Top 7 Mobile App Design Tools Every Designer Should Know

The increasing popularity and demand for smartphones in the last few years has created an explosion in the usage of mobile apps. And because design is one of the most critical elements of any kind of mobile application development in Kuwait, we know why more and more companies are heavily investing in design-centric approaches to Android and iOS application development.

In simple terms, an app’s design is just the way it looks (visual elements), feels (interactive elements), and responds (functions). It is a combination of:

• User Interface (UI) - Components like color, font, app style, and other design choices that make up the look and feel of the app. And,
• User Experience (UX) - The app’s function and its use.

Sure, any successful app starts with a unique and useful idea. But if you want users to keep returning, a high-quality UI and UX design, that is user-friendly and intuitive, is a must. A fool-proof way to avoid clunkiness when designing apps is to make use of wireframes, mockups, and prototypes.

What are those you ask?

Wireframes are broad designs of the app’s layout that communicate its structure from a low-fidelity point of view. You can think of them as visual blueprints or are sketches made up of boxes and lines that are supposed to show what the app will look like. This is one of the earliest steps in the design process.

Mockups highlight an app’s design from a high-fidelity point of view. It is one step further from the wireframe and is meant to create a realistic visual design of how the app will look once it’s completely built.

Prototypes focus on the app’s functionality along with its design. They provide an interactive simulation of the app’s functionalities. They are essential for promoting your app since they will allow users to interact with your app and give them a feel of what the final product will look like. Prototyping also saves time that would otherwise be spent on additional development and testing.

Before we go about talking about specific design tools used by web design companies in Kuwait, these are few key elements that makes up a great app design:

• A decluttered interface design which will increase functionality and ease of use.
• An easy and intuitive in-app navigation experience.
• Optimized and legible typography.
• Constant collaboration with users and inclusion of intuitive feedback that can improve the overall app experience.
• Usage of input fields and defaults that minimize users’ need for typing out details manually.

To create a well-designed app, you undoubtedly need skill and creativity. But having the right design tools at your disposal will go a long way too. However, with the wide range of different kinds of app designing software out there, it can be hard to find a tool that matches your project at hand. Our list of the best design tools for Android and iOS application development in Kuwait might help.

1. Sketch

   This MacBook based UI/UX design tool is built mainly for app wireframing and prototyping and is a widely used tool in the mobile app development market. It uses very little system resources, exports assets quickly, and can be used with minimal to no coding experience. Its UI-centric features and Symbol features are the highlights. Even though you can’t animate with it, you can combine it with other tools like Photoshop or Adobe illustrator. However, Sketch is not great for supporting real-time previews on Android and Windows devices. It requires a one-time purchase and a yearly license renewal.

2. Adobe Experience Design (XD)

   A direct competitor of Sketch, Adobe XD is also a vector-based UI design tool perfect for creating high-fidelity design for any screen, including iOS and Android. It lets users create prototypes, animations, and transitions with a lot of ease, and has pretty useful tutorials. It also allows for switching from design to prototype mode really quickly. It has a 3D Transform feature that has potential to add a sense of reality to your designs. That being said, Adobe XD is relatively new to the market and inferior to Sketch in terms of number of plugins.

3. Marvel

   Marvel makes it possible to design, prototype, sync with other tools and cloud storage accounts, and collaborate with your design team. It is easy to use and lets Kuwait web designers create interactive prototypes in minutes. It also lets you add animations easily and has a great collection of pre-made assets, images, and icons for both Android and iOS apps. Additionally, it provides impressive real-time insights into how your users will interact with your designs. The catch is that the free version lacks a lot of features and the paid version can be costly.

4. InVision

   InVision is a feature-rich design tool best suited for the later stages of your design workflow. It can help you transform static prototype designs into interactive clickable screens. You can also use flexible vector-based drawings to create animations, transitions, and gestures. It’s free to use and has a huge library filled with high-quality design resources, eliminating the need to create custom design elements. On the flip side, it lacks in both web and mobile app performance as well as in navigation.

5. Balsamiq

   Unlike the other tools we talked about, this one focuses on wireframes exclusively, and it does a pretty good job at it. It’s fast, clean, and has a ton of UI elements to match your design. You won’t require any design or programming experience to use this tool and will be able to collaborate and share ideas across departments with ease. Its subscription version, Balsamiq Cloud, will let you take your work anywhere.

6. Proto.io

   Proto.io is a simple and effective tool that lets you build prototypes with ease, especially as a beginner web designer in Kuwait. It has a drag-and-drop interface that requires no coding and tons of UI components, templates, and digital assets, which closely mimic the behavior of native UI elements. It has sound effect features and strong security. Although originally created for prototyping mobile apps, it can now be used for anything with a screen interface, ranging from Smart TVs and game consoles. The only shortcoming is its slow performance.

7. Axure RP

   This tool is perfect for experienced designers who wish to design the entire mobile app from start to finish. It sports all design functionalities including wireframes, mockups, prototypes, idea boards, user journeys, and graphical documentation.The availability of multiple handoff features makes it easy to control your design processes the way you like it. Projects that require greater structure and data and are more complex and dynamic can definitely benefit from this tool.

In addition to these, there are plenty more design tools that you and your team can choose from to maximize user-experience. You may find that as you progress through the different stages of your design process, you may benefit more from other tools. Naturally, there are pros and cons to every tool. The goal is to find a software that fits your project requirements and your designing skills. Design Master, one of the best website designing companies in Kuwait, can help you create seamless flows and beautiful designs for your unique app.

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