CREATING MOBILE APP NAVIGATION: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE
When you think you are about to be deceived, picture yourself in an unknown palace carrying a torch that is about to go out. But let’s reimagine the scenario for you: What if you had been greeted at the palace and expertly shown around to appreciate its beauty? It sounds quite good, doesn’t it?
Correct direction is exactly what good mobile app navigation does for your app. The distance between prospects and business is filled through simple mobile app navigation.
Today, there are more than 6 billion active smartphone users worldwide, and effective app navigation has significantly increased user engagement. People are more inclined to stick with an application that is designed simply than with flashy and complicated features.
To create guidance (app navigation), you also need detailed and clear instructions! So, we’ve got the answer for you all right here. Today, we’re going to provide you advice on how to make mobile app navigation as efficient as possible.
Additionally, we will assist you with every aspect of mobile navigation design that will make your journey simpler. Let’s start studying:
WHAT IS MOBILE APP NAVIGATION?
In general, navigation involves being shown the path to your objective. When we discuss mobile app navigation, we are referring to the same idea: direction. The process of navigating users through a mobile app to get them from one location to another is known as navigation.
If done keeping all the elements in mind, app navigation can bring forth the greatest results in terms of audience engagement. All you need to do is focus on directing your user and assisting them in finding the crucial buttons that indicate the locations you want them to visit.
NAVIGATION IN MOBILE APPS: ITS VALUE
Returning to the opening section, do you recall that we discussed a palace? How things would be different if we had someone to lead us around the palace and the other way around!
Let’s go into more detail about the value of app navigation now that this idea has been taken into account.
- Users are encouraged to explore all of the app’s key areas by navigation.
- All of the mobile app’s essential elements are navigable by users.
- High levels of app engagement are guaranteed through UX navigation.
- Effective navigation clearly defines the app’s main features.
You put a lot of effort into creating an application that helps your target audience. If your consumers weren’t utilizing all of your software’s crucial functions, it would be like putting salt to an already open wound. Your users need a road that leads them in the right direction at all times, but that path itself needs to appear enticing enough to convince them to follow it! Navigation correctly makes this possible.
HIGH LEVELS OF APP ENGAGEMENT ARE GUARANTEED THROUGH UX NAVIGATION
The first step in navigating users according to your expectations is to meet their expectations. How would you persuade consumers to view what you have created for them if you need them to?
Of course, an intuitive app interface will work flawlessly for you. It directs users to areas of the app where they can find content of interest. Their use of the program has increased as a result.
EFFECTIVE NAVIGATION CLEARLY DEFINES THE APP’S MAIN FEATURES
Your application’s niche must be executed in such a way that it instantly grabs users’ attention. How do you go about that? Navigation assumes responsibility for efficiently implementing your application’s specialization. Users will discover your areas of expertise in this way. However, you must choose the navigation structure after deciding on the category and target audience for your app.
This is why we have certain best practices and patterns that will help you understand how to make navigation that is convincing and obvious. Let’s continue our journey.
13 COMMON PATTERNS FOR MOBILE APP NAVIGATION
Here, you can discover the top 13 navigational styles that will help your app stand out:
1. THE CONTROVERSIAL BURGER MENU
In the community of designers, there is still debate and uncertainty surrounding the idea of a burger menu. Some people do Favour it, while others seek to eliminate it from the developing concept.
However, if we examine the reasoning behind the hamburger navigation’s design, those three small lines in the page’s corner can prove to be very helpful without detracting from the overall aesthetic of the design.
The hamburger menu is a great idea for UI/UX designers because it allows users to enjoy the rest of the screen space while allowing for comprehensive navigation between just those three lines.
Additionally, this design’s structure is well-known to users; it is not a brand-new concept in mobile app design. Therefore, you may anticipate consumers clicking on your CTA.
2. A FLOATING MENU BUTTON
Circular icons are known as floating icons because they unsurprisingly float above the user interface. The main action in your mobile app’s user interface is triggered by the floating action button (FAB). The only thing a user can do when they arrive at a mobile screen that is frozen in place is click FAB and proceed accordingly.
Floating button icons might help you highlight the content of crucial layouts if prioritizing the content is your next big move.
Although floating buttons only occupy a little portion of the screen, they have the ability to divert the user. In these circumstances, material is occasionally overlooked. Therefore, adding a floating button to every page is not necessary.
You must make sure that floating icons have a favorable effect on consumers’ brains when employing them.
3. NAVIGATION BASED ON GESTURES
Since the introduction of touch screen mobile phones, gesture-based navigation has dominated. Users can swipe in whatever way they choose using this navigation. And it turned out quite well, gaining popularity among users of mobile apps.
Gesture-based navigation stands out from the rest since it is very practical for a user to use. More testing is only required because users are now pretty accustomed to this UI design approach.
4. SUB NAVIGATION
Numerous mobile applications offer a hierarchical navigation structure with multiple levels. Amazon is one of the most well-known applications for sub-navigation.
Sub-navigation would be the best option for your app’s navigation if the idea behind it is comparable to one of the many categories and sub-categories that an app like Amazon offers.
4. NAVIGATION IN FULL SCREEN
Up until this point, we gave more weight to navigation strategies that used the least amount of screen real estate. However, full-screen navigation suggests a whole different idea. Here, the navigation uses the entire page, as intended by the designers. Well, the design of this method looks a little overwhelming. Some designers experiment with making the entire screen available for navigation. If the visual hierarchy of the design is not taken care of, users may be impacted. However, if a designer uses full-screen navigation clearly (removing all the complexity), it becomes quite easy for a user to explore. Additionally, customers do not need to exert any effort to search for anything because everything is readily available to them on a single page.
6. USE OF TABS
Android apps have tab navigation at the top, whereas iOS apps have it at the bottom. A tab is typically a column of several choices that direct users to the corresponding screen or page.
The decision between the tab menu, navigation bar, and Burger menu can be difficult for many designers.
Users are typically forced to browse between different pages with the same context using tab navigation menus. Your Gmail account is a perfect illustration of this since it gives you the following options when sending mail: the primary senders choice. The contacts you might not know come in second.
7. TOP NAVIGATION
The top of the screen features a bar with the main symbols in this navigation scheme. Since everything is on top and may be further investigated, this design is rather simple for the user’s eyes to navigate.
Additionally, the major benefit of this navigation is how easy it is for people to explore. Users are not likely to be confused by the navigation in any significant way.
The other navigation is typically used with top navigation. With the aid of another navigation pattern, you can make it appear aesthetically pleasing while also hinting to consumers what the important items are to be referred to beforehand.
8. NAVIGATION AT THE BOTTOM
Bottom navigation is the opposite half of the coin. It is acceptable to assume that these two navigational strategies differ slightly from one another. However, the major benefit of using the bottom navigation is how easy it is on the thumbs or fingers of users.
When using a cellphone, we tend to use our thumbs the most, and bottom navigation is where your thumb may be the most useful. You can get exactly where you want to be with a few taps; there is no intricacy. It’s quite well-liked because of this function!
9. SIDEBAR NAVIGATION
In contrast to the conventional method, sidebar navigation is the ideal layout for designers who want to include more categories.
By using this pattern, you may encourage users to explore specific categories by giving the icons enough room to be correctly presented without detracting from the aesthetic attractiveness of the design.
By positioning the icons where the CTA is, you can exploit this pattern to your full advantage and influence users to click on it. This is merely one of the advantages we’re discussing — you learn more as you analyze more.
10. GRID NAVIGATION
Multiple categories are displayed simultaneously in grid navigation, and visitors can choose which one they want to investigate first. Spotify is a well-known illustration of this trend.
You must be careful with the fonts and color schemes in this navigation pattern because customers can now browse across several categories at once.
Users must be forced to visit each and every one of them in order to reach the CTA, so make sure they do.
11. VOICE-BASED NAVIGATION
Voice navigation is still a growing technology, but it is undoubtedly a promising one. It is still not as widely utilized as other UI patterns.
By using this technology for your userbase, you might profit from it. Users will need to provide their voice input for it in order to have their voice recognized.
Then, finding anything in that program is a piece of cake for them because all they have to do is “talk,” and the app will show it to them. Explore menus, bars, or icons are not necessary.
12. NAVIGATION BASED ON SEARCH
In general, you will encounter two categories of users. 1. Who investigates an app after being seduced by a nice design? 2. Who only wish to look for what they are seeking.
Users expect to be treated comfortably while using an application, therefore designers can leverage this to their advantage to generate a lot of traction.
You’ll notice a significant difference if the search bar is working properly. Why not use a search bar if that is all that is required to see a noticeable improvement in the results?
13. CARD NAVIGATION
One of the best solutions for displaying numerous items, such as text, images, and links, in one location is card navigation. They come in a variety of sizes and forms.
Users do require material in the form of instructions to learn more about the software and its features, as you can see. Cards are ideal in this situation for aggregating discrete pieces of information into a tailored representation of the content.
Cards are a preferred choice for responsive app navigation since they can adjust to displays of all sizes, so it is not up to that.
SEVEN BEST PRACTICES FOR DESIGNERS TO ADOPT
Learn everything you require to produce a masterpiece, from content clarity to design to icon placement. The following are the top 7 recommendations for creating mobile app navigation:
1. CONTENT READABILITY IS IMPORTANT
The issue of content readability is occasionally neglected when it comes to content in mobile applications. Regardless of the type of mobile app navigation, the content is what drives the majority of the navigation in an application.
Users’ engagement with the app will suffer if they have trouble reading the text on any icon, whether it is informative or just plain text. Therefore, this is one of the frequent problems that the audience has as a result of the different screen sizes.
Giving your best effort when developing your app’s navigation and design is always a smart idea to examine how consumers engage with it.
2. CONSIDER THE NAVIGATION ORDER YOU USE
Your navigation menu’s hierarchy is frequently overlooked. The irony is that it has the most influence on how people perceive your app.
Your navigation menu’s order is purposefully chosen to reflect your objectives. For instance, you would set the order if you wanted people to focus on your app’s particular feature first.
Users typically focus more on the information that is shown to them first than on other features of the app. Therefore, the likelihood that a user will be interested in your business increases if you priorities the specialty of your application over certain less crucial characteristics.
3. CONSIDER THE POSITIONING OF THE USER’S FINGERS AND HANDS
Imagine constantly clicking on a random link that won’t open; your experience quickly turns negative. This makes a significant difference.
Keep your symbols and buttons large and obvious so that a user can navigate them simply and continue exploring. The team’s efforts to provide such a comprehensive experience through the app may fail if this factor is not taken into account.
The app works best with buttons that are 10mm in size, and users won’t have any issues. Users will be more interested in your project if you offer a more tailored and up-to-date experience. Being current with design trends is always a good idea.
4. SELECT LABELS AND ICONS WISELY
Regarding the icons, it’s crucial that they relate to the app’s target market. Try to keep it straightforward and simple to comprehend so that a user can quickly determine the meaning of an app symbol when they arrive at it.
The size of menu labels is the next crucial aspect to pay attention to; you do not need to reduce the font size for the content; instead, you should properly align the content and menu labels.
5. LESSEN MENTAL DEMAND
You have been working hard the entire time to give your users a personalized experience with your application. Imagine the situation if the effort put into creating the software is not reflected in it.
Aim to keep everything basic and straightforward enough for the users to understand so that all your hard work won’t be in vain.
When you keep everything streamlined and straightforward, the likelihood that customers will appreciate the app increases twofold. Make their journey more pleasant and simple!
6. CLEAR THE SCREEN’S SURFACE OF CLUTTER
Designers that are chasing visual appeal can go overboard with specific elements, which leads to a disorganized design. Leaving the app design uncluttered is sometimes the best thing you can do to make it look appealing.
The app’s design layout shouldn’t appear crowded because this takes away from the app’s relevance in addition to making the design look messy. Thus, go mindfully.
7. INCLUDE A SEARCH BAR
Even though the layout of your navigation is quite straightforward and unambiguous, there is always a potential that users will need assistance.
Remember that one flaw is all it takes to lower user engagement, therefore never stop trying to give your audience a tailored experience. Therefore, make sure to always take care of anything that satisfies users.
THE MOBILE APP NAVIGATION IS OVER
So, after having a lot of experience navigating mobile apps, here we are. We really hope that we have been able to be of some assistance to you thus far.
In conclusion, creating an effective navigation system is crucial for the success of your mobile app. By following the tips outlined in this blog post, you can create an intuitive and engaging navigation system that will enhance your users’ experience and help them achieve their goals within your app. If you need any assistance with mobile app development, don’t hesitate to reach out to Wan Buffer Services– our experienced team of developers can help bring your app vision to life with high-quality, user-friendly navigation.
