Apps – they’re one of the most effective tools that companies use to communicate and engage with customers today.
How does an organization go about creating an app that their customers will actually use? Understanding the value your app will bring the marketplace is the first step. Next is finding a designer that can make your vision come to reality.
Having custom apps allows businesses to bring their product to customers in new and innovative ways. It also helps them to ensure the app demonstrates the essence of their brand and the tone they try to maintain in digital mediums.
Of course, to have a great app designed, you need a great designer. And many companies would rather hire their own app designer than try to outsource the task.
How can a company ensure they have the perfect app designer? Here are some tips for scouting the right talent.
How to Find the Right App Designer
Knowing what to look for in when hiring an app designer is important for getting the best results – you need to ensure the person you choose can understand your vision and build it properly. Here are 5 things to keep in mind.
1. Remember Design is a Process, Not a Task
When it comes to designing any type of software or app, it is a long process. There’s planning, strategy, creation, testing, debugging, refining, launch, and monitoring. Each of these phases can also have numerous important sub-areas of focus within it.
Designers don’t just come in after a project has been set up and put everything together. Remember, a good designer is involved from the beginning. Great UI is derived from great UX planning. The app needs to be as easy to use as it is visually nice to look at. UI and UX have to work together from the beginning.
Who will the Users be?
Where are they using the App?
What problem does the App solve?
These are all questions that need to be answered before the design process actually starts. Throughout the entire design process, these types of questions should be revisited to ensure the UI/UX addresses them.
The design is a process not a single function, and the best designers will know this.
2. Find Prospects with Detailed Portfolios
Apps are visual in their appeal – if users don’t see a nice-looking interface and a design that keeps them intrigued, they may not even bother using the app. So when you’re hiring a designer, make sure they have good work examples to show you.
Ensure they can show off design interfaces, logos, and other important components of their previous work. As you review their work, make sure there are app designs that show their ability to showcase the brand’s value proposition to the end user. It’s also good if they can provide live previews on a number of devices, ensuring they know how to design apps for cross-platform use.
3. Look for Someone Interested in Your Business
Admittedly, when you put out the word, you’re hiring an app developer, the number one reason people will respond is for the compensation they get in return. But this doesn’t mean they can’t be genuinely interested in your business, its brand values, and its organizational goals.
When you find a designer who is good at what they do, it’s a positive – but not a lock. The right designer will also be interested in what your business has to offer. The more interested they are, the more they will want to understand. And the better they understand your company’s values and vision, the better they can ensure these qualities translate into your app.
4. Offer Test Projects Before Deciding
One of the easiest ways to choose between a handful of really talented designers is to have them test their skills in an applicable project. If you have your selections narrowed down and you have the extra time and resources available, consider offering the select few a test project.
Give them tasks that will require them to show off skill sets you’re looking for. Have a specific type of interface you need to be programmed? Looking for people who can get creative in finding answers? Striving to get a certain look out of your app? Create a sample project that brings out these qualities in developers.
5. Remember Apps Are About Experience
When you hire a designer, make sure you hire someone who gets that a critical aspect of the design is how well it translates to the positive user experience. This means every step of the way you should be getting testing phases, debugging reports, and revision periods so everything stays on track.
It may make the design process a bit more complex. However, it will be worth it when you get an end-product that is built with good design in mind. Working a little harder during the design process is much easier than trying to fix and redo things at the end.
Find the Perfect App Designer for Your Need
Every app has its own function, and the company behind it has its own vision. The best designer will be able to articulate both through smart design choices and functionality. How a user transverses an app all the way down to whether or not the numerical keypad automatically displays on a credit card number field are things a great designer will think of.
When you look for an app designer, make sure you find someone who gets the core components of design itself as well as your organization’s brand. Mix in a good body of work and a genuine interest in what your company is doing, and you have the perfect recipe for a rockstar designer.
Hand presenting web search concept
