7 Beautiful Mobile UI's for Your Prototyping Needs

The rapid advancement in communication technologies has made mobile devices an inseparable part of modern lifestyle. But the rapid technological developments and frequently changing user choices have made it a daunting challenge for enterprises to launch applications that will become popular within a very short span of time. Along with exploring fresh and innovative mobile application development ideas, it has also become essential for a business to evaluate its prototyping needs.

Before investing in a project, the developers must create mockups to check and optimize the interaction between end users and their designs. A proper mobile prototyping strategy can further contribute towards both time and resources. The developers also have options to pick from a large collection of Mobile user interfaces (UIs) based on specific mobile operating systems and their prototyping needs. Some of these UIs further make it easier for programmers to avail the advantages of the latest technologies like HTML5 and Cloud computing.

7 Widely Used Mobile Devices Prototyping Uis

1) Prototyping on Paper (POP)
Many developers still prefer UI sketches on paper. The simple yet powerful application for iOS enables such programmers to capture the UI sketches using their iPhone cameras, and add touch links to the captured sketches in an instant. Further, the sketched prototype can be published within the app, while receiving feedback from others. The free app also makes it easier for designers to avoid complexities by adopting a lean UI process.

2) Solidify
You can use Solidify to create clickable prototypes from your wireframe, sketches or mockup. The tool further enables you to carry out user tests in person to validate user flows on specific mobile devices. Also, you have options to carry out the test remotely, and receive the required feedback from testers. Along with conducting a variety of user tests, the tool further complements your prototyping needs by validating interactions and providing unbiased results.

3) InVision
The prototyping and collaboration application is designed to meet the prototyping needs of a distributed team. InVision comes with a set of tools required to share a single mockup in an instant, or to demonstrate a complex mobile app. The tools further make it easier for you to connect your digital wireframes, UX sketches and high-fidelity designs, in addition to sharing the details with you team. At the same time, you can use these features to create and make presentations.

4) Proto
It is one of the most advanced prototyping tools that support animation. So you can use the tool to optimize your designs, mockups or wireframes by incorporating touch events, animations and rich media. At the same time, the prototype can also be tested thoroughly by simulating exact user behaviors by rotating, tapping or swiping the app. Also, you have option to share the prototype easily with other members of your team, and receive their feedback.

5) AppCooker
The paid tool can be used by developers to create mockups, while making their applications ready for Apple App Store. Along with integrating with Box.net and DropBox, you can further import icons and user interface assets directly into the prototyping tool. Further, the tool enables you to access the complete collection of default Apple UI controls. However, the tool is currently available only for iPad. You have to use its companion app called AppTaster that is designed for iPhone and iPod touch.

6) FluidUI
Despite being designed as a multi-platform web app, FluidUI is still simple and easy-to-use. You can use the prototyping tool to rapidly design, develop, test and share mobile user interfaces. It also comes with the tools and elements required to develop applications for popular mobile platforms like iOS, Android and Windows phones. Also, you have option to use the Google Chrome version of the tool to avail these features offline.

7) MakeAppIcon
Many reports have highlighted how the popularity of an app can be impacted by its icon. Along with designing a high resolution icon, you also need to ensure that it complements the specific requirements of the mobile device. As a web script, MakeAppIcon enables you to optimize an icon with the maximum resolution of 1024×1024 according to Apple’s guidelines related to retina and similar features of the devices. Despite being simple and easy-to-use, MakeAppIcon is still effective in saving the amount of time required to resize the icon manually according to Apple’s specific requirements.

In addition to the mobile UIs, the developers also have option to use a wide variety of templates and tools. They can further explore options to use a single mobile user interface technology that works seamlessly across multiple mobile platforms and devices.

You can hire programmers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile application development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert iPhone app developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

The Publisher Mobile Surge By The Numbers - A Report

The surge in the mobile devices and Smartphones is noticeable right from the year 2006, which was also held as the “the year of mobile”. However, for the prominent publishers, the present year 2013 is actually the mobile year with the numbers of non-desktop traffic showing a steady increase. As such, publishers realize the need to cater to the mobile traffic with greater intensity compared to what they did even a few years back.

A Comprehensive Report

Here is a comprehensive report on what the important publishers had to say regarding this particular surge along with the way this phenomenon influenced them.

• To begin with, BuzzFeed, one of the most recognized publishers, confirmed that 50% of the total traffic to their properties comes from the mobile users. The percentage of overall traffic from non-desktop users, which was only 31% in April last year, has almost tripled. The rapid growth of the mobile audience is obvious.
• Forbes, another important publisher, on the other hand, revealed that more than 35% of the visitors to the properties of Forbes came from the Smartphones along with other smart devices. The percentage was less than 25 even a year back, which again, recorded a significant surge.
• The non-desktop web traffic to Huffington Post showed an immense growth of 20% between just two months, July to September of the present year, 2013.
• Though not a publisher, the prominent video site, YouTube recorded about 41% of its total traffic coming from non-desktop users. The percentage, which was just 6 in 2011, effectively points out to the surge.
• SheKnows revealed a significant figure of 42% page views coming from users of mobile instead of desktops only. A growth rate of 56% year-over-year could be deduced from what the publisher had to say. A major portion of the traffic from non-desktop users comprised of people using tablets as well as Smartphone devices too.
• The Awl' sites have more than 30% of the traffic coming from tablets and phones, recording a 39% increase when compared to the same period last year.
• About 38% of the total page views of yet another publisher, Complex.com, came from mobile users. A 58% increase was noticeable when the statistics of the last year was considered.

Factors Contributing to this Immense Surge

While the above-mentioned reports point out sufficiently well to the surge in usage of mobile, let us look in details at the possible reasons behind this phenomenon.

Brands Like Apple are continuously on the lookout for introducing newer and more user-friendly technology. For instance, the version 7 of the iPhone operating system brought about a lot of changes and certainly increased opportunities for the device users as well as the publishers.

Mobile devices have significantly influenced the lives of business professionals and consumers. Today, it represents 15% of the total global internet traffic and needless to mention, the rate is consistently on the rise.

Apart from mobiles and Smartphones, tablets also play an important role in occupying the market. An increased use of tablets further leads to a growth of the non-desktop users and urge the publishers to devise strategies to serve the smart device users better.

Apps come up as yet another reason behind the growing usage of tablets and Smartphones. As such, the promotional efforts put by the publishers and the digital newsstands are also driving substantial growth in paid digital subscriptions. To top all these, advertisers are adapting to the shifting paradigm in consumption of content and driving funds from desktop to the mobile platforms. Consequently, by 2017, it is expected and estimated by the eMarketer that mobile will take up about 36% of the total digital ad spend.

You can hire developers from top mobile app development companies in India who can help you build mobile apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide mobile app development services. If you would like to speak to one of our expert mobile app developers, please reach out to us at Mindfire Solutions.

5 Reasons Every Retailer Should Have a Mobile App

Mobile devices have become an integral part of the lifestyle and habits of modern people. Along with gathering information on various topics, most users also use their mobile devices to carry out a variety of transactions on the go. The growing popularity of mobile devices is also affecting the way traditional way of promoting and marketing products and services. The results of several surveys have highlighted how an increasing number of users are buying products or services using their mobile devices. Along with promoting products by targeting the most relevant customers, the app will further made it easier for a retailer to enable customers purchase the products in a quick and hassle-free way. So a retailer can always consider investing in retail app development to avail several benefits.

Why Mobile Applications have become Essential for Each Retailer?

1) Meet the Latest Trends in Shopping
The busy lifestyles of modern people do not allow them to visit several shops. So most people, nowadays, use their smartphones or tablets to gather information about a specific product, service or store. Similarly, people also love to purchase products or services by downloading the mobile apps launched by different retailers. According to Compete.com, “Almost half of people who own smartphones are becoming mobile shoppers. People don’t just shop on their phones because of the convenience of mobility; one of the survey results indicated that 74% of shoppers do mobile shopping at home. Around 30% of them do mobile shopping at work.” So a retailer can always meet the latest trends in user choice by launching a customized mobile app.

2) Promote Your Brand
Each retailer finds it a daunting challenge to make customers consistently aware of his brand. Some stores even spend extra funds to attract and engage customers. The retail mobile app enables a retailer to remind customers about his brand without putting any extra efforts and money. As the retail application will remain on their handheld devices, it will consistently remind users about the brand. Further, the app can be used as a medium to seduce customers by conveying additional product information. The app can further make it easier for the user to buy the product by displaying the retail outlet locations according to his address. At the same time, a retailer can use push notifications to remind customers about new products or services.

3) Share Information through Customers
Most people stay connected with their friends, family and coworkers through social media. It is also a common practice among modern customers to share information about their shopping. Along with sharing information about the products purchased by them, the users also share their shopping experience. So the mobile app can be used by the retailer as a medium to encourage customers to share his products. The customers can further post product reviews and ratings to make it easier for their friends to pick the right product and store. Also, the app can fetch information from popular review websites to help customers in making the right decision.

4) Carry out Digital Marketing Campaigns
Each store has to make and implement a comprehensive digital marketing strategy to promote its products by targeting the most relevant customers. Many retailers even customize their online promotional campaigns to target specific segment of customers. The retail mobile app will contribute towards optimizing digital marketing results. Along with sending catalogues and flyer to customers, the app will further enable retailers to attract them by offering promotional deals and coupons. Also, the digital marketing campaign can be carried out at a rapid pace by targeting the relevant customers.

5) Easy to Make Retail Mobile Applications
With more and more programmers switching to mobile application development, it has become easier for a store to build and launch its own app. A number of frameworks have further made it easier to build retail mobile applications using technologies like JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS. Further, the apps can be again customized to work seamlessly on major mobile platforms like iOS, Android and Windows. The apps can also be designed as a product catalog or shopping cart by integrating a set of simple features. Despite being simple and easy-to-use, a retail app can still impress users by conveying important information like products and prices.

The rapidly growing popularity of mobile shopping has encouraged many retailers to launch mobile applications. According to some reports, over 80% of the top retailers have already launched customized mobile apps. So a store can consider launching its own app to beat competition. At the same time, it can leave it competitors behind investing in retail mobile app development. Certified app developers from a top mobile app development company can help you build innovative apps for your retail business. Are you already thinking of an idea to implement via a mobile app? Look no further. Try us.

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Are Your Mobile Apps Really Meeting Your Enterprise's Software Quality Standards?

With more and more users switching from their personal computers, it has become essential for companies to choose fresh and innovative options to suit the latest trends. As many reports have highlighted, a constant increase is noted in the number of people using mobile devices to access the web, obtain information, and stay connected with their loved ones.

So each company, nowadays, has to launch robust mobile apps to target the huge base on smartphone, tablet, and other mobile device users. Based on the needs and objectives of a business, it has options to launch specialized mobile apps to target its customers, employees or business partners. Along with the business-to-consumer (B2C) apps, a company can also launch the business-to-employee (B2E) or business-to-business (B2B) apps.

Regardless of the target audience, you have to ensure that the enterprise mobile app offers unique features while meeting the latest industry trends. In addition to the cost of developing and maintaining the app, you must concentrate on its quality and security features. While planning and developing the mobile app, it is important to consider certain points to ensure that it meets the software quality standards of your enterprise over a longer period of time.

Deciding the Right Mobile Platform

A modern user has options to choose from several mobile platforms. So a company has to design its mobile apps for a number of popular mobile operating systems. However, the mobile app development project may become more expensive and complex, as you have to use different programming languages and tools. Also, the apps must be developed and launched within a few weeks to beat the competitors. You must deploy individual teams to develop apps for each mobile platform, and meet higher quality standards.

Developing a Robust Mobile App

The mobile device users can choose from a wide range of free and paid apps. So they always look for high quality apps with advanced features and eye-catchy designs. As the enterprise app will represent your company, it becomes more important to choose the design and features that keep the users engaged and covert them into loyal customers. Along with launching the app, you must upgrade it on a regular basis to encourage the users to access the app frequently. You must remember that the user experience will have a direct impact on the growth, revenues and profits of your business.

Seamless Integration with the Back-end Systems

The popularity of a mobile app often depends on its seamless integration with the back-end database and systems. The integration also decides how information and content are delivered to the user. Your budget may not allow you to set up independent back-end databases and services for the mobile apps. So you must evaluate and modify your existing back-end system to work in sync with several mobile apps. It is also important to develop the right programmable interfaces that facilitate communication between the app and back-end systems. Also, the integration must be tested regularly to ensure a better and improved user experience.

Addressing the Privacy and Security Issues

The constant increase in the number of incidents related to mobile device frauds and scams has affected the popularity of mobile apps negatively. Many users, nowadays, are skeptical about installing new apps launched by comparatively unknown developers. Most of the operating systems are designed with advanced security features. Also, each app has to go through a comprehensive screening and reviewing process by the mobile platform owners. But you must address the privacy and security concerns of the users properly to gain the trust of the users, and convince them to download and access your mobile enterprise app regularly.

Overcoming Time and Budgetary Constraints

In comparison to traditional desktop applications, the mobile apps are developed within a shorter span of time. The mobile apps are required to be launched and developed within a few weeks. Also, the ongoing recessional phase of the economy has compelled many companies to develop mobile apps on a stipulated budget. So the team has to meet the schedules without compromising on the quality of the mobile app. It is also a good idea to manage the project through a manager who can manage software life cycles through dynamic and agile project management techniques.

If your company has prior experience in developing enterprise apps, the new mobile app can be developed without putting any extra time. But you must test each feature and specification of the app to ensure that it meets the high software quality standards of your organization.

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