With the emergence of touchscreen devices in our everyday lives, the way we interact with computers has completely shifted. Because of this, a mobile-first approach to your app design is important. The three ways you can accomplish this are a responsive web app, a native app, and a hybrid app.
Each of these have their own pros and cons, and what works for one company doesn’t necessarily work for another. In this post, we dive into mobile app design and which format works for you.
Responsive Design
A responsive design is when your mobile site adjusts automatically to the screen size that is viewing it. Using responsive design enables your mobile app to:
- Display properly on a mobile device
- Display content regardless of the operating system (iOS, Android, etc.)
- Allows users to view it without downloading a separate app
Unfortunately for mobile apps designed with responsive design, because your app is operating in a browser, the app isn’t able to use special functionalities of the device like:
- Location
- Camera
- Sensors
If your app doesn’t need those extra functionalities, an app built in a responsive design and accessed via a web browser can be cost effective and efficient.
Native App
A native app is a mobile app that is designed to run on a specific operating system. For example, an app that is developed for iOS can only be run on the iOS operating system. The bright side of this is that the app can typically use all iPhone functionalities (camera, location, etc.) without error.
On the negative side, if you want a native app to run on Android, iOS, and a Windows device, you have to develop the app three different times for each operating system. Because of this, the app development process can be slower and more expensive.
Often times, companies will develop their native app for just one operating system and then will develop it for the others if they see success.
Hybrid App
A hybrid app is just that; a hybrid between a native app and responsive design. Hybrid apps are written in standard web coding language (HTML5 & Javascript), then compiled to be used on all operating systems.
Hybrid apps have the capabilities that a native app has (access to the camera, GPS, etc.), but are typically much more cost effective than a native app because the coding language is all based on web technologies.
Because the coding language is simplistic, this also helps speeding up the process getting the app to market.
Choosing Your Mobile App Design
Before deciding which design your company prefers, look at the pros and cons of each. Factor in the importance of speed to market, your user’s experience, your budget, and what your audience would prefer.
If you’re interested in talking to one of our design experts, schedule some time with us.
No comments:
Post a Comment