Mobile App UI Design: Guide for Designing User Interface in 2026

Today's market is flooded with various mobile apps, so it becomes increasingly difficult to attract people and keep them engaged. Modern users have exceptionally high functionality, interactivity, and visual usability demands. This is why it's important to devote particular attention to mobile app UI design.

Modern users have exceptionally high demands for functionality, interactivity, and visual usability. This is why it's important to devote particular attention to mobile app UI design.

 

With that in mind, we’d like to shed more light on mobile UI design and share our thoughts and expertise based on Onix’s experience designing custom UI/UX for mobile apps.

 

Why Custom UI Design Matters for Your Mobile App

The mobile app user interface is the first thing your users will see.

 

A poor user interface can easily lead users to abandon your app, devalue your brand, and, as a result, harm your revenue.

 

So, UI is not just a minor component of design, but it's actually a crucial part of product strategy.

 

Let’s look closer at some compelling reasons for creating a custom UI design for a mobile app:

Better user acquisition, engagement, and retention

A well-designed UI increases engagement by making it easier for users to find what they're looking for and complete tasks without getting frustrated or overwhelmed with too much information at once.

Enhanced brand image

An attractive UI conveys a strong sense of professionalism that reflects positively on the brand and influences customers’ overall opinion of it.

 

Ultimately, good UI design helps businesses create an impressive identity that stands out against competitors in their respective market space.

Increased efficiency

With user-friendly interfaces, users become accustomed to navigating your app quickly and easily, leading to increased efficiency when using it.

Customer satisfaction

UI design can enhance the user experience by making the interface more intuitive and easier to navigate.

Reduced development time and cost

App UI designs enhance efficiency in product development cycles by eliminating time-consuming tasks that would otherwise be required to create usable software interfaces.

 

Additionally, good UI design protects against errors since it ensures that users don’t get confused or stuck when using an interface. 

 

As you can see, mobile app UI designers have much to offer in terms of tremendous benefits for your business and end users alike.

 

How to Create a High-Quality UI for Android and iOS Apps

Typically, our clients require their apps to be available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, so we design for multiple platforms. Each platform has its nuances that you should consider when designing an app:

 

iOS app design

Here are these subtle nuances of iOS app user interface design:

 

• Human Interface Guidelines. One of the most critical aspects of iOS app design is understanding the platform's Human Interface Guidelines.

   

 

These guidelines provide designers with essential information to consider when designing a user interface, including the app's visual appearance, user interaction, and key features.

 

Additionally, the guidelines help ensure a unified look and feel across all iOS apps.

 

• Device’s unique features. When creating an iOS app, designers must also consider the device’s unique features, such as touch-based displays and gestures.

 

Mobile UI designers must consider how users will interact with UI elements through taps, swipes, double taps, pinch-to-zoom gestures, and other gestures, as well as how each interaction translates into a meaningful user experience.

 

It’s crucial to keep in mind that the number of visuals used on a page should be kept to a minimum to avoid overcrowding or overloading the user’s experience.

Example of how the Onix team designed the fitness app

 

• Apple's design principles. Designers should also consider Apple's design principles when creating a UI for iOS apps. These principles state that designers should prioritize clarity over ornamentation and content over decoration when developing an interface. 

 

Designers must apply hierarchy when laying out content on each page, ensuring that relevant information appears first while still avoiding clutter and focus on typography, which can lend depth and personality to an app's design language.

 

It is also important to ensure that the form follows function; i.e., each UI element has a purpose and serves its intended function without adding unnecessary complexity or confusion for users.

 

Android app design

Designing UI for Android poses a slightly different challenge. While iOS relies on minimalism, Android leans more towards uniqueness with vibrant colors as part of its brand identity. But this is not all the peculiarities.

 

Let's explore more aspects of Android app design:

 

• Support for multiple screen sizes and device topologies. The Android OS is comprised of devices from various manufacturers, each with its own unique characteristics.

 

Android apps must also be designed to work on Android devices with different screen sizes, aspect ratios, and resolutions. Even within the same device type, various UI elements can have drastically different implementations across Android versions.

Design for peer-to-peer learning app made by Onix

 

• Android Material Design. This comprehensive guide provides a foundation for creating consistent user interfaces across Android devices. It contains guidelines for designing typography, color palettes, icons, grids, and more to create an organized visual hierarchy.

 

This helps ensure that your app looks great regardless of the Android device it’s running on. However, Android developers must still consider the differences in hardware between Android devices when designing their apps' UIs.

 

• Typography. When designing an Android UI, pay attention to the readability of your text. Small-size fonts don't make for a pleasant reading experience on small screens, so choosing font types and sizes carefully is important for maximum legibility.

 

Additionally, consider how different orientations will affect the layout of your app. Many Android apps look best when used in portrait mode but offer additional features in landscape mode, which should be accounted for during the design phase.

 

• Buttons. Android designers should also pay special attention to buttons. They should be easy to tap without accidentally tapping other areas of the screen instead, especially on smaller screens.

 

Additionally, familiarize yourself with native Android components, such as notifications and pull-to-refresh gestures, so you can incorporate them properly into your designs. They'll add a layer of polish that users won't miss.

 

All this said, creating an excellent user experience in apps that work flawlessly both on Android and iOS is possible when considering all platform specifics and requirements.

 

Best Mobile UI Principles to Follow in Modern App Design

User interface design principles are a set of common guidelines used by UI/UX designers to create user-friendly, intuitive, and aesthetically pleasing interfaces. These principles help to create consistent product experiences across different platforms, devices, and use cases.

 

The most common UI design principles include:

 

Usability

UI designs should be easy to understand and use, featuring minimal complexity or confusion. This includes creating obvious navigational paths, clear labels, and logical groupings of elements on the page.

 

Below you can see an example of how our designers created a simple and intuitive feed for a swimming tracker app.

 

The Onix specialists created an easy-to-use swimmer’s log to track activities in chronological order. We provided users with access to their training history, allowing them to view related statistics.

 

Moreover, we combined the calendar activity tab with the swimming history to filter swims by date conveniently.

Onboarding design for swim app by Onix

 

Visual hierarchy

A well-designed UI ensures that important information is easy to spot and isn’t lost in visual clutter on the screen.

 

This can be achieved through the use of contrasting colors, typographic styles, size differences, spacing between elements, and other visual cues, ensuring that important information stands out while secondary information takes a backseat visually.

 

Responsiveness

UIs should be responsive to different device sizes and input interactions, such as touch. Responsive design ensures the app adjusts its layout so it looks and works well on any device.

 

Consistency and uniformity

This means maintaining the same look and feel across the entire interface by using consistent colors, fonts, spacing, and iconography. 

 

When these elements stay uniform, users experience less confusion and can move through the app more intuitively. It also strengthens feature recognition, so users don’t have to relearn how different parts of the app work each time they return.

Example of how our team designed the travel app

 

Minimalism

UIs should focus only on the essential elements required to complete a task. Any additional bells and whistles can lead to confusion. 

 

Remember that every component you add has an associated cost, not just in terms of time and money, but also cognitive load.

 

So it’s vital to prioritize carefully which features are necessary and which can be dropped altogether or added later once the core functionality is complete.

 

Mobile App UI Design Inspiration From Industry Leaders

In this chapter, we have compiled a list of the most popular market giants and their impressive UI design solutions.

 

Let's consider how these popular apps provide some features that stand out from their variety of similar offerings.

 

Airbnb

The Airbnb’s mobile app has a clean interface, easy-to-use navigation menus, and quick access to all the features users need when booking accommodations or looking for activities in their area.

 

The comprehensive search function delivers precise results, making it easy for users to quickly find their ideal destination.

 

Slack

Another excellent example of a well-designed UI is Slack’s mobile messaging app.

 

It features an intuitive design with helpful menus and notifications that alert users when someone sends them a message or mentions them in a conversation thread. Chats also offer menu options that allow users to set reminders, mute conversations, and more.

 

Spotify

Spotify’s streaming music platform also deserves mention here.

 

Its attractive interface allows users to easily browse through its library of tracks, while also providing quick access to playlists created by friends or curated by Spotify itself.

 

This “minimal + content‑first” approach makes it easy for users to switch between different sections, such as Top Charts and Discover Weekly, without much effort.

 

The Spotify mobile app uses lots of clean space, simple layouts, and intuitive navigation, allowing users to focus on the music rather than the confusing interface.

 

Instagram

Instagram’s social media platform also boasts an impressive UI design that makes interacting with other members easy via posts, stories, reels, and more.

 

Instagram utilizes recognizable icons across platforms, making navigation through the app intuitive, regardless of the device type or OS version used.

 

Additionally, Instagram offers personalized recommendations based on user preferences and usage patterns, making it easier for people to easily discover content relevant to their interests via its Explore section.

As you can see,  there are numerous apps with well-designed UIs that make getting tasks done on your device faster and easier than ever before. From planning trips, managing conversations, or discovering new music, each offers a unique experience tailored specifically towards its target audience.

 

Onix's Approach to Building User-Friendly Mobile Interfaces

Our designers have compiled a list of top mobile app design tips essential to ensuring users have the best possible experience.

 

Using these tips, we provide our clients with innovative design solutions that focus on usability, accessibility, and engagement as well as aesthetics and functionality:

 

Well, how to design a mobile app UI:

Understand your audience

Knowing who your target audience is and understanding their needs and preferences is vital in creating a successful app design.

 

Considering device type, operating system, user behavior, and other factors can help us create a tailored experience that caters to your demographic.

 

Don't overload the user

We believe that app design should minimize distractions by showing only the most relevant information on each screen. That's why we avoid overload that can confuse users or make multitasking difficult.

 

Keep it intuitive

App design should make it easy for users to find what they need quickly and without confusion. Our designers avoid unnecessary complexity and provide clear directions on how to use the app.

Prioritize aesthetics

App design should remain visually appealing while still keeping its primary focus on usability and accessibility to ensure that users will return time after time (and recommend it to others).
 

App designs should include colors that create an emotional connection with the intended audience and simple but effective visuals, such as typography or illustrations.

 

Such visuals help guide users through the app's functions seamlessly, while also pleasantly capturing their attention rather than distracting them from essential tasks within the application itself. 

 

Design for AI-first experiences

AI isn’t just a “feature” anymore. Today artificial intellegence is woven into almost every part of the interface such as predictive actions or personalized content. 

 

Modern apps guess what users need before they even tap. But here's the key: users should always feel in control.

 

To design for this, we ensure your app:

 

• clearly demonstrates users when an AI is suggesting something
• provides users with simple options to cancel, confirm, or disable
• offers short microcopy to explain the “why.”

 

Ensure dynamic, personalized interfaces

Personalization goes far beyond replacing banners or recommending similar elements. 

 

Modern design moves from static screens to interfaces that adapt in real time based on every user interaction.

 

How it works:

 

• Predictive design instead of reactive. Reactive personalization is about“You did X, so here’s more X,” while predictive design works on the principle of “You’re probably about to do Y, so let’s bring Y to the front.”

 

• Apps tune into signals such as location, time, recent activities, and behavior patterns and discover the most relevant feature. For example, a finance app could automatically show a weekly budget report every Friday, because user typically checks their spending at that time.

 

For example, PayPal lets users shop and pay directly inside ChatGPT using its wallet. This works through OpenAI’s Instant Checkout feature and the Agentic Commerce Protocol, which makes products available to AI apps.

 

Users can complete orders, payments, and shipping without leaving ChatGPT. Merchants won’t need to set up any integrations, PayPal handles payments and routing automatically.

 

Consider usability

App design should focus on both usability and aesthetics. Usability testing can help us ensure that buttons are in the right place, help text is clearly written, touch targets are sized appropriately, etc., making sure that users can quickly complete tasks within the app without frustration or confusion.

 

Additionally, we can integrate your app with other ones, such as social media or messaging services, so your users can easily share content from within your app without leaving it entirely.

 

Integrate analytics tools

App designs should integrate analytics tools, such as Google Analytics or Flurry, to track user interactions within the app.

Based on user feedback, you can identify areas that may need improvement or features to implement to keep users engaged and coming back for more.

 

The best mobile app UI design tools we recommend

When it comes to the best design tools for mobile apps, there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

 

Each designer should choose the tool that best meets their needs. That said, some design tools have become popular choices for mobile app design projects due to their ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and powerful features.

 

Here they are:

 

 

Onix’s Design Experience & What We Bring to the Table

Onix’s mobile app designers have decades of extensive experience designing various products for any business size worldwide: from travel startups and fitness apps to hybrid integration platforms and game simulators. 

 

For example, the Onix team redesigned an online personal training platform to make it feel and look enjoyable.

 

We helped our client:

 

• audit the app’s functionality and design to propose ideas on how to fix those issues
• analyze competitors, the market, and analytics
• ensure a strong brand identity
• redesign fitness plans, subscriptions and admin panel
• improve the app's overall functionality
• add new killer features such as momentum score, meal generator, update personalized programs.

We also have experience of redesigning a travel-centric social media app.

 

The design process included:

 

• conducting a thorough analysis of Trvlpage's goals and user expectations
• developing a new logo and branding strategy that reflected the desired image of a trendy, clean, and community-oriented platform
• creating an improved user flow based on customer wishes and insights from competitor research
• designing a landing page that is enthusiastic, community-oriented, authentic, and helpful.

 

As a result, a thoughtful user journey, carefully arranged components to facilitate fluent interactions with the interface, and the unique visual style made finding a place to go and like-minded people to communicate with easy and engaging for each user. 

Our design team knows what it takes to create intuitive, beautiful designs that connect with your audience and meet your goals. We dive deep into the details to ensure every element feels right, so the design isn’t just visually appealing; it’s also smart, user-friendly, and built to solve real-world problems.

 

At Onix, we provide a full scope of design services, from deep search analysis to full-cycle mobile design (iOS and Android).

 

We also offer UX audit services to ensure your product is perfectly optimized for a seamless user experience.

 

Below is a detailed overview of our design services, along with examples of our work.

 

Final words

Creating an excellent UI design for an app isn’t only about making your product look good, although this is a critical component. It’s also about creating a user experience that is intuitive and easy to use.

 

A great mobile app UI should be visually appealing but also provide users with helpful information quickly and efficiently. Think of it as a recipe – all the ingredients should work together harmoniously to create something special.

 

User interface app design is more than just drawing a product. Designing a great mobile app user interface is quite a difficult task. It requires knowledge of fundamental principles, the ability to solve users' problems by providing intuitive navigation, and understanding how to gather and handle user feedback.

 

If you need advice or are looking for a professional team to realize your mobile app ideas, please contact us!

 

FAQ

 

How do I know if my current app needs a UI redesign?

If users complain about navigation issues, your app looks outdated, conversions drop, or new features don’t fit into the current flow, it’s time for a redesign. Our team can run a quick UX audit to identify exact problems.

 

How long does it take to design or redesign a mobile app?

The timeline depends on app complexity, the number of screens, and how much research is needed. On average, full design for an MVP can take 3–8 weeks. A redesign may be even faster if your structure stays the same.

 

What do I need to start the UI design process with Onix?

Just share your idea, business goals, and any references you like. If you already have an app, we’ll review the current version and suggest the best improvement approach.

 

What if I’m not sure what style I want?

That’s totally fine. We’ll prepare mood boards, references, and a few visual directions so you can choose what feels right.

 

Is outsourcing app UI design a good idea?

Yes, especially if you want high-quality results without hiring a full in-house team. Outsourcing gives you access to experienced designers, faster delivery, and a wider skillset (research, UX, UI, motion, branding). It’s also more cost-effective because you only pay for the work you need, and you can scale the team up or down based on your project. 

 

What goes into the cost of mobile app design?

The cost depends on several factors:

 

- Complexity of the app (number of screens, flows, and features)
- Research needs (user interviews, competitor analysis, UX audit)
- Custom elements (illustrations, animations, 3D, branding)
- Platforms (iOS, Android, or both)
- Level of detail (basic MVP vs fully polished product)
- Iterations and revisions needed during the design phase

After a short discovery call, we can estimate the scope and provide transparent pricing based on your goals and timeline.