system, the application requires the replacement of obsolete items on a current without breaking the structure and application patterns. For this UI-kit is developed or more of its options and then update is released.

Aesthetics and style

Beautiful UI-kit creates the impression of an application and generates a positive user experience.

Design presentation to the client

Designer organizes his work and makes a visual presentation for the customer. UI-kit allows you to make an initial estimation and then to perform further refinement of screens.

UI-kit in mobile platforms specifications

Specifications – technical recommendations from manufacturers of operating systems for designers and developers of mobile applications. They contain all the standards for creating UI-kit. All the specifications for Android are available on Android developers, iOS – on Apple Developer.

Platforms’ guidelines define the basic parameters of UI-kit.

1. All parameters of building interface elements:

  • location;
  • construction of multi-level list;
  • building lists for horizontal and vertical scrolling;
  • fixed elements;
  • basic design parameters (size, position, filling);

2. Specifications for internal icons.

The main requirement here is not to copy icons from the interface to other platforms. For example, if an application for Android, you can not use the standard iOS elements.

Now that you know what the UI-kit

We will further try to get the number of frightening design terms decreased for you. Read App2World.

Information architecture OR How UX-mapping saves application and business

30 December 2016

Any wonderful mobile application project may fall into the trap of ideas. If from a variety of good, relevant solutions strange results are obtained – sucks!

UX-mapping will help to bail out

UX-mapping is a visual map of your application. Build it and you’ll realize what you need to take to eventually significantly increase the number of downloads and regular users.

UX-mapping will prevent or solve problems related to general functionality and building applications and at the same time make will make it clear in use. Simple mobile app has more positive reviews.

Put your soul into your project and your customers will appreciate it .

Show the app to others

Fresh perspective never hurts. You have worked as much time and built a labyrinth, from which it is more and more difficult to find a way out. Show the project to the UX-designer. Now only he can understand you and find a solution to the key functions of the application.

Define project tasks

Decide which tasks solves application for your company. This is an opportunity to drop out the superfluous and stay at home, as well as to understand for yourself what related projects are needed for the application.

Mapping will depend on what actions you expect from the user. However, the application must bear a your idea, you want to discover the world. Make it so that users can also imbued by it.

Understand your users

First of all you will be able to define their requirements and custom application. Focus on the user logic. So, what do you well understand themselves, to be understood and your customer, but it is on a different level. UX-map will help you cut off all the excess and leave the possible favorite users.

The structure defines the interaction

UX-mapping will help to create a logical sequence of pages of the application. You will see the general scheme of the whole mechanism, and finally will understand how it works. Then you get to understand that the draft too much, and that, on the contrary, – to add. And the main thing – to know exactly what application finally happen and your client will interact with it.

Information architecture

When you see the architecture of the application, you can build an information architecture. Firstly, this is a step to a clear application. Secondly, you will be able to captivate the user to interact with the application. Thirdly, you will have an idea of what to write on a Landing page, while the project is still in development.
Organize information and the ability to prioritize. Home information should be available in the first place. The key user actions should push content.

Think about content

More at the intermediate stage, you will understand what content you want to use for your application and will be able to proceed to its preparation. Use unique content. It is several times more efficient because:

  • you nor for anyone not repeat, and so interesting;
  • unique content will surely be viewed;
  • so actively share content on social networks;
  • This respect for the users;
  • This kind of contact with customers.

Check it out and you will like.

Be quiet for interface

Performing prototyping – an important aspect for cooperation, which will affect the success of the application. In any event, the professional development of prototypes is more profitable than making corrections during the development phase.

One more time to analyze

Now you can look at the structure of the application in the “before and after”. Think about what ideas should be reserved to the next project. And forward to work on!

Usability of mobile application text

30 December 2016
app2world.com_about_text_Usability

A lot of information is available about how to create the text for the Web interface. And as for the text for mobile applications the situation is the opposite. And by the way, the text for the web and mobile applications is not the same thing.

The mobile application has both the interface text , which increases the level of interaction and the text content, the task of which  is communication.

Usability Text in the mobile interface

Text content in a mobile application has somewhat different conditions of use than a text for desktop reading.

The difference between reading from PC and Smartphone

It is important to understand that the smartphone is not a mini-computer. And applications for it have a principle of interaction that differs from the PC.

blog_usability_sheet
It means:

  • mobile screen is smaller;
  • operating on mobile is better and faster;
  • focus on the perception of mobile content is less;
  • the user’s attention is more focused for desktop and expects long interaction;
  • the user of the mobile device is ready to accept a smaller amount of information and give it much less time and attention.

Peculiarities of reading from mobile

1. Amount vs.Interest

The mobile user either wastes time by viewing the text content, or is in a hurry. The researchers argue that in both cases a large amount of textual information irritates the user. However, we currently noticed at times what is interesting to us personally is read carefully the in any volume.

2. Complexity

Mobile content is two times harder to read. This is due to incomplete informational context or lack of it. Screen restricts the field of user’s view, forcing his short-term memory to remember more and for a long time. It is tiring and reduces the concentration.

3. Navigation

Long scrolling and inconvenient navigation in the text (continuous text without formatting, and blocks) make it difficult to read and prevent text scanning.

How the text content for mobile is made

Nielsen Norman Group research on the mobile content showed that the editing of articles for reading mobile apps should be more thorough than for full-featured websites. The researchers explain this to lower margin of patience from users.

Mobile text in design, Usability

1. Restrictions

The interface text constantly faces with restrictions: the screen size and the size of the text element (ex, button). So, often, when developing an application design situations arise with too long names of buttons.

For example, the working title of a button – “get started” (11 characters). And the title that placed in the layout is not greater than 10. To do this, we should rename the buttons to preserve the clarity of action. For this example, an appropriate title would be “Start”, or the other, depending on the context and further user action.

2. Guidelines

We do text formatting on the recommendations of software developers of mobile platforms. Guidelines contain valid patterns of all mobile application pages, including content and text.

3. UI-kit

How the buttons with titles and an example of text content will look like, the UI-kit of application can be the best demonstration. Here you can evaluate the aesthetics and readability of the proposed text. Samples of UI-kit and layouts with text blocks can be found here.

How to write a short text

How to understand how much text is sufficient for the perception of the mobile user? What is more difficult – expanded text or short? And what is the mechanism of writing?

Here are some considerations based on experience and research.

1. In short!

“Short – it is too long for mobile. Today ultra-short rocks “- usabilitists claim.

This is the main difficulty. Immediately after understanding the idea appears crazy verbiage that you want to shrink to a minimum. Or choose the most exact words so that they clearly reflect the meaning of what has been said and were not commonplace. Therefore, the text that is “short”, thought out usually longer.

To reduce the time and observe the brevity, the text content for mobile can be developed according to the algorithm:

  • Write as it is on the subject;
  • The most important information directly on the first screen;
  • Takeout background information for the second half of the text: before it gets only particularly interested reader.
  • Simplify the syntax, remove stop words;
  • Remove sentences containing unsubstantiated allegations;
  • Remove meaningless proposals (the so-called “water” or “verbiage”);
  • And cut, especially those places where the reading attanrion is reduced.

2. It is the piece of paper that makes the difference

Working with a very short text interface it is easier by using only pen and paper. Firstly, the paper is easier to start any new task. Several sketches and key ideas help to overcome a psychological barrier and start working.

Secondly, the paper not only tolerate much, but stores the ideas. Crossed ideas do not go away. In the process it is possible to go back and rethink or add something. In a text editor, removing a few bad choices in a row, you can spend hours in front of a blank sheet. So let the ‘paper’ way be archaic, but it works. In addition, the paper – “device” that does not require recharging.

Also, the service or editor that can display just the number of characters in a word or sentence is needed.

As it turned out, the text for mobile applications – work fine, and requires not only the necessary skills from the writer, but also a professional designer. And it is better when the two interact. Writing this very text fundamentally differs from the standard web copywriter work by its ultra-shortness and a large number of editorial changes.