How can you ensure your mobile app meets user needs?

First thing first it's important to really get to know the people who will use the app. This means understanding not just basic things like their age or where they live, but also things like what they need, what they struggle with, and what they care about. We do this by talking to them, asking questions, and really trying to see the world through their eyes. By doing this, we can design the app in a way that makes sense to them and helps them with what they're trying to do. It's like customizing the app to fit their lives and make things easier for them.

Knowing users and observing their context will be the first step. Just take the example of the Railway booking app. There might be instances when someone is booking their tickets in a hurry while moving around in a cab or even at the railway station. So it must work in all these conditions and let users book tickets easily and swiftly. Similarly, an AI App diagnosing diseases should be very careful in showing their results to their users, as asking for symptoms will be very difficult and each user with the same disease might get different results. So they can frame their answers like, "You might be experiencing heart congestion," etc..

Wireframing helps you put the UI elements the user will need on paper or on a digital design tool. You can start with low-fi wireframes, which just show the layout or placement of buttons, cards, and information. Or you can go with detailed grayscale wireframes, showing buttons, their labels, headings, texts, and a few other details. It will show users that these sections, content and actions will be possible within this screen/app.

To ensure your mobile app meets user needs, thorough testing is essential. Utilize methods like prototypes, user feedback, analytics, and heuristic evaluation. These tests provide insights into usability, functionality, and desirability, helping identify issues and improve user satisfaction. Testing allows for refinement of design and addressing user concerns, ensuring the app aligns closely with user needs.

Testing your prototype is the first step to putting them in front of users and see their first reactions and battles with using your App :) User testing your app should be one of the priority steps in the UX of any design/product. It will reveal insights about first impressions, first problems users encounter, roadblocks in your app, and show you usability, functionality, and visual design problems. Its not a one time action, keep testing and improving your app prototype with users to make it better.

Iterating your app is essential to ensure it meets user needs. Continuously gather feedback, analyze data, and make improvements based on findings. This iterative process allows for adjustments in performance, usability, and value proposition, ultimately enhancing user satisfaction and app effectiveness.

Iteration is the way to improve. Get feedback on your prototype/app from users, improve it and repeat this step as many times as you can to make sure that all essential functionalities are working. Sometimes its just a small change, like changing the label of a button or text input field, that will make a huge difference in the overall ux of your application

In addition to the platform guidelines, we follow the Material Design Guidelines by Google, very closely. The M3 guidelines help us build interfaces that are user-friendly, intuitive, and simple from day one. Following this design system helps us to avoid mistakes rather than taking corrective actions after the damage has been done.

Ensuring your mobile app meets user needs involves following guidelines set by major platforms like iOS and Android. Adhering to these standards ensures consistency, compatibility, and compliance across devices. Guidelines cover layout, typography, icons, colors, navigation, gestures, and accessibility, making your app familiar, reliable, and user-friendly. By adhering to these standards, you enhance user experience and satisfaction, ultimately meeting their needs effectively.

Platform guidelines are important, but relying solely on them is not enough. While you can use them as a starting point in the early stages of your app development, it's crucial to tailor your approach to meet the unique needs of your customers. The ultimate priority is to create an intuitive and transparent user experience that your customers can easily navigate and understand.

Google Material Design, Apple Interface Design Guidelines. Follow them and base your design on these two design systems. IOS and Android have different sizes for tapable elements, top bottom navigation sizes, and a few other differences in icons, etc. Study them and keep a minimum size of 44pt or more for buttons to be tapable. Keep them within the reach of the user's thumb or fingers.