Best Mobile App UI Designs

• Seamgen's User Experience Lead, Josh Kirkland, shares some insights into UI designs, what UX design is, and how to take your app ideas above and beyond.

• He also highlights UI design in the following mobile apps as some of the best on the market from a UX Design perspective:

  • Calm
  • Uber
  • Shazam
  • AirBnB
  • TickTick
  • Slack
  • Spotify
  • Chipotle
  • Discord
  • The Athletic

User Experience Design in Today's Market

In an era where the mobile app market space is saturated with countless options, what distinguishes the best app design from the rest? The answer often lies in their UX design. Mobile apps that prioritize user experience and interface design have a unique power to captivate, engage, and retain users.

Whether you're a seasoned designer, an app developer, or simply a smartphone user seeking the very best design tools for your own life and daily tasks, understand the principles of effective UX design. This can make all the difference in your digital journey.

This article delves into the most important aspects and elements in the world of web and mobile app design, exploring the core elements that contribute to the best design and an outstanding user experience. From intuitive navigation to aesthetically pleasing interfaces, the realm of UX design is vast and ever-evolving.

To gain insight into the key considerations that shape a user-friendly mobile app, we'll be hearing from Josh Kirkland, Seamgen's User Experience Lead. As the User Experience Lead, Josh has a deep understanding of what makes these applications stand out. On top of detailing some of Josh's favorite apps and what makes them tick, our focus here is to unearth the universal principles and practices that set apart the best mobile apps from a UX design perspective.

We will discuss the significance of user research, responsive design, accessibility, and the role of prototyping and testing in the best app design development process. By the end of this exploration, you'll have a clearer understanding of what distinguishes the best mobile apps. Also, you'll gain valuable insights to inform your own best app design choices and potentially inspire you to improve your mobile app design skills.

Let's embark on a journey into the world of mobile app design, where the user's needs and experiences take center stage.

What is User Experience Design?

User Experience design, often referred to as UX design, is a multifaceted discipline that lies at the heart of crafting the best app design. It's not merely about graphics and creating visually appealing interfaces.

It's about understanding and catering app designs to the needs, expectations, and behaviors of the app's users. At its core, UX design seeks to enhance the usability, accessibility, and overall satisfaction of the user when interacting with an application.

Understanding the User

User design begins with a deep understanding of the people who will be using the mobile app. Designers delve into user personas, studying the demographics, preferences, and pain points of the target audience.

This understanding helps create an app that resonates with users on a personal level, addressing their specific needs and preferences.

User Interface (UI) Design

A significant aspect of UX design is user interface (UI) design. This involves the visual elements of the website or app, such as layouts, buttons, color schemes, graphics and typography.

The goal is to make important aspects of the mobile app ui design aesthetically pleasing and intuitive to navigate. Users should be able to interact with the app effortlessly, regardless of their level of technological expertise.

User Experience (UX) Design

While UI design focuses on the look and feel of the app, user experience (UX) design is concerned with the overall interaction journey. It encompasses the flow of the app, information architecture, and the emotional response users have while using the application.

A well-made UX design ensures that users find the app not only functional but also enjoyable and meaningful.

Accessibility

An integral part of user design is ensuring that the best app designs that is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.

This involves designing for various assistive technologies, adhering to accessibility guidelines, and making sure that all users, regardless of their abilities, can interact with the app effectively.

Usability Testing

User design isn't a one-time effort but an iterative process. Usability testing is a crucial step in the design journey, where real users are invited to interact with the app.

Their feedback and insights help identify any issues and opportunities for improvement in other apps, allowing designers to refine the app for a more seamless and enjoyable user experience.

In the realm of mobile app design, user design is a cornerstone. It's a dynamic and ever-evolving field that combines art and science, aesthetics and functionality, to create applications. This way, users not only embrace the applications but also love to use them.

As we explore the best mobile apps from a user design perspective, understanding these principles will be paramount in recognizing what makes the great mobile app UI design of these applications exceptional.

How to Take an App Idea to the Next Level

Having a brilliant best app design idea is just the beginning of your journey in the world of mobile app development. To truly succeed in today's competitive market, it's essential to elevate that app design idea through thoughtful mobile UI design and user-centric principles.

Here are some steps to take your best app design idea to the next level:

User-Centered Ideation

Start with a clear understanding of your target audience and their needs. Conduct user research to identify pain points and preferences, and then align your idea with these insights.

By putting users at the center of your best app design idea, you'll create a product that resonates with them.

Design Thinking

Embrace the principles of design thinking, which involve empathizing with your users, defining their problems, ideating solutions, prototyping your ideas, and testing your ideas.

This iterative process allows you to refine your best app design concept, ensuring its UX design truly meets user needs and expectations.

Prototype and Test

Develop a prototype of your app to visualize the UI and flow. Testing your prototype with real users early in the design phase can uncover design flaws and usability issues, allowing you to make essential improvements.

Responsive and Adaptive Design

With the diverse array of devices and screen sizes available, responsive and adaptive interfaces are crucial to the best app design.

Your app or website should look and function seamlessly on various technology platforms, from smartphones and other phones to tablets to larger screens.

Prioritize Accessibility

Ensure your mobile app is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Implement features like screen readers, voice commands, and customizable text sizes to make your phone app inclusive.

Aesthetic Appeal

A well-designed mobile app ui and mobile app ui design should not only be functional but visually appealing. Invest in a pleasing and consistent UI that reflects your app's purpose and branding.

Streamlined Navigation

Intuitive navigation is paramount. Users should easily find what they're looking for without frustration, especially in a banking app, for example. Consider user flow and the placement of bottom navigation elements carefully.

Consistent Feedback

Provide feedback to users through animations, visual cues, or haptic responses to confirm their actions. This keeps users informed and engaged during their interaction with your app.

Regular Updates

Crafting the best app design is not a one-time effort. Commit to ongoing improvements and updates to app designs based on user feedback, future technological advancements, and changes in user preferences.

Taking your app design idea to the next level is a journey that involves continuous learning and adaptation.

As we move forward in our exploration of the best mobile apps from a UX design perspective, we'll be examining real-world examples of best app designs that have excelled in these areas.

By analyzing the success stories of these successful apps, you'll gain practical insights into how exceptional design principles can transform a concept into a beloved and highly functional mobile application.

Let's take a closer look at some of the top performers in the world of app design and discover what sets them apart.

10 App Design Examples – What Makes Great Mobile App Design

Calm

Calm, renowned for its focus on mindfulness and meditation, goes beyond its functionality by immersing users in a world of visual tranquility.

The app design exudes a sense of calmness from the moment it's launched. The interface boasts bright colors and a clean, minimalist aesthetic, employing soft pastel colors, gentle gradients, and ample white space.

• Visual Elements: The choice of soft colors and minimalist design elements contributes significantly to the app's calming effect. Subtle animations, such as moving backgrounds and gently swaying imagery, create a serene ambiance, fostering a peaceful state of mind for users.

• Intuitive Navigation: Calm's UI is designed with intuitive navigation, allowing users to seamlessly browse through a range of meditation sessions, soothing sounds, sleep stories, and mindfulness exercises. The layout is uncluttered, guiding users effortlessly through the app's offerings.

• Imagery and Soundscapes: A key aspect of Calm's design brilliance lies in its use of imagery and soundscapes. High-quality visuals, serene landscapes, and nature-based illustrations accompany meditation sessions, enhancing the overall experience. Coupled with soothing soundtracks, these elements transport users to a state of relaxation and mindfulness.

• Personalization and Accessibility: Despite its simplicity, Calm offers a personalized experience. Users can customize their meditation sessions, adjust settings for sleep stories, and select sounds based on individual preferences. The app also ensures accessibility with features catering to various user needs, such as customizable session lengths and options for different levels of meditation expertise.

• Consistency in Branding: Calm maintains a consistent brand identity throughout the app. From the app icon to the UI and the content within, the design aligns seamlessly with the brand's message of tranquility and mindfulness.

In the realm of app design, Calm shines as a prime example of how a well-crafted interface, soothing aesthetics, visuals and intuitive navigation. These elements merge to create an environment that not only offers functionality but also nurtures a sense of inner peace and well-being for its users.

Its design excellence lies in its ability to transcend mere functionality, elevating the user experience to a therapeutic journey.

Uber

Uber's app design brilliance lies in its ability to deliver crucial information effectively and transparently to users. The app's interface prioritizes functionality and clarity, ensuring that users can easily access vital information regarding their rides and drivers.

• Clear Status Updates: Upon opening the app, users are greeted with a clear and concise display of available ride options, estimated arrival times, and fare estimates. This transparency empowers users by offering upfront information, allowing them to make informed decisions swiftly.

• Real-Time Tracking: Uber's interface excels in providing real-time tracking of rides. Users can monitor the progress of their driver, including their location and estimated time of arrival, fostering a sense of control and reducing uncertainty.

• Driver Details and Ratings: Uber's design includes a section dedicated to displaying driver details, such as name, photo, vehicle information, and driver ratings. This transparency builds trust and confidence in the service, allowing users to feel secure about their driver choices.

• Interactive Interface: The app's interactive design allows users to seamlessly navigate through different stages of the ride process, from booking to payment. Clear and intuitive buttons facilitate actions such as confirming a ride, sharing trip details, and providing feedback.

• Payment Transparency: Uber's design also excels in displaying transparent fare breakdowns and providing multiple payment options. Users can easily view trip costs, including surcharges or discounts, promoting transparency in pricing.

• Adaptability and Accessibility: The app's design ensures adaptability across various devices and accessibility for users with different needs. Its straightforward layout and user-friendly features cater to a diverse user base.

• Consistency and Branding: Uber maintains consistency in its interface and branding, ensuring a seamless experience for users worldwide. The app's design aligns with the brand's identity, promoting trust and reliability.

Uber's design excellence lies in its ability to present vital information in a clear, concise, and transparent manner. By focusing on functionality, real-time updates, and transparent displays, the best app design empowers users with the information they need, fostering confidence and trust in the service.

Shazam

Shazam's design brilliance lies in its ability to swiftly identify music with minimal fuss or distractions. The app's interface is characterized by its simplicity and efficiency, focusing solely on its primary function – identifying songs.

• Minimalistic Interface: Shazam adopts a minimalist approach to its interface, free from excessive design elements or unnecessary features. Upon launching the app, users are greeted with a clean and uncluttered screen, prompting them to tap a single prominent button to start the music identification process.

• Efficient Song Recognition: The core functionality of Shazam revolves around its impressive song recognition capabilities. The app's design optimizes this feature, allowing users to quickly capture snippets of music, even in noisy environments, and promptly provide accurate results.

• Straightforward Navigation: Shazam's user interface is designed for straightforward navigation. There are no unnecessary steps or complexities. Users are guided through a seamless process from song identification to access to additional information, such as artist details, lyrics, and music videos.

• Focused Features: The app ui design remains laser-focused on its primary purpose – identifying music. It avoids unnecessary features or distractions, ensuring that users can accomplish their tasks swiftly without getting sidetracked by additional functionalities.

• Fast Response Time: Shazam's design prioritizes speed and responsiveness. The app swiftly processes audio input and retrieves information about the identified music, delivering results within seconds.

• Consistency in Functionality: Shazam maintains consistency in its functionality across various platforms. Whether it's on mobile devices or desktops, the app delivers the same efficient and quick music identification experience.

Shazam's app design excellence shines through its simplicity, efficiency, and unwavering focus on its core functionality – identifying music.

By prioritizing a clean interface, swift responsiveness, and minimalistic design, the app provides users with a hassle-free and quick music recognition experience, making it a go-to tool for music enthusiasts worldwide.

Airbnb

Airbnb's app design brilliance lies in its simplicity and the remarkable way it localizes its platform to resonate with users across diverse cultures and regions.

• Clean and Intuitive Interface: Airbnb's user interface embodies simplicity, presenting users with a clean layout and intuitive navigation. The design ensures that users can effortlessly browse through listings, filter search results, and manage bookings without feeling overwhelmed by unnecessary complexities.

• Localized Experience: One of Airbnb's standout features is its exceptional localization efforts. The app adapts seamlessly to various languages, currencies, and cultural preferences, providing users with a personalized experience based on their location.

• Tailored Search and Recommendations: The app's design tailors search results and recommendations based on the user's location, preferences, and past interactions. This localization enhances the user experience by presenting relevant listings and experiences that align with the user's interests and the local context.

• Localized Content and Imagery: Airbnb's design incorporates localized content and imagery, showcasing diverse accommodations, experiences, and cultural nuances specific to different regions. This approach resonates with users by reflecting the authenticity and uniqueness of each location.

• Transparency and Trust: The app's design fosters transparency and trust through detailed listings, user reviews, and ratings, regardless of the location. This consistent display of information enables users to make informed decisions regardless of where they are booking.

• Adaptive Booking Process: Airbnb's design ensures an adaptive booking process that caters to different cultural norms and payment methods, making it accessible and user-friendly across various regions.

• Consistency and Branding: While being localized, the Airbnb app maintains consistency in its branding and core features across different locales, ensuring a unified user experience worldwide.

Airbnb's design excellence stems from its simplicity, intuitive interface, and remarkable localization efforts.

By embracing simplicity in design while effectively catering to diverse cultures and regions, Airbnb has succeeded in providing hundreds of thousands of users with a seamless, personalized, and trustworthy platform for accommodations and experiences globally.

TickTick

TickTick's design brilliance lies in its ability to offer extensive customization options while maintaining a user-friendly and intuitive interface.

• Versatile and User-Focused Interface: TickTick's interface strikes a perfect balance by offering a wide array of customizable features without overwhelming users. The design ensures that users can easily navigate through tasks, lists, and settings, providing a straightforward and efficient experience.

• Task Customization: The app allows users to customize tasks extensively, enabling the addition of due dates, reminders, priority levels, tags, and attachments. Users can tailor each task to suit their specific needs, enhancing organization and productivity.

• List and Folder Customization: TickTick's design offers customizable lists and folders, empowering users to categorize tasks based on projects, topics, or preferences. This level of organization aids in efficient task management without compromising ease of use.

• Themes and UI Customization: The app UI design offers a variety of themes and UI customization options, allowing users to personalize the app's appearance according to their preferences. Whether it's color schemes, layout preferences, or font styles, TickTick provides flexibility without sacrificing usability.

• Smart Task Suggestions: TickTick's design incorporates smart suggestions and predictive features while maintaining the ability for users to personalize these recommendations. This balance between automation and user control streamlines the task management process.

• Sync and Cross-Platform Consistency: TickTick's design ensures seamless synchronization across devices while maintaining consistency in customization options. Users can enjoy a personalized experience on various platforms without losing their settings or preferences.

• User-Friendly Learning Curve: Despite its high level of customization, TickTick maintains a user-friendly learning curve. New users can easily grasp the customization features without feeling overwhelmed, thanks to its intuitive design.

TickTick's app design excellence shines through its ability to provide extensive customization options while maintaining a user-friendly and intuitive interface.

By offering versatility in task management, extensive customization features, and a streamlined user experience, TickTick empowers users to tailor their productivity journey without compromising ease of use.

Slack

Slack's great design brilliance lies in its ability to place crucial information and communication at the forefront, ensuring that users have immediate access to what matters to most people.

• Centralized Communication Hub: The app serves as a centralized communication platform, organizing conversations, channels, and direct messages in a way that makes important information easily accessible. Users can quickly navigate through various threads and discussions without getting lost in clutter.

• Channel Organization: Slack's design allows users to organize discussions into channels, enabling teams to focus on specific topics or projects. This structure ensures that relevant conversations and information are grouped, minimizing distractions and keeping important discussions easily accessible.

• Customizable Notifications: Slack offers highly customizable notification settings, allowing users to prioritize and receive alerts for messages and mentions based on their importance. This customization ensures that users stay informed without being overwhelmed by unnecessary notifications.

• Search Functionality: Slack's robust search functionality empowers users to quickly retrieve specific messages, files, or information from past conversations. This feature ensures that users can access crucial information efficiently, even amidst a large volume of messages.

• Integration with Tools and Apps: The app design integrates seamlessly with various tools and applications, consolidating information and updates from external platforms into Slack channels. This integration streamlines workflow by keeping everything users need within the Slack interface.

• Threaded Conversations: Slack's UI design includes threaded conversations, allowing users to reply directly to specific messages, keeping discussions organized, and making it easier to follow a conversation's flow.

• User-Friendly Interface: Despite its multifunctional capabilities, Slack maintains a user-friendly interface that encourages ease of use. The design ensures that new users can quickly adapt to the platform while experienced users efficiently navigate through channels and conversations.

Slack's design excellence lies in its ability to prioritize and organize essential information and communication channels effectively.

By offering a centralized hub for communication, customizable notifications, powerful search capabilities, and an intuitive interface, Slack ensures that users have everything important at their fingertips, enhancing productivity and collaboration within teams.

Spotify

Spotify's app design brilliance lies in its ability to provide users with a plethora of natural and diverse methods to explore and discover impressive music recommendations, ensuring an engaging and personalized listening experience.

• Personalized Discover Weekly: Spotify's algorithm-driven "Discover Weekly" playlists offer users a personalized selection of music based on their listening history and preferences. This weekly compilation introduces users to new artists and tracks that align with their tastes, effortlessly delivering fresh recommendations.

• Tailored Daily Mixes: The app's design incorporates "Daily Mixes," curated playlists that blend users' favorite tracks with similar music genres or artists. This feature offers a seamless way for users to explore a diverse range of music they're likely to enjoy.

• Release Radar and New Releases: Spotify's design includes "Release Radar," a playlist that updates users with newly released tracks from their favorite artists, ensuring they stay informed about the latest music from the artists they love.

• Explore and Genre-Based Recommendations: The app UI provides an "Explore" section where users can delve into various music genres, moods, or themes. Through these genre-based recommendations, users can naturally navigate through music they might find appealing based on their preferences.

• Curated Playlists and Podcasts: Spotify offers an extensive collection of curated playlists and podcasts catering to various interests, moods, and activities. This design approach allows users to effortlessly discover new content aligned with their tastes or explore new genres and themes.

• Collaborative Playlists and Social Sharing: Spotify's design encourages social interaction by allowing users to create collaborative playlists and share music recommendations with friends, fostering a communal aspect to music discovery.

• Voice-Activated Recommendations: The app's integration with voice assistants allows users to effortlessly discover music through voice commands, creating a more natural and hands-free experience for music exploration.

Spotify's design excellence lies in its commitment to providing users with a myriad of natural and diverse avenues to discover impressive music recommendations.

By leveraging algorithms, curated playlists, genre-based exploration, music player itself, and social sharing, Spotify ensures an engaging, fun and personalized music discovery experience that caters to individual preferences while encouraging exploration beyond familiar tunes.

Chipotle

Chipotle's app design brilliance lies in its ability to offer a straightforward and elegant ordering experience, focusing on simplicity without compromising functionality.

• Intuitive Interface: The app boasts an intuitive interface that guides users seamlessly through the ordering process. It presents a clean layout with prominently displayed options, allowing users to navigate effortlessly.

• Customization and Personalization: Chipotle's design allows for extensive customization of orders. Users can easily personalize their meals, choosing ingredients, portion sizes, and toppings with a few taps, ensuring that their orders meet their exact preferences.

• Streamlined Order Flow: The app's design streamlines the order flow, guiding users through the selection of items, sides, and add-ons in a step-by-step manner. This clear progression ensures that users can easily configure their meals without feeling overwhelmed.

• Visual Representation of Choices: Chipotle's app design incorporates visual representations of menu items and customization options. Users can view ingredients and modifications, making informed decisions with a glance, which enhances the user experience.

• Convenient Payment and Pickup Options: The app's design includes convenient payment options, allowing users to securely save payment details for quick and easy checkout. Additionally, users can choose pickup options based on their preferred location and time, enhancing convenience.

• Consistency and Branding: Chipotle maintains consistency in its branding across the app interface, ensuring that users experience a unified and familiar design that aligns with the brand identity.

• Feedback and Ratings: The app's design encourages feedback and ratings, providing users with opportunities to share their experiences and suggestions, fostering a sense of engagement and community.

• User-Friendly Learning Curve: Despite the customization options, Chipotle's app design ensures a user-friendly learning curve. New users can quickly adapt to the ordering process without encountering complexities.

Chipotle's app design excellence lies in its simplicity and elegance, offering users a user-friendly and efficient ordering experience.

By prioritizing intuitive navigation, customization, visual representations, and convenience, Chipotle ensures that users can effortlessly personalize their orders while enjoying a streamlined and pleasant ordering journey.

Discord

Discord's design brilliance lies in its ability to provide users with a seamlessly integrated web experience across desktop and mobile platforms, ensuring continuity and accessibility regardless of the device being used.

• Unified Interface: Discord offers a unified interface design across desktop and mobile versions of the app. Users encounter a consistent layout, navigation, and functionalities, creating a familiar experience whether accessed from a computer or a mobile device.

• Synchronized Conversations and Channels: The app's design ensures that conversations, channels, and activities are synchronized in real-time across devices. Users can seamlessly transition from desktop to mobile and continue conversations without disruptions.

• Cross-Platform Voice and Video Calls: Discord's design incorporates cross-platform voice and video call functionalities, allowing users to initiate or join calls from any device. This integration ensures that users can communicate effortlessly regardless of their preferred device.

• Notification Sync: Discord's app design includes synchronized notifications, ensuring that users receive alerts and updates consistently across their devices. This feature enables users to stay informed and engaged with their communities seamlessly.

• Multi-Device Accessibility: Discord's design accommodates multi-device accessibility, allowing users to access the app from desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets interchangeably. This flexibility ensures that users can stay connected no matter where they are or what device they're using.

• Consistent User Experience: Discord maintains consistency in the user experience across platforms, ensuring that features, functionalities, and settings remain cohesive. This consistency fosters user engagement and ease of use.

• Effortless File Sharing: The app's design allows for effortless file sharing and media sharing across devices, promoting collaboration and community engagement without limitations based on the device in use.

Discord's app design excellence lies in its seamless integration between desktop app and mobile app platforms. It provides users with a unified interface, synchronized conversations, cross-platform functionalities, and consistent user experiences.

This way, Discord ensures that users can stay connected, communicate, and engage with their communities effortlessly across devices.

The Athletic

The Athletic's design brilliance lies in its ability to curate and prioritize sports content tailored to users' interests while also providing avenues for exploration within the realm of sports journalism.

• Tailored Content Experience: The app design prioritizes users' interests by offering personalized content recommendations. Through user preferences, favorite teams, and selected sports, The Athletic presents a customized feed that caters to individual tastes, ensuring that users receive relevant and engaging sports coverage.

• Focused and In-Depth Coverage: The app's design emphasizes in-depth and quality sports journalism, focusing on articles that delve deep into the analysis, stories, and insights behind sporting events, teams, and players. This approach ensures that users receive substantial and meaningful content aligned with their interests.

• Customizable Alerts and Notifications: The Athletic's design includes customizable alerts and notifications, allowing users to receive updates on specific teams, sports, or breaking news that matters to them. This personalized approach to notifications enhances user engagement without overwhelming them with irrelevant information.

• Explore and Discover Features: The app's design encourages exploration within the sports world. Users can navigate through different sports categories, leagues, or articles outside their usual preferences, fostering a sense of discovery and expanding their horizons within the sports landscape.

• Rich Multimedia Experience: The app design offers a rich multimedia experience, incorporating high-quality images, videos, and interactive elements within articles. This multimedia integration enhances storytelling and engagement for users exploring various sports topics.

• Consistency in User Experience: The Athletic maintains consistency in its user experience, ensuring that features, navigation, and content presentation remain cohesive across devices. This consistency contributes to a seamless and user-friendly reading experience.

• Community Engagement: The app's design fosters community engagement through comment sections and discussions, allowing users to interact, share insights, and engage with sports content beyond mere consumption.

The Athletic's design excellence lies in its personalized approach to sports content delivery, offering tailored coverage while encouraging exploration and discovery within the diverse world of sports.

By prioritizing user interests, fostering exploration, and maintaining a high-quality content experience, The Athletic ensures that sports enthusiasts receive meaningful, engaging, and personalized coverage.

Wrapping Up

In a saturated mobile app market, standout applications are distinguished by exceptional UX design, exemplified across various technology domains like Calm's tranquility, Uber's transparency, and Spotify's diverse music exploration.

Understanding User Experience design principles—user research, responsiveness, and accessibility—underpins three important elements of great app design and success.

Elevating an idea involves user-centric ideation, design thinking, and commitment to responsiveness, accessibility, and aesthetic appeal. These apps transcend utility, offering immersive experiences in tranquility, city navigation, task organization, and community connections.

This exploration serves as a compass for designers, developers, and users, revealing how thoughtful design choices pave the way for captivating and impactful user experiences in our digital age.