Ep 42 Design: How to design a great mobile app

Show notes

A crash course on designing exceptional mobile apps—grounded in strategy, user behavior, and brand experience.

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1. Why This Episode Matters

• App design has dominated creative conversations for a decade—but many designers still repeat avoidable mistakes.

• Stephen shares the hard-won lessons behind his award-winning, top-rated apps—including multiple Apple keynotes and commercials.

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2. Start with the User’s Ecosystem

• Every user operates across a digital ecosystem: cloud, desktop, tablet, phone, wearable.

• Understanding time horizon per device is key:

  • Desktop: long-term work (±1 year)

  • Tablet: 3–5 months

  • Phone: 1 month

  • Wearables: right now

   

• Most creatives design for the device, not the context—a massive mistake.

 

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3. Groundwork: The 3 Essential Artifacts

1. Personas – Fictional, research-backed profiles to keep user behaviors top-of-mind.

2. User Scenarios – Stories of what people need to accomplish and why.

3. Experience Maps – Step-by-step breakdowns of user journeys under different conditions.

 

Example: Showing hotel addresses in local languages—simple, life-saving feature driven by this work.

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4. Platform Strategy: iOS vs Android

• Never port one design to both platforms. That’s lazy and users know it.

• Understand native guidelines:

  • Apple: Human Interface Guidelines

  • Google: Material Design

   

• Break platform rules only with purpose and consistency—not because it looks cool.

 

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5. Design Setup: Basics Most Teams Ignore

• Orientation: Landscape, portrait, or both? Choose early.

• App Size: Must be download-friendly over cellular if possible.

• Supported Devices: Know what screen sizes and OS versions your audience uses.

• Thumb Zones: Respect reachability. Prioritize actions within natural touch range.

 

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6. Interaction Design Foundations

1. Goal-Driven Design – Nail 2–3 essential tasks. Don’t bloat the experience.

2. Usability – Don’t design for Dribbble. Design for actual humans.

3. Signifiers – Create clear, repeated visual cues (e.g., blue = interactive).

4. Learnability – Borrow known patterns, layer in brand nuance.

5. Performance Design – Collaborate with tech to manage feedback delays.

6. Accessibility – Make it inclusive without compromising aesthetics.

 

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7. Visual Design & Branding

• Grids: Every screen needs one for consistency.

• Hierarchy: Use type, color, and layout to guide attention.

• Typography: Use system fonts smartly; minimize custom font file size.

• Brand Voice: Animations, motion speed, and transitions should reflect brand personality.

  St. Regis = slow, elegant; W Hotels = fast, bold

 

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8. Go Beyond Visuals

• Animation: Sets tone.

• Gestures: Power features for advanced users.

• Sound & Haptics: Engage more senses—but design for silent mode too.

• Content & Voice: Don’t bolt on copy. Tone matters from the start.

  Respect your copywriters. Treat their work like design, not filler.

 

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9. Ownable Key Moments

Apps succeed by owning 2–4 signature experiences. Identify yours.

• Example: Starwood App

  • Booking flow: designed for one-handed use in airports

  • On-property: mobile check-in, digital key, local concierge

   

• Onboarding is critical. Most users decide in 2–3 minutes whether they’ll keep your app. Make that count.

 

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10. Final Thought: “Willful Short-Term Memory Loss”

Quoting Steve Krug’s Don’t Make Me Think:

Designers must step out of their own experience and ask, “Does this make sense to a new user?”

• Brutally evaluate the final product—not your intentions or process.

• Users don’t care about your compromises. Only if it works.

 

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Next Steps:

• Revisit your current app work. Are you designing for devices or people?

• Define your key moments. Are they differentiated, delightful, and useful?

• Get feedback from real users—not just your team.

 

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Until next time—stay crazy.

Tagged as:
Android apps app design app design strategies common design mistakes design best practices design principles Human Interface Guidelines iOS apps mobile app design Stephen Gates successful app development The Crazy One podcast user experience