In small program development, UI design is very important. UI design determines the user’s first impression of the product and whether the user will continue to read it. While providing an excellent interactive experience, do a good job in every detail of the product.
What should we pay attention to in UI design during mini program development?
1. No effective guidance and clues
What is your mini program used for? How does your mini program communicate with users?
In every small program, visual clues are an important part. They tell users how to operate, where to browse, which controls can be operated, and even which operations may bring which results. Therefore, the visualization of information must be involved here, so the design of these visual cues should follow certain rules:
·Color: Bright colors are more eye-catching and suitable for clickable elements.
·Space: Leave enough space around key elements to make them easier for users to discover and operate.
·Typesetting: Use simple and clean fonts (try to use fonts with uniform stroke thickness), and choose fonts that are suitable for the screen to ensure overall readability.
2. Messy design
The biggest downfall of many apps is clutter. The most common form of this confusion is that designers cram almost all components of the application into the same interface, whether it is a game, tool or news application.
So, don’t do it.
Mini programs are mainly designed for small screens. Trying to carry too many types of content on one interface is a huge burden for users.
Treat each screen as a separate container. Each container carries different content, switches the interface, and presents different content. When the content is engaging enough, users will slide and switch unconsciously. The clean and well-organized layout ensures the consistency and convenience of the overall experience.
3. Small and dense elements
Elements that are too close together or too small will make it difficult for users with thick fingers to operate. In a sense, the emergence of giant-screen mobile phones is not unrelated to this demand for experience.
Make sure there is enough space and clearance around each element to not only make it easier for users to click, but also to eliminate accidental touches. There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for controlling the proportions of controls and gaps, but when you notice the problem, you usually can’t make a mistake.
I usually find a friend with big hands and press his index finger on the screen to mark out an area. The button does not necessarily have to be as large as this area, but the range of the trigger button cannot be smaller than this area, just close enough.
It is precisely for this reason that the card design is quite user-friendly. Just click on the area where the card is located to trigger the content.
4. Inconsistent design
All elements within a mini-program should look consistent and interact and operate in the same way. A consistent design allows users to adapt to the product faster, and a unified design allows users to have expectations for different interfaces.
When users learn to use a new mini program, they also have basic expectations for the design and experience of the mini program itself, from color to style, from interaction to operating mode. When inconsistent details appear in front of them, basic expectations are broken, which will naturally bring about a bad impression.
5. Incomplete feedback mechanism
Every interaction should bring corresponding feedback, just like action and reaction forces in physics come in pairs.
The feedback mechanism provided by mini programs to users gives users a sense of participation and control. It provides users with valuable information and even helps users make reasonable decisions. The correct feedback mechanism should be designed like this.
·Inform the user where they are, or show the current status (such as color change on cursor hover, etc.)
·When an action is executed, a corresponding response should be given (such as a prompt for successful submission after submitting the form) ·Tell the user what happened and what will happen next (such as a loading progress bar)
6. The interface is too complicated
Overly complex interfaces may be the most common problem with game applets. When you are completely familiar with the entire interface, you may not want to play it anymore.
Interface design should be simple and intuitive. An interface that can be understood at a glance is a good interface. When the interface requires an instruction manual to explain, its design is considered a failure.
For users, every downloaded small program is used to solve problems, and every application is a solution for users. Never let this solution become the problem itself.
