At present, more and more people are using Android devices. Being a designer, this fact provides you with an opportunity to build an app which numerous people can use out there. However, getting started with app design Android might seem to be rather challenging for many of us. But, there is no need to worry! In this article, we have mentioned some tips for app design Android which should come of use to you.

Understand Android design language

We are all aware of the fact that the most effective apps on the market have been created as per the rules mentioned in platform guidelines. It will be a sensible thing to learn Material Design when it comes to effective app design Android. Apart from being simply platform guidelines, Material Design happens to be a document describing visual language.

Create a powerful visual hierarchy

It will not be possible to create decent UX in case there is no appropriate visual hierarchy in your UI. For this reason, the basic elements of Material Design are whitespace and grids when it comes to Android applications. It is essential to get rid of all the decorative elements and concentrate on content which is really important.

Make use of motion for describing spatial connections between views

You might find it difficult to create powerful relationships between different UI elements or pages when considering flat design. In case there is no clear and logical connection, the users might wonder how the pages are related to each other. Animation is actually the tool which enables to establish this connection. Strong attention is put by material metaphor on motion design since besides helping to communicate the meaning of UI, it likewise helps to make the UI more dynamic.

Bear in mind accessibility

While crafting attractive apps, lots of designers tend to overlook one vital rule of good design, which happens to be accessibility. This will enable the users to make use of the UI successfully. According to Material Design, a product which is properly designed is accessible to all types of users including those suffering from hearing impairments, low vision, blindness, motor impairments, or cognitive impairments. 

Accessibility commences with small stuff such as choosing the proper contrast for text copy as well as UI elements. The W3C suggests the subsequent contrast ratios for image text and body text:

• Small text ought to have a minimum of 4:5:1 contrast ratio against its background

• It is imperative for large text to have a minimum of 3:1 contrast ratio against its background

Once you have the proper contrast for the UI elements, it will be feasible to move on to more complicated stuff like audio and animation. Make it a point to make audio effects and motion effects optional such that users suffering from hearing or visual impairments will be capable of switching them off if required. It is essential for the app to consist of a transcript, captions, or one more alternative to vital audio alerts or motion effects.

Take into consideration device specifics

When it comes to app design iOS, you have a specific number of gadgets and displays for designing your product. However, when it comes to app design Android, you will not have any determined models of devices or screens. In fact, Android has the ability to run on different types of devices having different pixel densities and screen sizes.

Firms specializing in the development of mobile apps will be running various tests for figuring out whether their product functions properly on all sorts of gadgets. It is the QA (Quality Assurance) team which conducts all these tests. They likewise generate comprehensive reports of errors found in the process.

Be prepared for optimizing the app for the majority of the screen sizes. The densities and screen sizes are going to vary significantly – from inexpensive smartphones with low screen resolutions and a small screen to top-notch tablets featuring Retina-like displays.

For achieving this target, it will be imperative for you to switch to density-independent pixels from px as the measurement unit. It is vital to maintain density independence since a UI element can appear bigger on a low-density screen and vice versa without it. 

Test your design by prototyping

It will be a great idea to prototype plus test your design while developing a mobile application. Never try to go for a flawless design right from the very beginning. On most occasions, it is virtually impossible. Be prepared to iterate on the product instead.

Conclusion

While creating a decent app design Android, bear in mind that you are actually designing for the users, and not for you. Do not hesitate to make experiments and try various approaches before choosing the one which happens to be most effective for the target audience of yours and you ought to build upon the value provided by you for the users.