Designing mobile UI for global markets is a challenging but rewarding task. You need to consider the cultural, linguistic, and technical preferences of your target users, as well as the best practices for accessibility, usability, and performance. In this article, we will share some tips and tools to help you create mobile UI that can adapt to different contexts and needs.
The first step to design mobile UI for global markets is to understand who your users are, where they are from, and what they expect from your app. You can use various methods to research your audience, such as surveys, interviews, analytics, or user testing. You should also look at the market trends, competitors, and local regulations in each region. By knowing your audience, you can tailor your mobile UI to their preferences, behaviors, and goals.
Building your app for a global audience means starting with the value proposition first. Do the hero features that make up your app justify the investment on diversity (complexity) straight up or can you start with a fast go-to market with reduced complexity to get it out quicker and tackle the diversity angle later? When we look at the diversity angle we have to look at all sorts of different facets: 1. Does content need to be regionalized to where the person is viewing it? 2.Do we need to cater to certain demographic of users? 3. Does the technology that underpins the app need to cater for localization off the bat even in the most infant of ways. These are just a few questions that need to be answered as part of your go-to market.
Build your UI for a global audience, while considering: Cultural Sensitivity: Research local color palettes, iconography, and text preferences. Avoid culturally insensitive elements! Language Localization: Support multiple languages naturally, considering font size, line breaks, and text expansion. Accessibility: Build for diverse abilities and screen sizes. Implement accessibility best practices throughout your process. Platform Agnostic Frameworks: Consider multiplatform frameworks like Flutter and React Native. They help build consistent UIs across iOS, Android, Web and desktop while reducing platform-specific coding. Offline-First Mindset:Design for unreliable connections, prioritizing essential content and offline functionality.
First off, "knowing your audience" for a global market app is largely an oxymoron. Cultural variation means that there really isnt ONE audience. Which means the choice really is whether you want to build a generic app that has minimal localization but gets out the door quickly - typically competing on uniqueness of the service you are delivering OR Do you want to compete on usability and cultural fit. in which case you have to decide which parts of the solution are unique to the solution, and which parts need to be rebuilt regionally and/or nationally
The layout of your mobile UI affects how your users interact with your app and how they perceive your brand. You should choose a layout that is responsive, flexible, and consistent across different devices and screen sizes. You should also consider the orientation, alignment, and direction of your content, depending on the language and culture of your users. For example, some languages are written from right to left, while others are written from top to bottom. You should use tools like Auto Layout or ConstraintLayout to create adaptive layouts that can accommodate different text lengths and formats.
One of the best ways to "localize" an application, is to use visual metaphors and composition to convey what otherwise is done via text. CityScoot is an app that does a good job of this. It rents eScooters, and the daily use of the app has limited amount of words, instead you see the scooters available in your area on a map and you have a "reserve" slider button. The latter has text but it could be even done without text. BUT as someone once wrote "I would have written a shorter letter but I lacked the time" "intuitive design" is very very hard to do well and it too has cultural variables in it such as left right vs right left scansion driven by the written language in use
The typography of your mobile UI influences the readability, clarity, and aesthetics of your app. You should choose fonts that are legible, scalable, and compatible with different languages and scripts. You should also pay attention to the size, color, contrast, and spacing of your text, as well as the use of headings, paragraphs, and lists. You should avoid using too many fonts, styles, or sizes, as they can create visual clutter and confusion. You should use tools like Dynamic Type or sp units to adjust the text size according to the user's preferences and device settings.
All the creatives that have worked with me know I’m ’font-blind’, meaning I can’t easily see if a font isn’t a perfect match. But that doesn’t stop me from understanding why font choices are deliberate. They contribute to overall aesthetics, readability, and user experience. Choosing appropriate fonts enhances brand identity, communicates tone, and ensures clarity of content on varying screen sizes. Consistent and legible font selections aid in navigation and comprehension, making the app visually appealing and user-friendly. Listen to your designers and pay attention to the details.
The navigation of your mobile UI determines how your users find and access the features and information of your app. You should design a navigation that is intuitive, easy, and fast for your users, regardless of their location or language. You should also use clear and consistent labels, icons, and gestures to guide your users through your app. You should avoid using complex or unfamiliar navigation patterns, such as tabs, menus, or drawers, that can confuse or frustrate your users. You should use tools like Navigation Component or UIKit to create smooth and seamless transitions between screens and views.
This should be the rule for ALL app development. However as i mentioned in the layout section, doing navigation "simply and intuitively" is quite difficult to do well. Which is of course why we so frequently do not see it. To simplify navigation not only do you have to intimately understand the typical use case, but you also have to understand the typical erroneous use case. Your navigation "visual language" needs to guide the user away from the latter. In many ways that is the harder of the two use cases to address
The language of your mobile UI affects how your users understand and communicate with your app. You should support multiple languages that match the needs and preferences of your target markets. You should also provide accurate and appropriate translations, localization, and internationalization for your content, such as text, images, audio, video, dates, numbers, currencies, and units. You should avoid using literal or automated translations, slang, idioms, or humor, that can cause misunderstanding or offense. You should use tools like Strings or Resources to store and manage your language resources and assets.
The final step to design mobile UI for global markets is to test and iterate your app with real users and feedback. You should test your app on different devices, platforms, and network conditions, as well as different regions, languages, and cultures. You should also measure and analyze the usability, performance, and satisfaction of your app, using metrics such as downloads, ratings, reviews, retention, engagement, and conversion. You should use tools like Firebase or TestFlight to distribute and monitor your app, as well as tools like Figma or Sketch to prototype and refine your mobile UI.