How can you use gestures to improve mobile app UI design?

1 Understand the context

The first step to design effective gestures is to understand the context of your app and your users. What are the goals, tasks, and scenarios that your app supports? How do your users hold and use their devices? What are their expectations and preferences for gestures? You can use user research, personas, user journeys, and scenarios to answer these questions and define the scope and purpose of your gestures. You should also consider the physical and environmental factors that might affect the gesture performance, such as screen size, orientation, lighting, and distractions.

2 Provide feedback

The second step to design effective gestures is to provide feedback to your users. Feedback is the way your app communicates with your users and confirms their actions and results. Feedback can be visual, auditory, or haptic, depending on the type and intensity of the gesture. For example, you can use animations, sounds, or vibrations to indicate the start, progress, and completion of a gesture. Feedback should be clear, consistent, and timely, but not intrusive or annoying. You should also avoid feedback that contradicts or conflicts with the gesture meaning or outcome.

3 Ensure discoverability

The third step to design effective gestures is to ensure discoverability. Discoverability is the ability of your users to find and learn the gestures that your app supports. Unlike buttons or icons, gestures are not always visible or obvious on the screen. Therefore, you need to provide cues and hints that guide your users to discover and remember your gestures. You can use onboarding, tutorials, tooltips, labels, or indicators to introduce and explain your gestures. You should also follow the conventions and standards of your platform and genre, and use common and familiar gestures whenever possible.

4 Maintain consistency

The fourth step to design effective gestures is to maintain consistency. Consistency is the principle of using the same gestures for the same actions and results across your app and platform. Consistency can help your users to learn and recall your gestures, and reduce confusion and frustration. You should avoid using different gestures for the same function, or the same gesture for different functions. You should also avoid using gestures that conflict or interfere with the system or other apps. You should follow the guidelines and best practices of your platform and genre, and test your gestures with real users.

5 Avoid common pitfalls

The fifth step to design effective gestures is to avoid common pitfalls. Pitfalls are mistakes or problems that can affect the usability and accessibility of your gestures, such as using too many or too complex gestures that overwhelm or confuse your users, or gestures that are hard to perform or require too much precision or effort. You should also be aware of gestures that are not intuitive or natural for your users or your app context, as well as those that are hidden or ambiguous and require trial and error or memorization. Finally, you should avoid gestures that are not responsive or reliable and cause errors or delays for your users. To do this, you should simplify, test, and refine your gestures, providing alternatives and options for your users.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?