The smartphone market has been booming. According to Statista, the revenue generated in 2020 was $409.1 billion. Every sphere of life is now dependent upon these gadgets, and there is no denying that mobile phones have become part of our lives. Today, there are more than 6.4 billion smartphone users in the world.
This trend has increased the possibility of application building even further. However, with the increasing rivalry in this industry, you must ensure that your app design stands out among the thousands of apps available on mobile app markets.
To satisfy these objectives, you must develop amazing and appealing app UI styles that will increase the number of users and downloads. You will also need app designing tools and procedures to help your workflow.
What Makes Mobile UI Design Stand Out?
It’s very easy to get caught up in trends in app UI design. You may fall in love with something that’s popular and use it everywhere. But in doing so, you run the risk of making your app look like everyone else’s. You want your app to be memorable. “While there is no “magic formula” for creating an engaging UI”, says Julie Cheung UI designer expert, there are factors you should take into consideration when designing a compelling UI, including layout, typography, color, imagery, and much more.
The Most Popular App UI Design Tools
App UI design has been the center of debate lately. Continual design improvements have made mobile applications easy to use, yet creators of mobile applications are struggling to choose among the best app design software to make their app stand out from the rest.
A variety of mobile app design tools are available for users to choose from. Here is a list of the top 14 tools selected according to usability and versatility.
Andromo
Andromo enables anyone to design and build amazing, professional-looking Android and iOS applications with simple drag-and-drop tools. You don’t need to know how to program or write code to create high-quality apps, and the intuitive interface can have you create your first app in minutes to start building your idea app and sharing it with the world.
Here are the steps to design an app with Andromo
1. Select app templates
Andromo offers you more than 30 pre-built app templates to choose from. The app templates cover a variety of industries and interests, including education, business, spirituality, and much more. There’s no need to start from scratch—visit Andromo Easy Start and choose an app template that fits your needs.
2. Selecting functions
Using Andromo, you can quickly and easily put together apps with features like GPS directions, URL linking, a photo gallery, audio, video playback, web content, RSS feeds, a YouTube viewer, and more! The possibilities are endless.
3. Upload necessary content
Customize the main screen of your app to make it look more attractive. Upload multiple images, videos, or audio to make a gallery. Customize what’s visible on the main screen, and when people use your app, their screen will look great!
4. Add contact information
Add a contact page that includes all the information your audience needs to reach you. This can include your location, your email address, and your phone number, as well as a link to your website.
5. Check out a preview on your phone!
Once you are happy with the app’s appearance, you can save, download, and install it on your phone so that you may view it from your device. Once you are satisfied with this preview, you can publish your new application on the Google Play Store or App Store.
Andromo offers a free two-week trial with no credit card needed to explore its features and functionality.
Sketch
For those not familiar with Sketch, it’s a relatively new app design software for Mac and is primarily for app UI development. A lot of creators are making the switch from other software to Sketch because it’s simpler and less cluttered than Photoshop. The file sizes are also much smaller, which means Sketch files open almost instantly, and you can have as many as you want open at once.
It helps users to craft beautiful and concise illustrations, flexible UI prototypes, or stunning icons, covers, and presentations. A designer can use Sketch’s powerful vector tools to draw anything they want, from icons and buttons to full-screen interfaces and complex illustrations. Sketch’s key features:
Instant collaboration
You can easily show it to your team members when you have an idea to share. Sketch Cloud allows sharing a UI design online, so a team member can see what the designer is up to and give feedback.
Workspace
Sketch comes with a central workspace that manages documents and assets. You will always know where your files are, and they can be accessed anywhere.
Fast loading
Sketch is an incredibly lightweight app that doesn’t get in your way. It was designed for every feature to work faster and more intuitively to focus more on the design and less on the tool.
Pricing
Sketch offers two subscription plans. The basic plan is free for 30 days, after which you pay $9 per month per user. While the business plan is available upon request. Contact the Sketch support staff to get a quote.
Zeplin
An application-making company needs both UI/UX architects and app developers. Application design software helps them make and collaborate on wireframes and mockups, while Android Studio software allows users to code and build out the application. It’s also important for the two groups to communicate with each other.
Zeplin lets you work with developers. You can focus on building the UI, leaving Zeplin to create developer documentation for them.
Platform support
The platform supports both Mac and Windows, and it also works with other UI development programs. The platform has connected with popular software like Slack, Trello, and Asana to help users streamline their workflow.
Inspect mode
This feature allows designers to access UI design elements easily. They can select any element in the design file and view its specs immediately in Inspect mode. Specs include dimensions, scale, hex codes for colors, measurements from other elements on the canvas, font sizes, and line height.
Pricing
There are 4 options for the Zeplin subscription plan: Free, Team, Organization, and Enterprise.
Free
The free plan allows users to have 1 project up and running at any given time.
Team plan
The team plan starts at $6 per seat per month with a maximum of 12 projects. This is perfect for small teams creating one or two apps and needing to collaborate with their designer and developer.
Organization plan
The organization plan starts at $12 per seat per month with unlimited projects. This is ideal for growing teams who need to create multiple products, collaborate on multiple projects, or manage teams in different locations.
Enterprise plan
The enterprise plan has custom pricing for enterprises that need more custom options. The enterprise plan is made for bigger organizations with multiple teams working on different products and services that all need to work within the same platform.
Figma
Don’t look further than this platform if you’re seeking mobile app designing tools that offer the basics and much more. Figma software allows UI creators and developers to collaborate in app prototyping and development.
Figma is a great tool for designing app graphics of all kinds, and it also creates a bridge between designer, client, and programmer to collaborate and share feedback. This is especially helpful if you’re working on a project with large teams, as it eliminates the necessity to send files back and forth via email.
According to Matt Hryhorsky, UX Manager at Shopify, Figma has become popular for its collaboration, comments, and record-keeping features, making it a favorite tool for many designers.
Pricing
You can sign up for a free Figma Starter package, which allows you to create 3 files. The Pro package costs $12 per month and allows one user with infinite files, or choose the Professional package and get an infinite number of files for 30 editors at $45 per month.
InVision
This awesome mobile app design software lets you build clickable UI app designs.
The software has inbuilt features that help designers create their dreams’ interface, such as buttons, sliders, scrollbars, and more. You can upload other files from different design software, and you don’t have to recreate the wheel when making the UI. When finished making the UI, you can share it with others.
In addition to creating product wireframes, InVision mobile app wireframe tool also offers feedback sharing tools. With it, you can share work with teammates, import files or ask questions in the comments. If you ever want to share a work-in-progress design with a client, you can use InVision Inspect to generate a link to view a static design file.
Pricing
InVison offers three plans to suit different needs. Starter plan: 3 prototypes for $15/month; Professional plan: unlimited prototypes for one user for $25/month; and Team plan: unlimited prototypes for five users for $99/month.
Adobe XD
Adobe XD is one of the most powerful, easy-to-use, collaborative mockup tools for mobile apps that help teams build designs for apps, voice interfaces, games, and more. Additionally, it also provides feedback sharing platform. This platform helps you turn your design ideas into an awesome-looking app prototype, then share links with others to get feedback. What makes Adobe XD unique?
Prototyping
Adobe XD brings the best of app prototyping capabilities to let you create UI designs that look like real apps and view them on a mobile device or desktop.
Design specs
Once the prototype has been built, you can share it with other stakeholders by using its built-in design specs feature. This lets them see how the design works in great detail and give recommendations.
Collaboration
Creative Cloud Libraries allow owners to keep all their assets organized and accessible across multiple devices, and it also enables them to collaborate with other designers without limitations.
Pricing: Adobe XD is included in Creative Cloud for just US$9.99/month or included in a Creative Cloud all applications plan for US$52.99/month.
UXPin
UXPin is one of the top wireframe tools for mobile apps. It’s designed to eliminate misunderstandings between app-building teams, enable UI designers to build higher-fidelity prototypes with no programming experience whatsoever, provide a single source of truth for the entire team that can be accessed by all its members at the same time, and provides a means for real-time feedback.
Features of UXPin:
Visual cooperation
Using UXPin, UI teams can share thoughts visually and work together in a way that no one misses a step. And if there are any problems with the designs, users will be able to add comments directly to their projects.
Track records
Track every change and iteration of the design with auto-versioning that lets users view their project’s history at a glance. And if they ever need to go back to an earlier version, they can do so easily by simply clicking a button.
Built-in validation and testing tools
In addition to testing live UI designs on real devices, users can conduct user ease studies, surveys, and A/B tests using built-in validation features.
Pricing
UXPin offers two tiers of service: UXPin Merge and UXPin Standard. Pricing is based on the number of projects included and your team size. The limited free plan gives you a taste of what they have to offer, with no time restrictions. UXPin offers options for small teams for just $19/month when you’re ready for more.
UXPin offers free trials for its solutions, in which anyone can test the application for 14 days. At this time, users can use all features available in the limited chosen plan.
Marvel
Marvel is a friendly and fast mockup tool for mobile apps creation that lets designers turn ideas into the best UI designs. It’s a perfect way to get started with mobile app design since the creator doesn’t have to install any software or master Adobe Photoshop.
Once designers create mockups, it’s time to share them with others. Marvel allows them to share designs via email or social media to show off the project and receive feedback from friends or other designers.
Marvel Features:
Easy To Use – The Marvel mobile app designing program has become extremely popular because it requires no UI design expertise or knowledge of programming to use.
Speedy prototyping – From hand-drawn sketches to wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes.
Built for teams – Marvel makes it possible to build and share great designs with anyone in your team or the whole world. Nokia Brand uses Marvel to deliver beautiful designs across their teams.
Pricing
The platform offers three subscriptions packages: Free, Pro and Team.
Free plan – is just for one user to create a limit of one design.
Pro plan – Cost $12/month billed annually or $16 billed monthly. With the pro plan, you can create infinite files with 1 user per project.
Team plan – For $42/month billed annually or $48 billed monthly, users can create an unlimited number of projects only 3 people per project.
Proto.io
Proto.io is a tool that helps users to design mobile app UI with ease using templates and drag‑and‑drop elements so they won’t have to have any special skill or experience to start using Proto.io.
Proto.io allows for a vast array of features, including libraries containing images and animations, advanced gestures and interactions, screen transitions, and the option to add audio or video to projects.
Unique features
One feature that really stands out is “Preview mode”, which lets users see how their prototype will look on real devices in real-time (though this requires an internet connection). This is great for making sure everything works properly before publishing or sharing it with others.
Pricing
Proto.io offers a 15-day free trial, no credit card required, allowing users to start with all unlocked features.
The designer can choose among the following subscription plans: Freelancer, Startup, Agency, and Corporate.
Freelancer plan – Start at $29 per month.
Startup plan – Starts at $49 per month.
Agency plan – Starts at $99 per month.
Corporate plan – Starts at $199 per month
Origami Studio
Facebook’s Origami is one of the products that help creators build a dynamic interface for mobile phones. With this platform, you don’t need to master programming skills or undergo design courses to be able to craft a beautiful mobile app UI.
The platform is built with drag-and-drop functionality that enables you to change the files at any time easily. When you are ready, you can share your prototype with the team by inviting anyone in your team or collaborator to view it in Origami Live.
Pricing
Origami Studio’s pricing is a bit different from other mobile app wireframe tools. You can install it without paying and use it forever, but to unlock additional functionality, you must pay.
Axure
Axure RP is a full-featured wireframing tool for mobile apps. It lets you build a beautiful modern mobile app UI. The learning curve is short because it has many built-in libraries of app features that are easy to put into the project. You’ll be designing the UX of your mobile app in no time.
Axure also lets you add interactivity for dynamic buttons to create a fully-functional app model. This will make it easier for you to demonstrate how your app works when it’s finished.
Axure is built to be responsively adaptable to build a design for computers, phones, and tablets on a single platform. In addition, with Axure’s software, Emily, a UX Researcher, managed to get end-user recommendations and used them to develop amazing app designs.
Subscription plan
There are 3 main plans offered by Axure, with different costs.
Axure RP Pro – $25 a month per user with no limit of the number of prototypes, reviewers, 1,000 projects on the cloud, and other advanced features.
Axure RP Team – $42 month/per user you get everything included in RP Pro, plus:
Axure for Enterprise – The price is upon request
Axure offers 30 days of free access so that you can use the software and see if it’s good for your needs.
Justinmind
Justinmind is an awesome wireframe tool for mobile apps that can help you to build a quick mobile app UI. It’s very useful when doing some initial app design and getting their app idea out of the computer before they make that first commit to their code!
Some of the best important functionalities are:
Widgets – Justinmind has a large library of widgets that make it easy to build the mobile app user interface. The widgets library includes standard features such as a navigation menu, tooltip, and more. It also has nice-looking UI elements like slider and video player, unavailable in another prototyping platform.
Mockups – Justinmind allows to build two different types of application mockups. One can create low-fidelity layouts from pencil drawings or use the provided user interface element library to build a high-fidelity design that looks very realistic.
Shared Components – You can also reuse components across multiple prototypes, which makes it easy to update them simultaneously.
Pricing
Free – Unlimited projects and viewers
Standard – $9 per user/month includes Free features plus
Professional – $19 per user/month includes Standard features plus
Enterprise- Quote available upon request, the package have all Professional features plus
Fluid UI
It’s a UI designing platform that allows you to mock up apps for all major mobile operating systems, including Android, iOS, and Blackberry. The platform functionality makes it easy to build realistic prototypes within a very short time.
Fluid UI has some unique features. The first is its Help Center, which has a library of short video tutorials for everything from the very first stage about particular platform functions. You can also search the community forum for answers to questions or read their blog for tips on using the app.
Pricing
Fluid UI has three plans, Solo, Pro, and Team. As you upgrade, the number of users increases, and additional functions become unlocked.
Solo – $8.25/month or $99/year
Pro – $19.08/month or $229/year
Team – $41.58/month or $499/year
OmniGraffle
With OmniGraffle, you can create a wide variety of app UI designs. It is only available for Mac users, but it offers a lot of great features. In addition to being one of the best wireframe tools for mobile apps, it can be applied to website wireframes too.
The software is easy to learn and get familiar with, as most of its features are easy to understand.
Pricing
OmniGraffle is available in a standard version and team, costing $12.45 per month. Both versions allow you to build diagrams, flow charts, and graphics from scratch or easily customizable templates, as well as import or export files.
Conclusion
Mobile app design is a complex process that requires any designer to do due diligence. Our list of the best mobile app UI design tools above will help you make the right choices during your early stages of brainstorming, allowing you to make informed decisions from start to finish.
