Can Designing Apps For

One-Hand Usage Improve

Usability?

More than 90% of the mobile phones sold today have a greater than 5-inch
screen. Bigger screen means bigger visuals and a better experience when
you read, watch, or play. While, on the other hand, a smaller screen means
better grip and usability. It’s easier to move your fingers on small screen
smartphones than the bigger ones. However, designing apps and websites
for bigger screens are newer challenges for designers and developers that
they need to solve very soon.

In this blog, we will see how designing apps for one-hand usage can
improve usability and enhance the users’ experience. But before grasping
important information about the one-hand usage of mobile devices, I must
tell you something about SFWP Experts. It is the ​top web design Los
Angeles company that has seasoned designers, developers, copywriters,
and SEO analysts who work on projects passionately and make it highly
successful. You can trust us for getting a wide variety of services starting
from professional web design and development and going up to online
marketing and search engine optimization.

How Mobile Phones Came Into Existence?

Back in January 2007, the world shrank into our palms when three
revolutionary products - a phone, iPod, and internet - were merged into
one. The product developed after unification was not something to
introduce you with, it was a smartphone we know and love today.

iPhone was built to be comfortably used by people single-handedly,

allowing smoother movement of thumb across the whole screen.

One of the great designers at that time once said that the 3.5-inch screen is
the perfect size for users to operate a mobile phone and anything larger
than that is foolishness.

Well, the statement he has given was quite practical and it definitely relates
to our mobile-usage experience. For example, if you use some app on your
phone that has a 6-inch screen and some of its buttons are located at the
top left corner, you will find it difficult to tap on those buttons. But the case
is completely different in the mobile phones having less than 3.5 inch
screen. You can touch or tap on any of the links or buttons that are
positioned at different places on the screen.
Now you know why mobile devices with small-sized screens have better
usability? If you want to design your app for one-hand usage on mobile
phones, be informed that our Los Angeles web design company can help
you achieve your goals. The result-oriented services that we offer at fair
prices include business website design and development, website support
and maintenance, web hosting and domain registration, SEO, PPC, and
many more.

Why Bigger Screens Have Low Usability?

While bigger screens are great for showing more content, it has also larger
out-of-reach areas for thumbs. On the flip side, smaller screens may not
please you when it comes to the great visual experience, but it is easier for
thumbs to move across the screen.

The #1 design consideration of making mobile phones with the 3.5-inch

screen wasn’t the result of overnight thinking. To figure out the ideal size of
displays for one-handed usage, an American designer had to do deep
research. In his 2-month long research, he spent time at airports, streets,
cafes, and on buses and trains just to find out how people hold their phones.

He found most of the people holding their phone in three ways that you can
see in the picture above. Also, users were frequently changing their grip
based on their comfort level and situation.

What was most important to take into consideration is that 49% of users
hold their phones with one-hand, especially when they were on the go.

It was the point when he realized that designing mobile devices for
one-hand usage will deliver customers a great experience.

Since then apps were designed for one-hand usage. If you also wish to
design your mobile application for one-hand usage, you must lead with an
approach to place your links or buttons within the reach of the thumb.
Alternatively, you can also assign your project to our Los Angeles web
design company and then we will develop your mobile app to be operated
by one hand. We are not only into customized web design and development,
but you can also hire our company for social media marketing, online
advertising and promotion, and conversion rate optimization services.

Why Designing Apps For One-Hand Usage

Should Be The Top Priority For Developers?
We use our mobile phones a great deal when we are in a hurry or looking
for something very important. It greatly impacts the way we hold our
phones and operate the apps. That hurried usage of mobile apps translates
into a lot more of one-handed usage. As you remember well, 49% of users
hold their phone in one hand when they have to perform a certain task,
apps are the greater part of their usage.

According to some research, the average user checks their phones 58 times
a day, in which 70% of mobile interactions last within 2 minutes. Often we
use our phones in distracted short-burst usage and continue if there is
something we can’t afford to miss.

Here short-burst usage means “one thumb, one eyeball” mobile user
experience. This type of mobile use shows how a distracting environment
compels users to engage with mobile phones single-handedly, having a
short span of partial attention. What’s more, the best type of smartphone
usage with a single hand is one where quick interaction happens due to
smooth functionality.

Some of the examples for short-burst usage of mobile phones are:

While opening doors

Walking down the street
 Carrying a baby (clutched in one hand)
Calling a cab driver
Standing in the buses or trains
Shopping household items
Surfing social media sites

These are the scenarios when we use our mobile phones for a short span of
time. In case you want to know more reasons for designing apps for
one-hand usage you can make a call to our Los Angeles web design
company. Our experienced designers will get in touch with you and explain
the advantages of having such apps. Mostly, we practice our skills in two
main areas i.e., web design and development, and internet marketing
(including SEO, PPC, copywriting, and content marketing).

How To Design Your Apps Considering this

One-Handed Short-Burst Usage Of
Smartphones?
The answer to this question is quite simple as you are just required to do
continuous usability testing and study different ways for how users hold
their phones in different situations.

If your users usually use your app in the distracting scenarios, then you
should focus on your design approach that targets reachability and
one-handed use.

Spotify placed the Hamburger menu at the top-left corner of the screen that
resisted users to use those features. On top of that, when bigger screens came
into picture another design challenge was added to the previous list -
reachability.

This picture shows the level of difficulty and discomfort that users
experience when they use the app.
Considering the seriousness of the situation, Spotify’s team pulled down the
Hamburger Menu in 2016 and shifted its core features - Home, Browse,
Search, Radio, and Library - at the bottom. As a result of this action, an
increase in the percentage of their clicks was observed - 9% on general
options and 30% on menu items.

Wrapping up
You have seen how designing apps for one-hand usage is the deal of profit
for your company. There is no denying the fact that the improved
reachability of users will translate into increased engagement and higher
conversions. Therefore, it is important for every app maker to test the newly
developed apps for usability while considering the different ways in which
users hold their phones. Keep collecting the data and making changes to
your app design, and then you will be able to figure out differences between
the before and after results.

For technical help and guidance, you can also contact our Los Angeles web
design company where we listen to you, analyze your app or website, and
then make the most appropriate changes to increase your users’
engagement. Over a decade, we have been offering quality services to
businesses around the world, some of which are eCommerce web design
and development, mobile app development, software development, and a
full range of online marketing services.

So, if you are in the market, looking for the ​most trusted ​Wordpress
website design company for your next project, you want to work with
SFWP Experts.

Contact Details:

213-277-9177
la@sfwpexperts.com

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