With so many apps being released into the market everyday, the competition for users is high. Mobile app designers have to discover a unique secret sauce to grab users’ attention and keep them enthralled. Great interaction design is one of the essential ingredients of that secret sauce that helps to make an app truly stand out. For that, we dedicate the Top 5 Mobile Interaction Designs monthly series to the interaction design teams that create delightful app experiences. In no particular order, here are this month’s mobile apps featuring great interaction design.
1. Storm & Skye and The Secret of The Car Wash by Digimon Studios
Admittedly, the “secret of the car wash” doesn’t sound all that exciting for any regular grownup. But for children of 5 years and above, the premise of this storybook adventure app could very well be a captivating one. Storm & Skye is a beautifully illustrated and animated app for children to dive into a magical world of imagination and dreams.
Mix one part Pixar movie, one part audiobook, a generous dose of great visual and interaction design and you’ll get the innovative app that is Storm & Skye. Apps these days tend to resort to very fancy gimmicks so as to keep the users hooked. But Storm & Skye shows us that sometimes all you need is an outstanding storyboard and an excellent interaction design team that understands the power of childlike wonder.
2. Bookling by Mister Bumbles Interactive
There’s something about real books that makes it really hard to be replaced by digital ones. Perhaps it’s the mere look of ink of paper or the feel of paper slipping through one’s fingers – it’s magical. Bookling understands that. The company believes that your love for real books can co-exist with the rise of technology. The digital bookmarker app helps you to track your reading and to keep you on track. Monitor your progress and send yourself reminders to read regularly, this mobile app is a must-have for all bookworms.
Usually, I associate reading with serenity and solitude. The delightful interaction design of Bookling pushes me to rethink that association. The UI animations are exciting with flamboyant splashes of colourful ink. They even make reading seem like the most invigorating activity of all time.
Source: Amrit Pal’s Singh’s Behance
3. Tower in The Sky by Three Brothers Games
Tower in The Sky is a RPG mobile game in which payers lead a team of unlikely heroes into battle. Being a former avid fan of RPG games, I find that the gameplay seems a lot like Heroes of Might and Magic, a one-time favourite game of mine. Or is it just me? In any case, Tower in The Sky comes with all the excitement and features that hardcore gamers tend to look for in the genre, from building stats to collecting items.
For a mobile game to be engaging, not only does it have to be challenging enough but it also has to pack in a good deal of great interaction design. Tower in The Sky features a handful of wacky animations, powerful character design and gorgeous graphics. I really like how the characters bounce when speaking and of course, the fancy explosions during battle.
Source: Three Brothers Games
4. Seedling Comic Studio by Seedling USA
Comics are a staple in any household with either kids or geeks. It’s even seeping into popular culture. Just look at the rising number of superhero comic-to-film adaptations and the increasingly elaborate superhero costumes featured at Comic-Con. Being a superhero for a day is fun. What’s more fun is having the ability to create your own superheroes at any time.
Seedling Comic Studio aims to bring comic creation right into the hands of mobile users. The interaction design of the app is all about user engagement and customisation. Add speech bubbles and stickers, or select different layouts and themes.
Source: Seedling
5. Pause by ustwo and PauseAble
Apps to help increase mindfulness are becoming quite popular these days. Modern life is technology-driven and fast-paced. It’s useful to have the occasional reminder to slow down and take things easy before accumulated stress breaks us down. Pause is an app that helps to produce a calmer state of mind and to reduce stress by voluntarily focusing on the moment.
Pause is a great example of how interactive technology can help us cope with the digital demands of modern life. The essence of the app reminds us of the need to turn our attentions to what’s within. The interaction design is heavily backed by psychological research. It consists of a single action of pressing your finger on a blob on the screen and letting your mind be at ease. The audiovisual feedback of Pause helps users to dwell in that calming state of mind.
Are you inspired? Help us inspire others with examples of great interaction designs. Tweet us @protoio or @wildningja.
