Mobile isn’t just an extension of desktop anymore – it’s the primary way many users interact with brands online. It’s also not just about responsive layouts either – it’s about understanding the unique behaviours, limitations, and expectations of users on smaller screens.
That’s where strong UX design for mobile comes in. By applying mobile-specific UX thinking, you can improve user satisfaction, boost conversion rates, and strengthen brand perception.
In this blog, we share nine practical tips based on leading UX design principles for mobile to help you craft the best digital experiences for your users, while also making your offering more memorable, engaging, and efficient.
1. Make use of overlapping effects
Overlapping effects, such as fonts, images, graphics, and UI layers, bring visual depth and hierarchy to mobile layouts. When used correctly, they create a sense of layering that feels modern, fluid, and intuitive. It also helps draw focus and simulate a three-dimentional experience without overloading the screen.
For example, if you have a shopping app, you might want to consider overlapping a product image with pricing, CTA buttons, and a review score to focus attention without taking up more screen space.
When it comes to mobile, space is limited, and these effects help prioritise content while still offering a rich visual experience. Just be careful not to overdo it – clarity and hierarchy should always come first
2. Incorporate branding illustrations
Don’t be fooled into thinking illustrations are nothing but decorations. They’re an extension of your brand’s personality, and on mobile where attention spans are short, branding illustrations help humanise the experience for your users and guide them without relying on too much text.
When incorporating branding illustrations, be sure to use a consistent illustration style across your interface, and tie in your colour palette and iconography into your brand guidelines. You should ensure your illustrations serve a purpose, so avoid using overly decorative graphics that don’t bring any value.
Branded visuals can play a key role in both user onboarding and retention, especially when users associate your app or site with a clear, memorable aesthetic.
3. Use strong contrasting
UX design for mobile is not just about aesthetics, it’s about usability for all users, including those with visual impairments. Strong contrasting affects how easily users can read and interact with your content, and on mobile, this becomes even more important due to varied lighting conditions and screen resolutions.
Whether it’s light on dark or bold against muted backgrounds, strong contrast ensures legibility, improves tap accuracy, and helps users identify CTAs quickly.
One way you could implement strong contrasting is to make your CTAs pop with contrast from background elements for example. You could also test light-on-dark and dark-on-light combinations on multiple devices to see what performs best. However you implement contrasting, just be sure to use contrast checkers to meet WCAG accessibility guidelines too.
4. Add progressive disclosure
Progressive disclosure is a UX principle that reveals information as needed, rather than overwhelming users with everything at once, and on mobile this is a particularly valuable approach.
For example, if a user is booking a flight, the steps may be broken down as follows:
- Picking a destination
- Picking a date
- Picking a flight
- Picking any extras
By only showing what’s relevant in the moment and offering more detail on interaction (e.g. tapping an info icon or expanding a section), you help users focus and reduce cognitive load. It’s a more thoughtful way to guide people through complex processes or content-heavy experiences.
5. Take advantage of GPS and location awareness
Modern mobile UX design should leverage the unique capabilities of smartphones, and GPS is one of the most powerful tools available. Whether you’re offering local services, personalised recommendations, or location-based content, designing with location awareness in mind can significantly boost relevance and usability.
Some ways you could incorporate this include auto-detecting a user’s nearest store, showing location-specific offers or contact options, or streamlining deliveries or directions for example.
Taking advantage of GPS capabilities can help reduce friction, improve convenience, and simplify a user’s journey, especially for services that depend on real-world interaction.
6. Use buttonless controls
Buttonless controls, like swipes and scrolls, have become a standard practice for UX design for mobile. That’s because as we’ve mentioned a couple of times, screen real estate is at a premium and gesture-based navigation reduces the need for large, space-consuming buttons. It also helps to keep your interface clean.
Some of the most common buttonless controls include:
- Swiping to reveal additional options (like, delete or archive)
- Pinching to zoom
- Tapping and holding for advanced settings
- Pulling to refresh
When done right, it creates a more immersive experience. Just make sure your buttonless controls are intuitive and discoverable. If you have hidden gestures, consider including tips or subtle visual cues so your users know how to operate your site or app.
7. Lead with hero images
On mobile devices, hero images are integral because they do the heavy lifting of conveying your message, setting the tone, and capturing attention in the first few seconds. Whether you choose to use a carousel of images, a looped video, or an enticing graphic with a CTA, leading with a hero image can intrigue users and get them scrolling right away.
When it comes to hero images or videos, best practice is to ensure your files are high-quality and relevant to the page content. Make sure they’re also compressed for faster performance and to avoid slow page load speeds. Think about including a short, punchy headline and a CTA to get your users engaged instantly.
A bonus tip is to also consider A/B testing your mobile hero imagery so you can see which visuals resonate and engage your users the most.
8. Design for portrait video
More than 90% of mobile video content is viewed vertically, so designing for portrait videos isn’t just user-friendly, it’s essential for engagement. With portrait video viewing, the users have no need to rotate their phones, making it easier for them to hold their device and consume your content.
Whether it’s an explainer video or a testimonial, designing for portrait video creates a smoother, more native experience. It also feels more natural for your users, loads faster, and keeps your audience engaged.
You may want to consider adding subtitles for those who are watching your videos with no sounds (and this also helps with your SEO efforts too!) as well as offering skip or minimise controls.
9. Add functional animations and gestures
Adding animations and gestures can make your app feel faster, more responsive, and more polished. But remember, they should always serve a functional purpose such as providing feedback after an action has been completed, like a success checkmark for example.
They help to create an intuitive experience, one that feels like your site or app responds to your users in real-time. Some examples of this include an animated ‘like’ button with a bounce or a shake animation on a failed password input for example.
Just remember – your animations should be fast, subtle, and never get in the way of usability!
Let us help with your UX design for mobile
If you’re thinking about creating a mobile app, revamping your mobile site, or you’re looking to build user journeys that drive real results, get in touch with us today. We design mobile experiences that do more than look good, they perform for real users in real-world scenarios.
We apply proven UX design principles for mobile that prioritises clarity, usability, and purpose. From wireframes and prototyping to user testing and motion design, we help brands deliver digital experiences that feel intuitive and friction-free. Speak to us today to learn more.
