Designing · Mobile App Interface Design
App screens designed for thumbs, not shrunk from a website.
We design the interface of iOS and Android apps: onboarding, navigation, core screens and the interactions between them. The result is a consistent set of screens and a clickable prototype that your developers, or ours, can build from.
Why app interfaces struggle
A good idea can still be hard to use on a small screen
Navigation that grows by accident
Features are added to menus one release at a time until people cannot find the main task.
Onboarding that asks too much, too early
Long sign-up flows and permission requests arrive before the user has seen any value.
Inconsistent controls across screens
Buttons, forms and spacing differ from screen to screen, which slows users and multiplies development work.
What is included
From app structure to hand-off
- App structure and navigationScreen inventory, navigation model (tabs, stacks, drawers) and the paths between the main tasks.
- Onboarding and first runSign-up, permissions and first-use guidance designed to reach the first useful action quickly.
- Core screens and statesLists, details, forms, plus empty, loading and error states, not only the ideal path.
- Mobile design systemTypography, colour, spacing, icons and touch-friendly components used consistently across screens.
- Interactive prototypeA clickable prototype of the main flows for review and usability testing on a real phone.
- Platform conventions and hand-offDesign decisions mapped to iOS and Android patterns, with annotated hand-off for developers.
Deliverables
What you receive, and what stays separate
You receive
- Screen inventory and navigation map
- Onboarding and first-run flow
- High-fidelity screens including key states
- Mobile component library and style guide
- Clickable prototype for the main journeys
- Annotated hand-off files and assets
Boundaries
- Interface design only. Building the app is covered by Mobile App Development.
- Publishing to the app stores is part of development, not design.
- Prototypes show behaviour on a phone but are not working software.
- Platform guidelines change. We design against the current published guidance and flag platform-specific choices.
How it works
How an app interface project runs
Navigation and flows are settled before visual polish, because they are the most expensive things to change later.
Scope and users
Audience, key tasks, platforms and constraints are agreed.
Structure and flows
Navigation and the main user flows are mapped and reviewed.
Screens and system
High-fidelity screens and the component system are designed together.
Prototype and test
A clickable prototype is reviewed on real phones and refined.
Hand-off
Annotated screens, assets and component notes are prepared for development.
Questions
Common questions
iOS, Android or both?
Either or both. We design one coherent system and note where platform conventions call for differences.
Can you improve an app we already have?
Yes. We review the current screens, keep what works and redesign the parts that cause friction.
How is this different from website design?
Apps depend on touch targets, one-handed reach, system gestures, permissions and weak-connection states that websites rarely face.
Will the prototype run on a phone?
Yes, it can be opened on a phone so flows are tested with real touch. It is not the finished app.
Related services
Often considered alongside
Designing an app or improving one?
Tell us who uses it and which tasks matter most. We will reply with how we would approach the interface.