5 Steps for Creating a Minimalist UI App Design

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  • Date Published
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If you start chopping away too much information, you could end up with an app that fails to convey any relevant information or add value.

Trying to simplify something may sound easy, but in reality, it isn’t exactly a piece of cake. In mobile apps, if you start chopping away too much information, you could end up with an app that looks wonderfully minimalistic, but fails to convey any relevant information or provide value. By focusing on certain key factors, such as white space, typeface, colors, blur effect, and font selection, you can make sure that your app remains qualitative without losing its design appeal.

In this blog post, I have rounded up 5 key steps that you can add in your mobile app development strategy to design a minimalist UI.

1. Remove Unnecessary Elements

Often I come across app developers that think they have to add extra content to showcase the expertise of their app. If the content isn’t enough, they’d probably go ahead and add unnecessary tabs and elements to the app. But the truth is that, if you add too many elements to your mobile app, especially elements that add no value to the user experience; you’re only going to end up with a messy mobile app that is very hard to understand and impossible to navigate.

So the next time you look at your app and think, “Ooh we could add another tab in the menu that leads back to the home page”, take a step back and re-asses. Ask yourself, “Does it really require this extra feature?”, if your answer is no, then it would be better to leave your app as it is. In fact, you might want to tweak down some elements to make it look more attractive.

2. Incorporate White Space

You might be wondering, “Why on earth would I want to use white space? It’s basically equal to placing nothing on my mobile app”. That is true, but, adding white space to your mobile app has its own set of benefits that you must utilize. First, let’s understand what white space actually is.

In a page layout or illustration, white space is known as negative space. In simple words, it is that part of a layout that is left unmarked or blank.

White space seems to have no significance, but from a designer’s perspective, it is an essential component. It aids in developing contrast, focusing on a certain element, and adding structure. Below I’ve mentioned the four types of whitespace that are commonly used in the designing process:

Content White Space:
The space that separates text and columns.

Text White Space:
The blank area between text lines and letters.

Visual Whitespace:
The blank space around graphics, icons, and images.

Layout Whitespace:
The spacing between paddings and margins.

3. Use Fewer Colors

If you start using too many colors in the user interface, it appears messy and unprofessional. This type of design can repel users from your mobile app and result in a reduction of your conversions and sales. On the other hand, if you limit the number of colors, you will be adding elegance and attractiveness to your UI design. This will engage visitors and they will be more inclined towards interacting with your mobile app. For a minimalist UI design, mobile application development companies can use any one of the following color schemes:

Monochromatic Color Scheme:
In this color scheme, a single color is selected and its various color gradients are used to design the mobile app. The monochromatic color scheme includes tints, tones, and shades of a single color.

Analogous Color Scheme:
This color scheme includes colors that lie next to each other in the color wheel. These colors work together to create aesthetic and comfortable app designs that are pleasing to the eyes.

4. Select One Typeface

If you start to adopt more than one typeface, you will be making a mistake that will result in your app looking a complete mess. It’s essential that designers understand the difference between individual typefaces and where to use them. The type of font that should be used depends on the context of the content and the type of experience that the designers wish to provide to their visitors. So in order to prevent your app from becoming a sloppy mess, test out the different types of fonts that you could use. Try to find the right font style, font length, and the amount of spacing that would best suit your app’s UI.

5. Simple Navigation

Simple Navigation can go a long way when it comes to retaining your visitors. The rules are as simple as the navigation requirements. ‘Make navigating your mobile app a piece of cake’.

About a month ago, an app designer invited me to test his mobile app. He is really ambitious in what he does and lashed all his creativity in the mobile app.  I started using the mobile app and, initially, I landed on the home page and from there I started navigating through the other elements of the mobile app. But, when I wanted to go the home page, I couldn’t see the ‘house’ icon or the word ‘home’ encrypted on any of the tabs. This where I got completely lost in the app. When I contacted the designer, he informed me that he didn’t use the ‘house’ icon for the home. He decided to leave it out, because, users could obviously use the ‘back’ tab to navigate back to the home screen.

Furthermore, he replaced the search icon (usually a magnifying glass), with something completely new.

If you want to design a minimalist UI design, keep in mind the following rules:

  • Don’t overload your menu with too many options
  • Make sure your menu, the home icon, and other such navigational features are visible and easy to use.
  • Don’t try to re-invent the navigational wheel.
  • Stop trying to use unfamiliar icons, instead, try to develop familiarity’.

Wrapping Up

A minimalist UI design seems fairly easy to implement, but it isn’t exactly a piece of cake. If you start chopping away too many elements and removing too much of your content, you might end up taking away from the user experience. If you start taking away the essential elements, visitors will not be able to understand or navigate your mobile app. So whether you’re adding or removing certain elements, be sure to put yourself in the user’s shoes.

Only make changes where you think it is necessary and will add to the user experience. With the help of the above-mentioned steps, you can craft a user interface that will never go out of trend. Simple navigation, use of whitespace, and elegant colors and typography can help you design a minimalist UI design that will never cease to impress.