When a user finds an application in the app store, the first thing they encounter is the design of the app. Based on the screens and their description, a user determines whether the app is worth downloading or not. Thus, app design plays a crucial role in the user’s decision-making process even before they download an app to their device.

The demand for mobile applications has skyrocketed over the past few years. UI design can make or break the success of almost any digital project. Contemporary designers understand this very well and make every effort to deliver the best outcome possible.

What Makes Mobile UI Design Great?

When a designer works on a new project, they have to take many factors into consideration. Firstly, they have to follow the technical requirements of the client and the platform guidelines. Then, they are required to align the project design with the latest digital trends so that it looks modern and smooth. Lastly, they should make the project stand out thanks to its design.

In a shell, a good mobile app UI design checks the boxes in all the following points:

·         Compliant with the platform guidelines and best practices (iOS, Android or other)

·         Showcases common UI patterns

·         Insightful and simple to use

·         Reliable and smooth performance

·         Carefully thought-out

·         Clear in its signals

Mobile application design tools for 2021

1.       Sketch

Sketch is a highly popular design tool, widely used by designers worldwide. It is an iOS-based tool. Just like with Adobe Photoshop, learning the basics of Sketch is easy. Though, mastering the tool perfectly takes time and effort.

Sketch is a modern mobile application design tool that is focused on UI/UX design. It makes partnership with other designers and the project team easy. With its libraries, users can build, update, and share a single source for a given design component. Sharing styles and symbols across different documents is easy with Sync Cloud. Moreover, Sketch has a lot of handy plugins.

2.       InVision

InVision is a modern mobile application design software, built by designers and for designers. It is compatible with Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari browsers.

InVision is insightful and easy to learn. This tool is great for creating interactive clickable prototypes and mockup designs. It allows the designer to share the InVision files with the team inside the app for easy and smooth collaboration. Discussing projects inside the app with comments is pretty handy as well.

3.       Mockups

Mockups is another powerful yet simple modern design tool. It is compatible with Microsoft Windows, macOS, Android This mobile application design tool allows the designer build and link interactive components and pages.

Mockups has simple drag-and-drop functionality. This effective yet simple tool makes prototyping easier. With this software, designers can create mockups and prototypes for mobile, web and desktop products. Mockups come with a lot of handy icons and a plugin for Sketch.

4.       Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is an extremely popular mobile application design software that designers use for creating mobile app UI. Illustrator is compatible with Microsoft Windows and macOS. It might not be the easiest tool to learn, but it is definitely worth the efforts.

Adobe Illustrator has been a vector graphic application industry standard for a long time. This tool allows the designers to make top-notch logos, typography, sketches, illustrations, and video. It is the most popular tool for mockup and UI prototyping. All in all, Illustrator is a mature software every designer should be familiar with.

5.       Zeplin

Zeplin is a modern UI design tool. Zeplin app is compatible with Microsoft Windows and macOS. Designers can also get a web app for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. It is also possible to install Zeplin plugins for Photoshop and Sketch.

Zeplin is a very stable mobile application design tool that can take designer’s, developer’s, and team’s daily work to the next level. With this tool, cooperation between developers and designers gets smoother. With this tool, designers can provide developers with specifications along the design process, without having to wait for its completion.

6.       Figma

Figma is a design tool that is compatible with Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. It is a unique design tool as it is browser-based. Which means that one does not have to worry about installing its latest versions and dealing with compatibility issues.

In Figma, one can find 60fps interactive editing. It allows the designer to scale their designs for any screen. furthermore, there is an intuitive pen tool. Team libraries make sharing styles and components with the team effortless. Figma also allows designers create prototypes and app UI designs easily and quickly.

7.       Build Fire

BuildFire is an end-to-end app development platform that can be a great tool for mobile app designers. It allows the designer to create a working prototype of the app.  BuildFire offers fully customizable functionality, allowing to upload any of your designs, customize fonts, colors and more. Designer may even find that the built-in functionality on the BuildFire platform has everything required to create a fully functioning app that you can publish to the IOS and Google Play store right from the platform. One can build prototype for Apple and Android users alike, and test it on phone completely free and only pay when ready to publish.

8.       Adobe XD

Adobe XD is the direct competitor of Sketch. XD offers basically all the features one gets from Sketch, like wireframing, prototyping, and more.

XD is extremely fast and easy to use. Although it is still in preview state and lacks some features like every other new product. Presently, it supports only Windows 10 Anniversary Update, many app designers have used it and are in love with it. Therefore it can be very well said that this tool is really promising.

9.       Axure RP

Axure RP is a complete mobile application design tool for professional designers. It tries to give all the functionalities a designer may need to design the app from scratch to finish, while prioritizing user experience. Apart from the prototyping, it allows the designer to also design wireframes, mockups, flowcharts, personas, idea boards, user journeys, UI design, diagramming, and graphical documentations and many more. It allows coding, and also allows to add ready to use components and libraries to help you create even better design seamlessly.

10.   Framer JS

FramerJS is a flexible and interactive mobile application design tool that allows the designer to code or use their visual editing tool that auto-generates the corresponding code at the backend. Otherwise, the visual editor should be fine if you are just a visual designer.

FramerJS is not the application to just start using on visiting their website. One needs to take some training which is provided for free and learn how to create powerful wireframes and prototypes with the tool. It facilitates easy workflow and easily import your designs from Sketch, Figma, and Photoshop and collaborate with your team members.

WRAP UP!

Prototypes give life to new idea. One can definitely not have to use all of these tools, just the one that you think your team needs to take your design process to the next level.

But if you are looking for an all-in-one tool for UX designers without all the troubles of coding associated with the development process, the best fit will be Buildfire.com. it will allow you to enthusiastically build a mobile application for your business in 3 simple steps: Choose an app template, customize your app, publish and manage. And YOU ARE GOOD TO GO!