Top 10 UI Designing Tools to Learn by Mobile App Designers

Top 10 UI Designing Tools to Learn by Mobile App Designers

A successful app is nothing without a good design. Every top ranking app has a great design and very easy navigation. Good looking UI and simple UX is the basic rule of mobile app designing. But, designing doesn’t work by rules.

Does it?

It’s a creative and technical field. It works with unique ideas and top tools.

It’s very important for the designers to have a creative mindset, knowledge of trending tools, and technical know-how. If you are considering designing as your career choice then knowing the latest designing tools is mandatory. You can learn using these tools by enrolling at mobile app designing training classes.

Here is the list of top 10 UI tools every design must know about.

Top 10 Designing Tools

1) Adobe Photoshop

It is one of the most popular tools among developers. Photoshop is an image editing software compatible with two leading platforms windows and macOS. Learning the tool is neither too easy nor too difficult. The fact is that the basics of this tool are easy but when it comes to learning advanced, it is a bit tricky. If you are a developer, go on and check the free trial to know if this is the tool you want to start your designing career with or not.

2) Sketch

The sketch is also a highly reputed designing tool. It is one of the most favorites among mobile app designers. Learning sketch is easy but if you want to master it, time and efforts both are highly needed. Not every designer can put their hands on the tool and use it to its core. The tool focuses on UI/UX design and allows the collaboration between the designer and the entire team much easier.

It provides various libraries allowing the designer to build and share a single source for designing components. The sketch is great for creating buttons, tabs, symbols, headers, and such other components. With advanced features of Sketch, the designers can work faster. The tool speeds up the entire workflow. It allows the designer to add data to the design and play GIFs in the project with lots of plugins available in the tool.

3) Marvel

Marvel is also in the league of tools that has everything a designer needs. Designers can create a prototype, create the final design, and collaborate with the entire team to work on the project. One of the highlighting features about Marvel is that it allows the designer to sync their design with other tools like Sketch, Photoshop, and such others.

Mobile app designers add their designs from other applications to Marvel and make it unique. The tool allows both fresher’s and experienced both can use this tool to create unique mockups and assets. The tool is simple and easy to learn and use.

4) Adobe XD

It’s an advanced app designing tool offering a quick way to create prototype, design, and share UI and UX. The tool allows the designer to shift quickly to prototype and from prototyping to actual design and then to the development.

It helps not just to design apps but to build interactive experiences for the users. It allows the designer to share the design in real-time with other team members. A single click can turn design to prototype and make things easier by having templates for web apps, smartphone apps, and tablet apps.

5) Adobe Illustrator

The next tool in the list of top tools for designing is adobe illustrator. It is very popular among top designers for designing successful mobile apps. To be very honest, it is not easy to learn illustrator but it is definitely worth putting the efforts to learn it. It is compatible with macOS and windows.

It is a vector graphics app for developers. The software is quite mature and hence one of the favorites among designers. The tool is used to design logos, sketches, illustrations, videos, and typography.

6) Mockups

Mockups are a simple but powerful tool compatible with Windows and macOS. Mockups tool allows the mobile app designers to create and link interactive elements and pages. The tool has a drag and drops features which makes prototyping easier.

Developers can create apps for desktop, web, and mobile. The tool provides plenty of handy plugins and icons for designing. It provides a free version with limited functionality. Try it now.

7) Proto.io

It is a browser-based prototyping tool. The design will become much easier by using this tool. The best part about using this tool is it doesn’t need any coding knowledge. The user can just import their work from Photoshop or Sketch. Also, the users don’t need to install heavy software to use the tool.

Timeline feature can be used to build animations and show the app flow across different screens. The tool is comprised of plenty of features like multi-item edit, groups, layers, filters, color adjustment, dropbox sync, asset flow, offline mode, UI libraries, and many more.

8) Invision

This is a tool that is created by the designers. This makes it very special; the one who is to use it has developed it themselves. The tool is considered one of the most powerful tools for UI design. The tool allows the designers to take their design a notch higher. The tool is not limited to testing visuals but also allows the wireframe to flow in a good manner. It has seamless navigation allowing the users to navigate the entire process in one place.

9) Axure RP

The tool provides all the functionalities right from the start to the end. The designing tool allows the designer to create personas, flowcharts, graphical presentation, and much more. An interesting fact about Axure is that it allows coding and also permits ready to use libraries and components that help the user create great designs.

10) Figma

It the first tool that allows collaborative UI. Figma helps its users to turn innovative ideas into real designs very quickly. It lets the user create a design with linked UI components that the entire team can use. It gives great control and a higher level of flexibility to the entire team.

Conclusion

So, you know the best tools, its time you start learning one of them to start designing. Join a web designing course and get trained under the expert designers to be one of them.

May 1, 2020 Vihar Rana App Development No comments yet

Java Vs Kotlin for Android: Which is Better Choice For Building Your Next Mobile App Project?

Java has always been he go to language till the past many years. However, with new languages popping up, the dominance of Java is decreasing with time. After Google announced Kotlin as the official programming language, Java has got a hit and for Kotlin comes humongous popularity. Android developers are in a serious dilemma which one to pick when you are developing your next Android app. Here is a comparison of Java and Kotlin with a conclusion of which should you prefer for the next project.

Java Vs Kotlin for Android Project

Java Programming Language

It is developers favorite when it comes to development and of the strong reasons behind that is Android itself is written in Java. It is an Object-oriented programming language which has received the title of second most active language on GitHub. Java is used for Android development for the last 20 years and it has grown a lot in the past few years.

Pros of Java

=> Learning and working is easy
=> Flexible working with the option to run on a web browser or the virtual machine. This will be of great use while reusing the code and updating software.
=> Android SDK has several Java libraries which makes Android bit dependent on Java.
=> Allows quick assembly within Gradle which comes in handy while assembling huge projects.
=> Large open-source ecosystem.
=> Apps developed with Java are highly compact and are easy to optimize for better performance is required.

Cons of Java

=> It needs lots of memory and is slow compared to some other programming languages.
=> It needs to write more code keeping a room open for errors and bugs.
=> It has certain restrictions which cause trouble for Android API design.

Kotlin Language

Designed by JetBrains to add modern touch and features to Java. The language was working well but gained another level of popularity after being announced as the official programming language in Google I/O in 2018. Google has already switched to Kotlin, Have you? It is an open-source language typed statistically based on JVM. You just need to install the Kotlin plugin and allow it to configure to your project.

Pros of Kotlin

=> Speeds up the development and can also be used in the backend project like Spring 5.
=> Because of the scripting ability, it can be easily used in the Gradle build scripts.
=> Shifting from Java to Kotlin is easy, just install Kotlin plugin, add the same to Gradle build files and press Convert.
=> Support several modern programming functions.
=> Needs lesser coding and more expressive than Java which leaves lesser room for errors and bugs.
=> Compatible with all the frameworks and libraries and can be integrated with the Gradle and Maven build systems.
=> Adoption of Kotlin is easy and can be done by taking training from any Android Training Classes.

Cons of Kotlin

=> Steep learning curve which is both a pro and con when shifting the entire team to Kotlin.
=> Compared to Java, it has slower compilation.
=> Smaller developers community which makes getting answers and resources to learn a bit difficult.
=> Most of the Kotlin developers would still be in the learning phase and finding an expert would be difficult.
=> It’s a highly declarative language and hence tend to create a huge amount of boilerplate in corresponding JVM bytecode.

Conclusion :

Kotlin has more advantages than Java but, has certain shortcomings as well. If you are a newbie, it’s advisable to learn Kotlin as it is modern, in trend and highly demanded. Also, if you are an expert you can’t afford to be the left out one for the advanced programming language. So, it’s a clear answer, choose Kotlin for your next Android app.

September 14, 2019 Vihar Rana Android, App Development, Training Course No comments yet

What Is The Process of Becoming An Associate Android Developer?

You must have heard Android developer but Associate Android Developer (AAD) must be a relatively new term for you. It is a certificate provided by Google which puts a label on your developer’s career. Android app development is not that big of a deal but, developing a glitch-free and flawless android app is a big deal. Also, proving that to the client and getting the project becomes a difficult job. This is where a certificate helps and what can be better than getting it from Google itself.

What is the Associate Android Developer Certificate?

It is a Google Developers Certificate which is issued directly from the company of which the tools are being used. The certificate is recognized on global platforms which are of great use for the freelance Android developers looking to work for the international clients. It will convince the clients about the expertise of the certificate holder in the field of Android development.

How Can A Developer Become Associate Android Developer?

The process is quite simple, the candidate just has to appear and pass an exam on Android SDK, Android Studio, and one of the programming languages either Java or Kotlin. There will be nominal fees to be paid and provide identity proof. Once the above steps are completed, you will be given eight hours to complete the exam.

If you have submitted the exam successfully within 8 hours, the next step is to finish an exit interview. This step includes sending over a recording of the spoken answers. If you clear this round, you will then be handed over the certificate.

How Much Does It Cost To Become An AAD?

The costing of AAD certification is not relatively high. The average fees of appearing for the exam is $149. However, it might differ a bit based on the location. The fee is non-refundable. This means if you are not able to clear the exam, you will have to pay again.

Criteria of Android Associate Developer Exam

The exam is aimed at the beginner level Android developers. Hence, this certificate will be available to everyone having even the bit of experience with Android. However, you will have to study and prepare for the exam. Google does provide certain content to prepare for the exam as a guide.

• Features and functionality of the app.
• Usage of Android UI framework.
• Using the Android framework for storing and retrieving data into the mobile environment.
• Debugging the app.
• Testing the android app.

It is advisable to take the basic training from an Android training institute to save yourself from paying twice.

Importance of Associate Android Developer Certificate

It depends on your level whether it is what you really need or not. If you are a student this is of great use to you. The certificate will help you to get a job or convince the client and hand you over the project. However, if you are already an experienced developer having worked on several projects with a portfolio, this certificate would not be of great use to you. This is basically for beginners to prove their knowledge. Experienced already have a portfolio and work to show to the clients, they don’t need a certificate.

September 2, 2019 Vihar Rana Android, App Development, Training No comments yet

Things To Know Before Building Your First Android App

Developing an Android app narrows down to two basic skillset or languages that include Java and Android. Java is the core language used in Android and the Android consists of learning XML for app designing, concepts of Android, and merging those concepts into programming with Java. Once you learn Java and XML, you will need to learn how to combine these two by using the Android principles. If you are even a bit good, you will get used to XML very easily without prior training. It can be learned during your ongoing project as well. This is not the case with Java, it has to be learned beforehand by getting enrolled at an Android training program.

For a newbie looking forward to developing their first Android app, learning Java is a prerequisite. There is no alternate for Java, you just have to get acquainted with it. The newbies should start by watching YouTube tutorials for installing Eclipse and DK. Eclipse is IDE for the Java development. It will also educate you about the syntax for the Java concepts, if statements, and Such as for the loops.

Once the basics are covered, YouTube won’t be of that great use, it will then be the time for books or live learning lectures. YouTube does not provide all that is needed to build and deploy your first Android app.

What is Eclipse and Android Studio?

Both of these are IDEs (integrated development environment). Java can be coded with other programs which run the code but these two are the most popular and recommended. IDEs are basically to compile the code and run it with a single button. With other apps, you will need to write separate code for compiling and then write another code to run it. IDEs will merge both these and ease the developer with a single code.

Daily/Weekly Time Spent on App Development

When you are at a starting stage, you will need to invest more time. The reason is that you need to learn first and then integrate it. Also, if you are stuck in a problem, even a small one, it can eat up a lot of time. As a newbie, it will probably take around 2 to 3 months to complete your first Android app. Also, you need to invest 5 to 6 hours daily on your project to finish it in this duration.

Which is the Best Source for Query Redressal?

The only place for all the searches and top answer is Google. However, it will take up a lot of time to see various results of Google and check which one is reliable and which is not. So, the best source beginners should refer to their development doubts is StackOverflow. Android Subreddit also has a wide community and active to answer to all the questions asked by the struggling developers.

Get Live Project Training

Learning by self is a great experience but with a struggle one. One of the easy yet effective ways is to enroll at a live project training institute. Get the experience of developing an Android app in real-time and deploy your first app with ease and confidence.

August 14, 2019 Vihar Rana Android, App Development, Training, Training Course No comments yet

Things To Implement In iPhone App Development After iOS 13

Apple announced about iOS 13 in June 2019 at the WWDC event. As expected it has a bulk of new and exciting features to astonish the users. This has increased some work for the developers. The iPhone app developers have to stay tuned with the introduction of new features and also how to integrate them in the next app they are developing. Now, for experienced developers, it would be somewhat simple. On the contrary, for the newbie developers who have just completed their iPhone training period, it would be difficult for them to mark the changes in the features in its implementation in the development process. Here is a curated list of the features of iOS 13 that iOS developers should keep an eye on and study before their competitors.

Things To Implement In iPhone App

1) Location Permission

Apple is focusing highly on the user’s privacy and hence came up with location pop up permission feature. Well, it might pop up your head what’s new about this feature or wasn’t this feature already existing in the previous version as well? Yes, in the previous version the permission was asked only once and the developer can use the location detail every time they want. This way the developer can negatively use the location detail if they want and whenever they want. In iOS 13, the developer has to ask every time they want to use the location detail. This way the user’s privacy has surged a notch.

Your app must also inform the users about why they need the location permission and what will be the effects of allowing it and the effects of not allowing it. The users will be informed and I would suggest every iOS developer integrate it into their apps. This will allow the users to build trust in your app.

2) Dark Mode

One of the major updates the iOS devices are getting is dark mode. It is one of the most talked additions about the newer version. If you are thinking how will it affect your app, then yes it will and it will very much. As a developer, your app must be able to change the white background into the black. If you can do that, it can be a great marketing tactic. Not every app and not every developer is acquainted with this feature and talent. The users will be thrilled to see their app changing colors.

3) iPad OS

This is something new for the users and iOS developers. Apple has announced an entirely new version for the iPad. Apple intended to have a whole different set of features for iPad and for that they designed a whole new OS. If you are into developing iPad only apps, new OS is something you need to learn.

4) Siri

Siri has become more popular than ever and people have started using Siri more than ever. So, if your mobile app doesn’t take Siri commands, there are fair chances of it getting thrown in the competition. It’s time to upgrade your app and integrate the Siri commands.

5) Login With Apple

Till date, you must have heard login with Google or login with Facebook. But, now you will be able to login with Apple as well. However, there are some minor changes in logging in with Apple. The user can either login with face ID or with Touch ID detection or with the Apple ID credentials. Also, the essential thing to note here is that the Apple review team will check this functionality in any new app submitted to the Apple app store. Login with the Apple button has to be the first in the social sign-in options. So, iOS developers you better start working on it.

August 6, 2019 Vihar Rana App Development, iOS, Training No comments yet

Android App Development Blunders You Should Keep Distance From

The biggest and most popular platform is Android at the current date. This means it has revenue, it has an audience, it has a potential user base, and it also has extreme competition. There is no room for mistake when you want to develop and deploy an Android app. One single mistake and the user will instantly find the alternate for your app. Also, there will be plenty of alternatives offering them what you have. To generate a loyal and non-abandoning user base, you need to offer them something that none other app offers and that too glitch free.

There won’t be any point in deploying an app that is badly coded, crash at times, have bugs, and is confusing for the users. Users won’t be attracted at such sites at first and even if they land, they will leave immediately. If your dream is to deploy your Android app in the Google Play Store, here are some of the popular blunders to avoid while developing it.

1) The Scourge Of Android OS

The market of Android is very wide with different Devices supporting different versions of OS. There are things to be taken care of like hardware configurations, screen size, architecture, software, and such things. Make sure to develop an app that fits all of the above requirements.

So, now as an Android developer, what should pay heed on is testing the app with various devices. However, this is also not a full-fledged solution. Even if you test your app with different devices, there will still be a possibility of your app not working on a certain device. So, instead of focusing on the device fragmentation, try to focus more on the clean code. It will be useful in the long run.

2) Design And Develop App Solely For Android

Android users are used to using specified material design and some core functionality with Android. Apps designed and developed purely for the Android platform provides out of the box user experience. However, this will not be the same when an app developed for the iOS platform is ported to Android.

The user experience will be very different from the apps that are built from scratch for Android and the one that is ported from iOS. However, while you are the Android training program, learning both of them is better. You never know what might come into use during the course of your career.

3) Not Focusing On The Latest Version

We just discussed the device fragmentation issue with Android. Because of this, there are a set of developers who develop the app compatible with the version which is used the most. They neglect the latest version of Android. This is one of the blunders of Android app development which developers should stay away. Always develop an app that is compatible with the latest Android version.

4) Ignorance Of Intents

At times Android developers know the intention of building the app. However, they are so much ingrained with their own process and don’t make changes as per app agenda. This can impact the app negatively. User, as well as the agenda of the app, must be the focal point of the app development. When an app is developed with keeping intent at focus, the heavy lifting of the features and functionality would be done by the Android platform itself and not by the app.

If you are an experienced developer, you must have faced all these scenarios during the course of your development. But, for the newbies at the verge of starting their career, all these things are extremely important. Join Developers Academy to get Android training and learn things to do and things not to do very minutely.

July 2, 2019 Vihar Rana Android, App Development, Training No comments yet

What Set OF Skills Are Needed To Be A Developer?

Becoming a developer is not an easy peasy job. Before you signup for this job, evaluate yourself. Whether you have what it takes to become a developer and you can do the proper justice to the job or not, and if it’s a yes for consideration only then join a training institute. All you need a bright and shining future whatever career choice you make and not regret having chosen the bad one. To help you make the correct decision and save you from making a bad one, here are some of the skills needed to become an Android or iPhone app developer.

Essential Skills Of A Mobile App Developer

1) Basic Maths

I am not telling you to need to be the Aryabhatta when it comes to maths. However, you need to know basic maths for learning and integrating development. If you want to pursue mobile app development as a career, you need to have a basic understanding of arithmetic and algebra.

2) Computing Confidence

You need to be technologically confident. Being a development means you are signing up to tie your hands around keyboard keys and eyes in the desktop. If you are slow or afraid of trying things with your computer, this might not be the job for you.

3) Searching Skills

Everything cannot be taught. Being a developer means you have to learn certain things yourself, search for the answers, and find your own errors. Google is right at our fingertips to search and get whatever we are looking for. However, there is a trick to find exactly what you are looking for and developers need to equip that searching skill.

4) Trial And Error

Being a programmer means you are doing something and you will stumble upon something totally different and learn something entirely new. There are infinite ways to perform a single task and the curiosity of finding and learning new things without being stick to something you already should be there.

A developer should have that zeal inside them to try things, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes. Opt for the Android or iPhone training program only when you have it inside you.

5) Stay Updated

Technology is an ever-evolving field. You just became an expert of something and soon that will no longer be in use. If this is a situation that frustrated you, don’t even say hello to being a developer, straight away say goodbye. You never know when will Kotlin be in trend and Java out and you cannot predict when it is Swift that has swiftly taken over Objective C. If you are always on the toes to learn new things, implement them at a faster pace and not complain about it, you are perfect to be a developer.

6) Good Writing Power

Coding needs to be written which makes writing skills one of the most important ones. Also, there would time when the developer has to make the client understand their work to the client. Now, the clients might not be technically sound and hence developer needs to have good writing and communication skills to make them understand.

April 22, 2019 Leena Sagar App Development, Training No comments yet

How Can You Choose The Right Library For Your App Development?

We just discussed the pros and cons of using the third party libraries in the app development. Well, with that blog you must have decided whether the pros are heavier than the cons or not. If you think third party libraries are a good thing to use, the second question popping your mind would be how can you choose a reliable third party library? Now, obviously when using a third party library or not is a question, which one to pick and which one to ditch would be a bigger question.

Don’t worry we are here to guide you. It’s better to know about the libraries during your Android or iPhone training. This will help you use them during your training and know how to deal with them and whether it is a really good idea to use them or not? Let’s get started with how you can choose the correct library while development.

Choose Right Library For Your App Development

1) The Popularity of the Library

Development platforms like GitHub have built-in crowdsource evaluation. Check on these platforms how much ratings have your chosen library has received. If the ratings are good, the next thing you need to check is that what are the problems reported for your library. If the library has support from a good amount of developers, it means the library is sufficiently popular and quality rich.

2) Active Developer’s Community

Good and popular libraries have an active developers community. They make sure of their maintenance and growth. They will be on their toes to solve any issues arising in the library and keep it up to date for every new version. Such libraries are the best to use as they are never going to be abandoned.

3) Author’s Reliability

A background check on the author won’t be a bad idea. A reliable author won’t be publishing a buggy library. And of course, you don’t want to get stuck with a buggy and left out the library. Check whether the Author is active on Github? Whether he has only one library active or have multiple libraries published? Are they actively helping the user of the library with their issues? Do they fix the bugs or accept the pull requests? A library that has support from its author is supposed to stay here for the long run, remain stable, and have framework updates.

4) Open Source

You can’t check the quality or the performance without having any access to the library’s code. Hence, it is important for your third-party library to be open source. Also debugging wouldn’t be possible and the security risk involved without the transparency counts.

5) Proper License

The choice of the library also depends on the license it has. Certain libraries can have limited use license. Check that before you use it and then regret. For example, there are certain libraries which can have restrictions for commercial product release. If your app is a commercial product and you have used this library, it can be an issue. So, check the proper license of the library without fail.

6) Well-Written

Good authors always document well. Check the code of the library and analyze how well structured it is. Check whether it has a well-structured README file or not. The integration will be easy and flawless when the library you use is well-written. This will also reduce the chances of bugs and crash.

7) Specific Needs

If the library you pick does not fulfill all the requirements of your app development project, you will need to tweak it. You better know that tweaking the library would take as much time as it will be needed to code it all by yourself. Also, if you pick a library that has too many features that are definitely not needed for the app is a bad fit for the app. Get your needs sorted very precisely and keep searching until you find the perfect fit. If you can’t find, write your own.

March 11, 2019 Vihar Rana App Development, Training No comments yet

Third-Party Libraries for App Development

Is It Advisable To Use Third-Party Libraries While App Development?

Whether it is Android or iPhone app development, we always hear the developers using third-party libraries. We know that they use but whether they should or they should not is something still in mystery. Every Android or iPhone training program you see, the institutes have mentioned the training to use third party libraries. The students being unaware of the pros and cons learn whatever they get to learn at the training institutes they have picked. If you are a student who has enrolled for iPhone or Android training program and on the verge of learning integration of third-party libraries, let me help them make an informed decision. Here are some of the pros and cons of using third-party libraries for app development.

Pros of Using Third-party Libraries

1) Accelerates the Development Process

One of the major benefits of using third party libraries is that it saves a lot of time for the developer. Developers can ditch the development of the functionality that the library already offers and pay attention to more important things of like logic of the app. Reading and understanding the library might consume time but not as much as it will be needed in developing that functionality from scratch.

2) Modular Code Usage

Another benefit is that it motivates the developer to write and work with the modular code. The code of the library is separate from that of the app’s code which makes the communication across well- defined boundaries. On a contrary, if the developers develop a feature all by himself, it might be difficult to decouple it from the rest of the app code. A well-built library allows the developer to get a clean and more clear code.

3) Usage of Pre-Tested Code

Testing and bug fixing is another highlighting advantage of using a third party library in development. A famous library would have been used several times and bugs would be reported and the solution would have been given as well. Hence, using such libraries will ensure the quality and stability of the app.

Cons of Using Third-party Libraries

1) Memory Consumption

Using plenty of libraries can cause several issues and one of the most common ones is increasing the size of the app and hence a huge memory consumption. This can make the app slow and create performance issues therein as well.

2) Security Malfunctions

Using third-party libraries might raise some of the security concerns like vulnerabilities in the open source libraries. These are becoming the most favorite targets for hackers.

3) Support Issues

When the library is waved goodbye by its Author, it can create an issue for the app. This is most probably seen in Android platform where newer versions are released frequently. A library asks for continuous maintenance to make it compatible with the latest version of the SDK. In the case of non-maintenance, the library might not function properly on new devices.

Well, as a developer now you know what’s more important for you when you are developing an app. You have seen both the sides of using a third party library. Before deciding the best, implement both of them during your live project training during your Android or iPhone training to get to the tried and tested conclusion.

Stay tuned to the Developers Academy blog as next one is about, “ How can you choose the right library for your app development.”

March 4, 2019 Vihar Rana App Development, Training Course No comments yet

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