In this article I’ll be shelling out some tips on how to create an engaging UI/UX Design Case Study for your apps, the tips I’ll be sharing with you will work for any app, but I’ll be using Finance App as an example, for you to understand it better.
As anyone who’s ever opened up their bank account on their smartphone knows, finance apps come in all shapes and sizes. When creating your own app, it’s important to consider how your users will interact with the app and what they’ll expect from it.
This case study on how to create an engaging UI/UX for your finance app will help you think through key user concerns so that you can make an app that truly works for them.
Also Read: How To Make Money Online As A Ui/UX Designer (5 Ways to Succeed)
What is UI/UX Design?
When you look at companies like Uber, Airbnb and Amazon, one of their most successful elements is their user experience design (commonly referred to as UI or UX). In a nutshell, UX design helps influence how your audience will interact with your app by looking at ease of use and functionality.
At its core, UX design looks to solve problems and address usability concerns. For example, if you have a financial app that plans on targeting younger audiences who are always on-the-go on their smartphones, then it would make sense to create a more engaging app that people can use in quick bursts while they’re moving.
Research Competitive Products
If you already have a solid idea of what you want to create, it’s helpful to research similar products that have already been developed. This can be done by browsing different app stores and researching what people use in their day-to-day lives.
It’s important that you’re familiar with these products as it will help you gain insight into whether or not there is potential for your app. While researching competitive apps and websites, think about how they are successful and why others should use them too.
- Are they fun?
- Are they easy to navigate?
- Do users enjoy using them?
These are all questions that you need to ask yourself when researching competitive products. Also consider looking at other industries and seeing if there are any similarities between finance apps and other types of software.
For example, if you were creating an online shopping app then you could look at online banking services because both require customers to input credit card information.
- What makes one more engaging than another?
- How do they work together on mobile devices?
- Is one easier to use than another?
By analyzing two seemingly unrelated products, you’ll get a better understanding of what works best for user engagement.
You’ll also see where improvements can be made and how certain features from each product can be combined into one.
At some point during your research phase, you may find that someone has already created an app similar to yours—and even though it may seem like competition, don’t let it deter you from moving forward with development. Instead, look at their product as inspiration for developing something even better!
Do User Testing
It might seem counterintuitive, but you should get your designs in front of real people as quickly as possible. It’s a lot easier to refine a design before you’ve invested too much time and effort into making it perfect, and user testing also helps you get feedback from actual users.
However, it’s important that you don’t make decisions based solely on what users say; if someone says they don’t like something, take a step back and try to understand why so that you can avoid making rash design decisions.
By conducting user tests with small groups of potential customers before investing too much effort into wireframes or storyboards, you’ll be better positioned to create a winning app design.
User testing is about more than hearing how good your designs are, though. To truly gauge whether you’re meeting users’ needs, conduct research in-person or online to find out what makes them tick.
Ask questions such as:
- What was their most recent financial experience?
- How do they decide which apps they use?
- Which websites and services do they turn to most often?
- How could their experiences be improved?
These are just some examples; each product will have its own set of goals and objectives that determine which features need special attention during development. Finding answers to these kinds of questions will help you successfully shape a unique vision while building upon tried-and-true approaches others have already taken.
Clearly Define Your Users
Before you even begin creating your design, think about what your users need from you and how your app will meet their needs. Find out what sorts of features they’re expecting and make sure those features are present in your design.
In order to do that, it’s best to put yourself in your user’s shoes; actually spend some time learning what it is that makes them tick. Watch them as they interact with different apps, observe how they use various websites or study their comments on social media platforms.
The more insight you can gain into who these people are and how they live their lives, the better your app will be at meeting their needs.
Create a Storyboard.
Once you’ve determined your user personas and set clear goals, sit down and write out a storyboard—the series of screens a user will go through when using your app.
It might sound like overkill, but getting it all down on paper helps clarify what people need to see, do and interact with in order to get their jobs done.
This kind of prep will help keep you on track as you begin creating your design. Once you’ve created your storyboard, print it out (or save it somewhere handy) so that every time you begin working on a new screen or set of screens, take a few minutes to reference your plan as a way of keeping yourself accountable for staying true to each goal.
In other words, don’t be tempted to stray from your original plan just because it looks better. While good design often involves change and flexibility, good planning is always more important than great execution.
Note: If you want something more formalized than a Microsoft Word document or a stack of post-it notes, try something like Figma or Balsamiq’s wireframing tool which makes it easy to create mockups and then share them with team members for feedback. Stakeholders love visuals: Once you have everything laid out in front of you visually—your storyboards plus any additional research material or images—start putting together high-level sketches (again on paper!) showing how everything could look when complete.
Choose The Right Design Tools.
One of the most important decisions you’ll have to make is which design tool will help you accomplish your goals and meet your timeline.
There are many popular options on both ends of the spectrum, with professional-grade programs like Figma.com and Adobe XD at one end and basic online options (like Canva) at another. No matter what type of tool you use, it’s important that it helps streamline your workflow so that you don’t waste time during a hectic project.
The goal is efficiency—so choose wisely! If you need some inspiration, try using our finance app ui case study as inspiration for how to create a unique visual aesthetic for financial apps that users love!
Hire a Designer.
Many people believe that they can do their own graphic design work, but unless you’re a trained artist, it’s not going to turn out so well. A professional designer can help you nail down your branding and create things that will look great in all media (print ads, outdoor billboards, digital ads).
If you want your app to stand out from the crowd and really make an impact with users and buyers alike—and again, you should!—then it’s worth shelling out a few extra bucks up front to get someone who knows what they’re doing on board.
There are plenty of fantastic designers who are more than happy to take on freelance projects and find better ways of getting customers through door. (Read more about hiring designers here.)
In Conclusion.
If you’re launching a finance-related app, it’s important that you get a great designer. However, if you don’t have any design experience yourself, it can be tempting to think of doing it yourself. The most important thing is to find somebody with expertise in finance apps. Most designers will be happy to work on an hourly basis and can create your designs in a matter of days.
