As the competition in mobile market is increasing and number of Apps is getting uploaded on App Store, the Apple Store has become strict and following strict guidelines for the iOS app development. Whether it is a desktop application or a mobile app, the developer always has queries related to design. Graphics and animations are two important part of the app development. In this post, our iOS developers discuss the role of graphics, animations especially in mobile apps.

Animation is a non separable part of our digital design. Earlier they were just treated as the fancy addition to websites but when the mobile apps came, developers started using them as the replacement of text. The web page started looking like decorative coolection of animations. This annoyed the user resulted in criticism of animations.

In iOS apps, animations are regularly embraced because present platforms allow us to be very creative with it. The boundaries have been, and are being elevated on a daily basis. The size and use of small animations no more bothers developers because of the use of advanced development of technologies. During the last decade, it is even easier to research and expand our creativity with animation due to flat design style appearance. Now we prefer to use organic style animations generated directly by code instead of rendering whole surfaces in Adobe After Effects. Further, clean icon and button styles or layout sheets can be animated to bounce, stretch, stick or even transform to other shapes – which all together help us make a great user experience.

Animation: How — When — Why?

The UI animation implementation is divided into four categories:

• User navigation and control
• Content hierarchy
• Process status
• Marketing purposes and delight

User navigation and control

We need to put all of our efforts into making the user comfortable whilst using the app. One must have control over it and know exactly where he is at each moment, and that is where animation can help a lot.

Use of unusual actions and gestures in the app might generate interest of users. Sometimes all we need is to reveal a hidden “search” feature by slightly dropping it down and pulling it back under the header bar, in which case the user is aware of search appearing on “swipe down” gesture. The other option is to place hints inside the app which appear only the first time user comes across that specific element, such as on boarding or slightly animated arrow with short description pointing at the element it describes.

An interesting way of showing the user that his action is confirmed is transitioning an element to a specific place or expanding over the whole screen. In case we want to bring user’s attention to an element, we can highlight it by quick opacity variation or applying a simple “pulse” animation by scaling an icon. This can also be used as visual feedback when an action is finished.

Content hierarchy

Elements on the screen are arranged in layers, one sitting on top of the other. The layers are arranged by accommodating content type, background, patterns, labels, paragraphs, buttons or icons, cards or any other UI elements to give effective look. Finally the layout elements appear on screen with suitable movements.

Process status

There are often features which require data processing and, in that case, the user has to wait a few seconds until it is completed. We want to keep the user inside the app and at the same time inform him at which point of the loading/processing status he is.

Splash screen is the first step where the user might have to wait a few seconds. Why not try to make something really creative and interesting out of it? Just by creating an animated icon or brand logo we can elevate the user’s first impression of both the app and the brand to a higher level. A great side effect is that the waiting period will become a lot more interesting. Instead of using a classic looped radial loader, in apps, header is preferred instead or progressive bar.

Marketing purposes and “WOW” effect

Sometimes we want to bring screens to life just by adding simple animations to it. This way we make the user have a better impression of the brand and make the whole experience more fun and interesting. Some examples would include parallax effect, animating background patterns, transforming icons, making brand elements appear throughout the app.

Where the magic happens

Each time we come up with an idea for animation, we have to transfer it on screen. There are two types of animated deliverables from a designer’s point of view,firstly, those used for presentation and preview purposes, and secondly, those exported for direct implementation, such as PNG sequences, Quicktime movies, GIFs etc. Let’s check an interesting tool for creating animations,

AfterEffects

Good: Infinite possibilities, importing of prepared assets from Illustrator and Photoshop, precise control over assets and timeline by using null objects and simple parenting features, easy to make 3D simulations.

Bad: In order to modify source asset (in case the layout is not recreated from scratch inside AfterEffects), we must open the source file in its native software and change it in there.

Conclusion

Matrix Marketers is a web and mobile development company which has embraced animation into its web and mobile projects sensibly. Think about final user’s needs and how you can enhance one’s experience while using your product.It is all about the user experience, not visual effects for its own sake. When it comes to iOS development, the developer is required to expand its creative field to make effective use of animation. If you are looking for such a sensitive animation base iOS app, contact us!