There are so many reasons why you might need to redesign your app. However, it is very important to identify your particular reason or reasons and be perfectly sure of what you are about to do.
A complete app redesign has many advantages, most of which we will come across further. Therefore, there is no doubt that a complete rework or your mobile app’s design can move your business into a new direction and promote development.
Let us look into app redesign in more detail.
Why Would You Turn to Mobile App Redesign in the First Place?
So what is the most important thing to remember before redesigning your app? Many experts agree that the app redesign process is a very difficult one.
Therefore, it does not make any sense for any app owner to suddenly decide to redesign an app without any credible reason. In general, many individuals redesign their app to deliver a better user experience (UX). Looking at features such as appearance and feel of the UI can be considered secondary.
According to the Time News article, 55% of people spend fewer than 15 seconds on a page. What does this mean? You only have 15 seconds to make a great first impression, demonstrating what kind of product or service your business provides and why you worth their time.
Before any major project, it is very important to make a list of the goals you would like to achieve. This list should be referred to once in awhile as a reminder of what you are working towards.
Here are some of the most common reasons for a mobile app redesign:
- The app may be outdated – everyone can agree on the fact that technology came so far in the last decade or so. This means any technology that was considered to be advanced a couple of years ago is totally obsolete today.
This applies especially to apps. With so many being introduced yearly it is very difficult to stay in the competition without making some changes. This is a necessary move in order to make sure your application still has a big audience.
Trends have become a good selling point and it is important to stay abreast.
- Adding more style – when it comes to creating apps, the look is almost everything. It is very difficult to find a successful app that does not have stunning graphics.
Some icons may not look like they were intended to or some more ideas have to be added in order to convey a more meaningful idea.
However, sometimes people grow tired of seeing the same thing, and what once captured their attention doesn’t. This is when redesigning the app would be more effective in restoring an application’s former glory.
- Correcting problems of features that aren’t functioning effectively – the fact is there are so many apps out there with problems. Some features incorporated into these apps either don’t function well or don’t function at all. For such applications, a recall to the design table is required to make it more popular with customers.
Moreover, it is very simple to access the public review of your application. For example, all apps on Google Play Store have a comment section where individuals can rate and leave comments about the apps they download. You can also check successful app designs of other companies and learn some things from them.
It is very important to understand the reasons why you need an app redesign. Getting the whole team on board is also a priority. Everyone should understand why your app needs to be redesigned in order for it to be more successful.
Another point worth mentioning is compatibility. Some applications work well on certain devices with specific screen dimensions. A redesign can be a very effective way to address this problem.
App Redesign: Main Steps
A certain number of actions have to be taken before you can proceed to make any alterations to the design of your application. We have already pointed out the value of this process and rushing into it will not be good for either you or your company.
The following will help you prepare to redesign your application successfully!
- Maintain Communication With Users
Your app’s success depends on the acceptance of it among the users. As such, all necessary measures to get their opinion on your product has to be made.
Because users are very important to your redesign process, letting them know about your redesign is important. This should be the case, especially with the most loyal and trustworthy users.
These individuals aren’t just mere users. They have a very good idea of what your app provides to people and can be the key to identifying what flaws your app may have.
Maintaining communication with this group of individuals is crucial in deciding on what features need to be removed or added to your app.
-
Always Check Your Apps Reviews
Every app has two kinds of data. This data can either be quantitative (focused on the number of individuals using your app) or qualitative (the individual’s reaction to your product). This information is very important because it allows you to make a thorough analysis of your product to identify any weak points.
Any imperfections can then be worked on by suggesting possible corrections and effectively applying them until the initial problem is resolved.
So, how do you know which reviews to consider? Well, in the world of business and specifically apps, the opinion of the majority matters. After gathering this important information you can then call a meeting of your best developers and have them address the issues.
-
Proceed to Implement the New Ideas
At this point, you should be ready to improve your app. Keep in mind that your finished product has to captivate your users. It has to show that your team was determined in providing the best possible app for them.
Try as hard as you can to make your app very unique but easy to familiarize with. Your changes should reflect your app’s full potential.
A very important part of this process is being bold and creative. Yes, you should be willing to experiment with various colors and color combinations. You are at liberty to the color scheme of your app as long as you are sure your users will appreciate the end result.
However, there should be a limit to your willingness to try something new. Make sure your stay within your comfort zone just to be safe.
-
The Testing Process
It is recommended to have more than one version of your redesigned app. This will enable you to test several apps in order to come up with one that you will be able to release to the public.
So, what is the best way to test your redesigned app performance? Many apps have different users. However, not all users have a good understanding of what your app is and what it should be. Therefore, identifying the core users is vital, especially during the testing process.
You can release your app to this group of individuals and wait for their feedback. This information will not always be positive as you might share different views on how to fix a particular issue. In most cases, this information is always very helpful.
-
Launch Your App and Wait for the Response
After all your hard work, you are now ready to launch your app. Make sure the release of your updated version is well advertised on the market.
Make sure you put a lot of effort in selling your product as well. The public has to know that you spent a lot of time looking into various details. Your marketing should be able to convince users that your application is the next big thing out there.
After launching your app, you should collect all feedback and get testimonials. This information should also be analyzed to see if your new changes have made your app better.
Ways to Redesign Your App
Basically, two methods can be applied to redesign an app. These methods require you to either be offline or live.
Offline method
The first step will require you to redesign the offline version of your application. This can be executed by copying the live version and saving it on the application dashboard as a different file.
You will then proceed with the redesign of this application saved offline. Keep it in mind that you are also capable of making some changes or updating your live application. Other tips:
- While you redesign, make sure you take note of all the steps in the redesign process. These will help you when you have to make a reference in the future.
- The best part of this process is the possibility to make as many copies as you want. This is very effective in increasing the chances of the redesign to be successful. You will be able to send out various copies to be tested and then put more work and add more changes to the product.
- One thing of great importance is making sure you do not provide any update of the app live version during the redesigning process. Why is this important? Your users should not receive any updates before the redesign is completed. This would make all your work pointless.
- Try to make sure your redesign is completed before issuing the update. After you have everything covered, you can proceed to the publish tab located in the CMS. You then remove older screenshots and proceed to make changes to any app information you feel is unsatisfactory.
It is very important to expect a delay in the functionality of an update when you create one. This is because the app stores different Operating Systems that have to be updated as well, for example, it can take a couple of days for Android and Windows and just above 7 days for iOS to update.
Live method
The biggest advantage of this method is that it prevents you from having to implement your redesign again. It is also recommended to use this method if you do not release any regular updates for your applications.
This is how it works:
- You should copy your live application. This is done, so you can have a backup. However, gaining access to this backup is not an easy process.
- Just as in the previous method, documenting every single step of the process is important. In this case, it comes in handy when your new design is not successful. You will have no option but to manually add every detail.
- Developers are also urged not to make any updates to the live app while improving it. When you create updates during this process, your users will be able to see every one of them. This is something you would like to avoid. Some apps have updates that are released on a weekly basis. For these, it is encouraged to stop the updates until the redesigning has been completed.
- You can then proceed to publish tab in the CM to put additional screenshots in your CMS or remove any older ones. And just like the in the previous method, you have the choice to make any changes to the application’s information.
At this point, you have everything covered and your app is ready to be launched on iOS, Android or Windows. In some instances, your update in the store will only appear after a certain period of time. This time indicates the duration for the store update.
Android and Windows both take 2 days to update and iOS can take 8-10 days.
Conclusion
While redesigning a mobile app we have to take several factors into consideration, many of which have been looked into. It is also very important to remember the difficulty that comes with this complex procedure.
In order to stay on track, you are supposed to remind yourself why you decided to engage in this process in the first place. Try to look at important data concerning you app as regularly as you can. By doing all these you can create a clear pathway for you to start working on developing your app.
The above guidelines are effective and will help you at every stage in your redesigning process. For apps that need to be redesigned, Lunapps is specially equipped to provide this service. We put a lot of effort into every project and always strive to provide positive results.