Creating a seamless web application that is compatible with multiple mobile devices is no easy task. To achieve designing a web app with features that meet the needs of users, a clear and outlined design process is key. A web app design process helps with a few key pain points.
- Finding solutions to the pressing needs of users.
- Providing stellar usability and experience.
- Retaining users’ attention and engagement.
- Reaching and exceeding conversion goals.
- Have your team on the same page and collaborating effectively.
- Staying relevant in an ever-changing market.
- Getting investments from stakeholders.
What is a Web Application?
A web application aka web app is a computer program that requires a web browser to perform a set function. This is where user experience (UX) meets the user interface (UI). It allows for improved communication between a business and its customers. They have become highly important in our everyday life from booking hotels for short stays to sending money to others.
What Elements should my Web App have?
There is no fixed list of elements to iterate for your web app design. Depending on the goal you are looking to achieve and the problems you want to solve for users, you would be able to come up with the best elements.
Web app design vs Website design
Though these two have a lot in common, websites provide information with the goal of getting users to perform an action i.e. they are content driven. Also, they serve as an advertising base for products and services. But, web apps give users the flexibility to perform tasks and interact with multiple elements. Usually, web app developers create a user flow based on the tasks that need to be completed in the web app.
As mentioned, there are different aspects of web app design that are similar to website design. But, web apps are complex in comparison to websites to design and develop. Whether your web app is built with the help of a web app developer or by yourself, here are five essential needs to consider for a web app design process. These tips can be adopted when designing a workflow that would deliver an amazing product experience.
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Understand your Market Analysis – User and Market needs
If you are unable to answer these five questions accurately, then you might not need to own a web app.
- Who will use my web app?
- What are my goals for this web app?
- What goals would users want to achieve?
- How will this web app stand out from the competition?
- What are the problems users face?
State concisely what needs your web app will meet for its users. One simple way to do this is through intense research – checking up on what’s already on app stores and the web for what others have done or are doing. Also, talk to future users of your web app. Create surveys, and set up interviews to get feedback and questions that help you understand your potential users deeply.
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Define the Solutions of your Web App
With clarity on your users and market, itemize the key points you have learned and include; problem statements, user personas, and a reasonable customer journey. These are essential for the next step of creating ideas or outlining potential solutions that would solve the problems your users have made you aware of. This is key for ideating features of your web app that will achieve the goals your users have.
You can break down your solution ideation into these categories to ensure that you decide accurately where to focus the rest of the design process.
- Must haves
- Should haves
- Could haves
- Not haves
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Outline a Plan for the Web App Design Process
It’s important to prioritize in this stage. Create a backlog for your design i.e. a list of ideas that include updates to existing features, new features, and optimizations to the structure of your web app. Plan out each stage that will be completed in your product’s design. This is from development to testing and consecutive updates. However, do not forget to be flexible because you might have new discoveries you would like to implement. Not every idea must be included.
Choose a plan with a backlog that allows for collaboration. Most times, creating a web app is a team effort. You need input from others who would have a perspective on your ideas that can potentially strengthen your design process or web app solutions. Therefore, your backlog should have roles and responsibilities for team members. Some tools great for this process include – Github or Gitlab, and Slack.
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Implement and Review
Create prototypes, mockups, and wireframes that showcase a model of the architecture of your web app – UI and UX elements. The solutions you implement should be open for testing with your team and potential users. With this, you can get feedback that can be implemented immediately or later during improvements.
This stage helps to ensure that the usability of the design in its earliest stages allows for fast and affordable changes or corrections. All of this is geared toward the final design and structure of your web app.
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Launch your Web App and Test
This sounds great as though nothing is left to do but this is where a lot of work lies. This stage is an opportunity to keep testing and polishing your web app design. Usually, a soft launch with a small group of users is best. You get to clean up the web app before rolling it out on a larger scale.
Having an open mind that allows for continuous discovery is essential to achieving a successful web app design process. You are creating for users, so it is only right to include them as you go. To ensure that you are testing the right features, monitor your web app’s performance using monitoring metrics that let you know if tasks your users require are being completed fast. Also, observe how users are reacting to the features on your web app, to identify opportunities for improvement. Here are ten tools you can get started with.
In any web app design process, either created by you or a web app designer handling the creation of your app, users must be at the center of your plan. Each step in your design process should be flexible enough to meet their needs. If this is clear from the onset, the team would know why coming together is important as everyone would work towards the end product in the most effective way.
A great web app experience starts with understanding who you are doing it for and how best you can intersect the relevance of your web app with their needs. Build only what is necessary!
