Last updated on Jun 25, 2024

Here's how you can enhance your UI skills for mobile apps as a novice designer.

As a novice mobile app designer, you're at the exciting threshold of a dynamic field where creativity meets functionality. Enhancing your User Interface (UI) skills is key to crafting apps that are not only visually appealing but also intuitive and user-friendly. UI design focuses on the look and layout of an app, ensuring that users can interact with it seamlessly. By improving these skills, you'll be able to create mobile experiences that stand out in a crowded marketplace.

1 Learn Basics

To start enhancing your UI skills, it's essential to understand the basics of mobile app design. This includes familiarizing yourself with design principles such as color theory, typography, and layout. Knowing how to effectively use colors can evoke emotions and draw attention to key elements. Typography isn't just about choosing fonts; it's about readability and creating a visual hierarchy. Layout is about organizing content in a way that's logical and easy to navigate. By mastering these fundamentals, you'll lay a solid foundation for designing more complex and engaging mobile interfaces.

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Amith Shaju

XLRI Jamshedpur - PGDM (GM) Co'25 | ex-IBM
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Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines are a good starting point for anyone planning to develop an iOS app. It comprehensively covers most of the principles to be kept in mind. Also one should download and evaluate top apps and understand what they are doing right. Apple Design Award winning apps are another reference point for developers to explore and learn new techniques.

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2 Practice Daily

Consistent practice is crucial for improving your UI design skills. Set aside time each day to design interfaces, even if they're just hypothetical projects. Sketch out your ideas, play with different color schemes, and experiment with typography. With each practice session, you'll discover what works and what doesn't, which will help you develop your own style and preferences. Remember, the goal is not to create perfect designs from the start but to learn from the process and gradually improve.

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Kabir Dhillon

iOS Engineer | Building with Swift, SwiftUI, UIKit
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Practice makes perfect, and this is true for UI designs. By practicing designing UIs, you get to try different aspect of design. You also get to see what works well, and also see how your design skills improve over time. I believe design is an important aspect of the app development process.

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3 Use Prototyping

Prototyping is an invaluable part of the UI design process. It allows you to create interactive mockups of your app designs, which you can use to test functionality and user experience. Tools like Adobe XD or Sketch provide the means to bring your static designs to life without needing to write any code. By building prototypes, you can visualize the flow of your app and identify any usability issues before they become costly to fix.

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Kabir Dhillon

iOS Engineer | Building with Swift, SwiftUI, UIKit
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A great way is to create app prototypes. You can use software like Figma or Adobe XD. The great thing about prototyping is you can try multiple layouts or different designs

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4 Seek Feedback

Getting feedback from others is a vital step in honing your UI skills. Share your designs with friends, family, or fellow designers and ask for their honest opinions. Join online design communities where you can post your work and receive constructive criticism. This feedback can provide insights into areas you may have overlooked and offer new perspectives on how to enhance your designs. Embrace criticism as a learning opportunity, and use it to refine your craft.

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Amith Shaju

XLRI Jamshedpur - PGDM (GM) Co'25 | ex-IBM
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Feedback is really crucial when it comes to UI development. One of the drawbacks of being a developer is that we tend to know the in and out of app design and we may take many things for granted. Our average user may not be so knowledgeable or might even be entirely new. UI is what helps a new user navigate smoothly through the app. Developers should always keep Affordance principle in mind while developing UI. They should get feedback not just from professional testers but also laymen to spot issues early and rectify them before release. Apple’s Test Flight is a good tool in this regard.

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Kabir Dhillon

iOS Engineer | Building with Swift, SwiftUI, UIKit
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Feedback is essential for a great UI. Ask your friends, family, peers, mentors, and even on online communities. Feedback is how I have continuously improved my apps. It gives me perspective on what users want to see in an app UI.

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5 Study Trends

The mobile app industry is ever-evolving, with new design trends emerging regularly. Keep yourself updated by studying successful apps to see what makes their UI effective. Note the latest design patterns, animation techniques, and interaction models being used. While it's important not to blindly follow trends, understanding them can inspire your own designs and help you stay relevant in the field.

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Amith Shaju

XLRI Jamshedpur - PGDM (GM) Co'25 | ex-IBM
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I was fortunate to be introduced to RayWenderlich.com (now Kodeco)when i started my journey as a mobile developer. It offers great learning materials and tutorials for the enthusiastic learner. One can hone one’s Developer skills through practice. Coursera, Udemy and others also have very relevant courses on the topic.

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6 Expand Toolkit

Finally, expand your toolkit by learning how to use advanced design software and understanding the technical constraints of mobile platforms. Knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of iOS and Android systems can greatly influence your design decisions. Familiarize yourself with different screen sizes, resolutions, and UI elements specific to each platform. The more tools and knowledge you have at your disposal, the more versatile and adept you'll become as a UI designer.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Mobile Applications

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Here's how you can enhance your UI skills for mobile apps as a novice designer.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Learn Basics

2 Practice Daily

3 Use Prototyping

4 Seek Feedback

5 Study Trends

6 Expand Toolkit

7 Here’s what else to consider

Mobile Applications

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Here's how you can enhance your UI skills for mobile apps as a novice designer.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Learn Basics

2 Practice Daily

3 Use Prototyping

4 Seek Feedback

5 Study Trends

6 Expand Toolkit

7 Here’s what else to consider

Mobile Applications

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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