Dubai
User experience, design and usability are all integral parts of success when designing an app, developers said.
“The UX is the user experience which is so important but people don’t see it. The process decides how many screens to use, and the best example is the Instagram. Instagram uses a single screen. The UI is the user interface. The process decides what fond and colours to use,” said Mohammad Johami, founder and CEO of Mobibus.
But it is very difficult to find good UX/UI designers in the region. There are around five good designers in the region because it is a science.
Alexander Rauser, CEO of Prototype, said that it’s all about user flow and interaction with the device. However what many companies forget is an even more important part of every app development project which is the data and services the app consumes. A successful app gets both parts right to deliver a unique experience.
“Mostly companies hire designers to do these, but it is a big mistake. It is a specialty and more available in the East Europe. The success or failure of an app depends on the designers. They are really good mobile app designers. India is good for app development but not on design,” Johami said.
Moreover, he said that it is difficult to have all the functionalities of a website on an app. Users of a website is not is the same as in mobile app. They don’t have the time and the companies should give them personally what they need.
The main outsourcing markets are India, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
Donna Benton, Founder and CEO of Entertainer, an app for buy one get one free offers, said that design is everything.
A good design enables users to quickly and seamlessly “unlock the value” that you are offering your customers. It determines the user’s experience with your app and whether and how frequently they will use your App.
“If the design is good, the app is more likely to be used frequently and provide real value for the user. If the design is poor, the opposite most likely will occur - the user will use it once and forget about it,” Benton said.
Johami said that 80 per cent of mobile applications are deleted with 24 hours of downloading it. Out of the remaining 20 per cent, only five per cent are used regularly.
“I think the number one factor people look at is what benefit it’s going to give them. If it’s a game, they look for what sort of pleasure it will give them or how interesting they find it. For us, people look at the benefits provided with our buy one get one free offers and then consider the convenience of browsing and redeeming those offers from the app,” Donna said.
