Importance of UI-UX Design in Enterprise Mobile App Development

“Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover”, goes the famous saying. But, more than often we tend to be attracted by the cover of the book, read the short abstract on the back and then choose or reject it. A trend often followed when it comes to picking/choosing anything including Mobile apps too.

Mobile apps are popular and there is no doubting that. According to Statista, “On January 2018, the global mobile population amounted to 3.7 billion unique users. Mobile apps are increasingly popular in everyday activities. The two most popular app stores, Google Play and Apple’s App Store, had a total number of 2.8 and 2.2 million available apps respectively, as of March 2017.” However, in the digital-savvy environment users have become more demanding too, making user-centric design a growing priority. If anything the look and the interface play a key role in improving the business as pointed out in a report by Forrester Research, which suggests that a well-conceived, frictionless UX design could potentially raise customer conversion rates up to 400%.

What makes Enterprise Mobile Apps special? Is it the mobility it provides? Or the choice to get everything at the fingertips? In most cases, it is the ease of use and the features that make Enterprise Mobile Apps appealing. But, does that ensure that the app is liked and used? While the purpose of the Mobile app may bring in the initial audience/users, gradually the User Interface (UI), the Usability and User Experience (UX) take precedence when it comes to continuous and repeated use.

What makes UI-UX so important in Enterprise Mobile App development?

Here’s why. But before getting there, what is UI-UX Design?

UI stands for User Interface, and it works like the display case of a showroom; i.e. the most attractive pieces are arranged to attract the buyers. Similarly, the interface, the images, the icons, button, color schema, etc. showcased on screen from the moment an app is installed are arranged to impress the users. Users interact with the mobile apps through the interface and it is designed to meet certain standards and make the app attractive. 

User Experience (UX) on the other the hand entirely depends on how the app works, the ease of use, the navigation, etc. It is more about functioning than the representation. UX can make an app popular if it meets the user’s requirements.

Importance of UI-UX design in Enterprise Mobile App Development?

Attracting Audience: As described above, UI-UX design sets the initial impression. Grabbing attention is the first step of engagement and UI-UX design for enterprise mobile apps aim to do that. All the research that goes behind app development usually focuses on grabbing the attention of the users and ensuring that they spend time on the app. This also depends on how intuitive the design, navigation is and sustainability of the whole design.

Large-Long-term Audience: Customer/User satisfaction comes as a result of the whole UI-UX design. The most popular apps in the market have a large user base mostly owing to their design and usability. Take for instance Instagram, Facebook, etc. UI-UX design plays a critical role in its ever-increasing popularity, hence making it a priority on the checklist for enterprise mobile app selection.

End-to-end Interaction: Interaction matters. A static app would be almost similar to having an infographic or a slideshow (monotonous one-way action), not something that calls for an app anyways. Enterprise mobile apps need interactions, meaningful ones to be more precise. The interactions that users have with the app, allow them to connect, engage and explore further. And while establishing the pace may take time, having a slow app from the very start may tend to agitate the users. If anything, the speed of end-to-end interactions also influences the app performance.

Self-Explanatory: Mobile apps should be innovative, but not so much that the user gets confused. For enterprise mobile apps to work, the balance of innovation and usability should be maintained. If a feature can be put in a simple way there is no need to overdo it. The users will appreciate the simplicity just as much as the overall app. This in turn depends on the UI-UX design.

Brand Building: An app with good UI-UX design markets itself. In the current market, Mobile apps need to have a competitive edge over others. Good UI-UX delivers customer satisfaction which in turn helps in taking the brand name further through peer to peer interactions, recommendations, ratings, etc., hence building a base of happy clients. Goes without saying, a good mobile app makes its own mark.

Time and Money: The investment of UI-UX design can be time-consuming and can be heavy on the pocket too based on the level of intricacies. For enterprise mobile apps, shifting from a money-driven approach to a user-defined and sustainable form can bridge the gap between usability and relative popularity.

Would UI and UX alone sell a mobile app? The answer is NO, as the objective, the gameplay, the content itself are important aspects of the app. The UI-UX design consideration can help in creating an effective and practical app that is accepted by the users. But, an app without a purpose would be of no use even with the best UI design.

Are you conceptualizing an enterprise Mobile App within your organization? Having a hard time shaping the right solution? QuadLogix’s User Experience practice can be your answer. Just get in touch and we will get back to you at the earliest. Book a FREE session with our resident UI/UX Expert to understand how UI/UX can make or break your app!