Imagine you are in the middle of a crowded square surrounded by dozens of streets with signboards which are all Greek to you. And, there isn’t any savior like a google map to rescue you from this situation. Sounds like an absolute nightmare, isn’t it? Such can be a case when it comes to playing around with an app on a mobile device. If the app navigation is not clear and user-friendly it can easily force the user to tap on that RED cross or tap the home screen. The design of an app is no longer restricted to the beautification quotient but has extended to the engagement part. No matter how classy, sassy, attractive, or eye-catching your app is, it’s all down the drain if the user can’t find his/her way around the app. So, today in this article we will take a quick look at the top mobile app navigation patterns which are proving to be super comfy and popular among the users.

But before we jump onto these cutting-edge navigation patterns, let’s understand the basics of a user-friendly navigation pattern –

“We need to be SIMPLE, COHERENT, and CONSISTENT In order to hit their SENTIMENT”

In character, in manner, in style, and in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity. Keep your app navigation system as simple as possible. The users at all points must feel like a hand of God is guiding them across different pages of the app. The moment you try to be too fancy and make it a little complex, you lay the foundation of a bad user experience. In addition, the functions of the app must be self-evident with the use of proper signifiers in ways of words, images or sound to make the navigation self-explanatory.

Another plus point is to have a tutorial or an orientation to make the user familiar with the app beforehand. Last but not the least by any means, the navigation must be consistent across all pages of the app. A user would be livid if he finds a save image option on one screen only to be exchanged with an exit option on the next screen.

So let’s hop onto the 5 best mobile navigation patterns ruling the charts today :

1 Pictorial Icons
The pictorial Icons is one of the best approaches for an effective mobile navigation pattern. Each icon picture displays exactly where the user will be guided to once he clicks on it. It very smartly uses the ‘less space’ quotient of mobile apps. An envelope is a universal signature for emails, however, there is freedom to play around with the look of that envelope.

2. Content based navigation
This pattern boasts seamless transition between overview and detail states within an app. It helps in creating a fluid and intuitive user experience. The best example would be ‘Tinder’. A user can toggle between the two states of a user profile by simply clicking on the central picture in each view. You can easily swipe through the pictures in the detailed view and if you click on the picture in detailed view, it takes you back but stays on the same pic.

3. Vertical Navigation
A listicle is any day better than any other display format and we could not agree more in the case of mobile navigation patterns. It neatly displays all the available options in a gridview leaving the header and the footer for universal actions. Music player apps, Spotify, Yahoo Digest and countless other apps rely on the same.

4. Sliders
If your app portrays a very few closely knit progressive pages and you have a very few basic elements to go through, then Sliders should be your call. The pioneering example in this context is ‘Uber’ which allows users to navigate between different types of services without changing the MAP VIEW (the main context) for each service.

5. Card Grid
Without the slightest of the doubts, CARDS are the best designs for mobile apps. A Card-based UI helps in aggregating individual pieces of content into one single piece of easy user experience. Quick stories and scenes can be best described through a card layout. Not to mention, that cards are best for mobiles and varying screen sizes. Check PINTEREST!!

Technology is changing every day and we need to keep ourselves abreast so that we can use the best practices to enhance our apps, websites, designs, and businesses. NYX Ditech is here to be your helping hand in the journey to build up the best experience for your customers at all touch points. Contact us TODAY!!

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