One Design Fits All

One Design Doesn’t Fit All

“One Design Fits All” Does it hold true even for mobile apps? Definitely “NO” when designing applications for multiple mobile platforms. As Google's Eric Schmidt famously said that mobile is no longer winning, it has already won. But the race isn't over. Infact it is becoming more tough to stand out in this competitive market.

How to stand out?? The best apps focus on OS centric design, specifically Android and iOS. Realizing that these operating systems are intrinsically different and the users love the OS they are using, creating an Android app with iOS design will cut down the users and leave them disappointed.

When an android user downloads an app, he might think 'Why am I seeing iOS styles  and navigation on my Android phone? If I wanted an iPhone, I would have gotten an iPhone. Why does this app creator think everyone is on an iPhone? '

Not only this, we have to admit the hardware specifications of both the OS's are different. We have a huge range of android high end and low end phones with varying hardware configurations. Whereas Apple guarantees a high quality and well versed hardware. To make a perfect app, we must always consider the software hardware combination and constraints specific to OS.

While designing a mobile app, the first strategy should be

·Who you are talking to?

·What you want them to do?

·How quickly can they do that across mobile, tablet

For less tech-savvy users, the "alien" platform's features can even be confusing. For them it is always better to have different, conforming UIs on each platform than one unified UI.

It has been observed that for iOS, it is all about design, design and design whereas for many android apps, content is king. Mobile isn't about making things smaller, its little things that count.

Don't make design too complex for user to understand. Simpler is better. If you think by having a similar UI across all platforms, you are being consistent, then you need to rethink what consistency means in this specific context. What type of users are you talking about that is looking for this "consistency"?

The platform specific guidelines are much more for the same. They set a design trend. For example user is used of using a 'Menu button' and will know the shortcuts will be available where. It won't keep user disappointed.

Since there is no verification process of android apps before being live in the market, most people think, why do we need separate design for android? We can use same as iOS.

You can have an app on PlayStore but the Google Play reviewers will never give your app a positive rating, and consequently, your app will never be featured in the top results. General usability tests have clearly shown, users love native.

You don’t need a designer’s eye to segregate difference between these, just remember in this era of mobiles, think Platform-First. What looks good, sells good.