Most mobile app creators think they know when their design is working—downloads are up, reviews look decent, and the app doesn't crash. But here's the thing: your app might be bleeding users without you even knowing it. People download apps all the time, open them once, get confused or frustrated, and never come back. That's not a technical problem—that's a design problem.
After building hundreds of apps over the years, I've learned that good design isn't just about pretty colours and smooth animations. It's about whether people can actually use your app to get things done. Can they find what they're looking for? Do they understand how to navigate around? Are they completing the actions you want them to take?
The best app design is invisible—users accomplish their goals without thinking about the interface
This guide will show you how to spot the warning signs when your app design isn't working, what metrics actually matter, and how to fix problems before they kill your app's success. We'll cover everything from user behaviour patterns to testing methods that reveal what's really happening when people use your app. Because knowing whether your design works isn't just nice to have—it's make or break for your app's future.
What Does 'Working' Actually Mean for Your App?
I've been in the mobile app business long enough to know that "working" means different things to different people. To a developer, working might mean the app doesn't crash when you tap a button. To a business owner, it might mean the app is making money. But here's the thing—neither of these definitions really captures what working means for your users.
When we talk about an app design working, we're talking about whether people can actually use your app to get what they want done. Can they find what they're looking for? Can they complete tasks without getting frustrated? Do they come back and use it again? These are the questions that matter.
It's About User Success, Not Just Technical Function
Your app might load perfectly and never crash, but if users can't figure out how to place an order or find their account settings, then your design isn't working. I've seen beautifully coded apps that were complete disasters from a user experience perspective. The buttons worked, the animations were smooth, but people couldn't actually accomplish anything meaningful.
A working app design is one that helps your users succeed at whatever they came to do—whether that's buying something, learning something, or just being entertained. Everything else is secondary.
Signs Your Users Are Struggling
When users are having trouble with your mobile app, they won't always tell you directly. Most people will just delete the app and move on with their lives. But there are warning signs you can spot if you know what to look for.
The most obvious sign is when people open your app but don't complete the actions you want them to. Maybe they start filling out a form but abandon it halfway through. Or they browse your products but never actually buy anything. These behaviours tell you something's not quite right with your UX measurement approach.
Common Struggling Behaviours
- Users repeatedly tapping the same button or area
- Long pauses between actions (they're thinking too hard)
- Backing out of screens frequently
- Using the search function excessively
- Abandoning tasks before completion
- Uninstalling the app quickly after download
I've seen apps where users were clearly lost—they'd tap around randomly, trying to find what they needed. That's a red flag for design validation issues right there.
Watch your app analytics for unusual user paths. If people are taking weird routes through your app to complete simple tasks, they're probably struggling with your current design.
The tricky part is that struggling users often look busy in your analytics. They might have long session times, but that's because they're confused, not engaged. Quality matters more than quantity when it comes to user interaction.
The Numbers That Tell the Real Story
Right, let's talk about the metrics that actually matter—not vanity numbers that make you feel good but tell you nothing useful. I've worked with countless clients who get excited about download numbers whilst their app bleeds users faster than a leaky bucket. Downloads mean nothing if people delete your app within minutes.
The real story lives in your retention rates. If less than 20% of users come back after day one, you've got a problem. By day seven, you want at least 10% still using your app regularly. These aren't just numbers I've plucked from thin air—they're industry benchmarks that separate successful apps from the digital graveyard.
Key Metrics to Track Daily
- Session length (how long people actually use your app)
- User flow completion rates through key features
- Crash reports and error frequencies
- Time to first value (how quickly users find something useful)
- Abandonment points (where users give up and leave)
Here's what I find fascinating: the apps that obsess over these numbers during development always perform better than those that don't. Your analytics dashboard isn't just pretty charts—it's a direct line to understanding whether your design choices are working or driving people away.
Testing Before You Launch
Here's something I learnt the hard way after years of mobile app development—launching without proper testing is like driving blindfolded. You might get lucky, but you're probably going to crash. The good news? There are plenty of ways to test your design validation before real users get their hands on your app.
Start with prototype testing using tools like Figma or InVision. Show your wireframes to real people (not just your mum!) and watch how they interact with your design. Do they tap where you expect them to? Can they complete basic tasks without getting confused? This kind of UX measurement gives you gold-standard insights before you've written a single line of code.
Beta Testing: Your Safety Net
Once you've got a working version, beta testing becomes your best friend. Apple's TestFlight and Google's Play Console make it dead simple to distribute your mobile app to a small group of testers. Give them specific tasks to complete—don't just ask if they "like" your app.
The biggest mistake I see developers make is assuming their app works just because it doesn't crash
Watch for patterns in feedback. If three people struggle with the same button, that's not user error—that's a design problem. Fix these issues now, because once your app hits the store, every confused user becomes a potential one-star review.
Getting Feedback That Actually Helps
I'll be honest with you—most feedback you get about your app will be rubbish. Not because people are trying to be unhelpful, but because they don't know how to give useful feedback. You'll hear things like "make it prettier" or "it needs more features" which sounds helpful but tells you absolutely nothing about what's actually wrong.
The trick is asking the right questions. Instead of "what do you think?", try "show me how you would book an appointment using this app" and then watch what happens. Don't help them. Don't give hints. Just observe where they get stuck, what they tap that doesn't work, and when they look confused.
Questions That Get Results
Here are the questions that actually help you improve your app design:
- What did you expect to happen when you tapped that button?
- How would you get back to the main screen from here?
- What's the most frustrating part about completing this task?
- If you had to explain this app to a friend, what would you say it does?
- What would stop you from using this app again?
The best feedback comes from watching people use your app, not from asking them to critique it. Actions speak louder than opinions—and they're much more reliable too.
When Your App Needs a Design Fix
Right, so you've been monitoring your mobile app metrics and collecting user feedback—now what happens when everything points to the same conclusion? Your app design isn't working as well as it should. Don't panic; this happens to the best of us, and recognising the problem is already half the battle won.
The tricky part is knowing where to start. You can't just redesign everything and hope for the best (trust me, I've seen teams try this approach and it rarely ends well). Instead, you need to prioritise which parts of your app need attention first.
Priority Areas for Design Fixes
- User onboarding flow—if people can't get started, nothing else matters
- Core functionality screens—the features people use most often
- Navigation and menu structure—how people move around your app
- Forms and input fields—anywhere users need to enter information
- Loading states and error messages—the forgotten but crucial elements
Start with the area that's causing the biggest drop-off in your user journey. If 60% of users abandon your app during registration, fix that first. Once you've tackled the most critical issues, you can move on to the nice-to-have improvements.
Before making any design changes, document your current metrics so you can measure whether your fixes actually work. UX measurement isn't just about spotting problems—it's about proving you've solved them.
Remember, design validation is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. Your app will need regular health checks to stay competitive.
Conclusion
After working with hundreds of apps over the years, I can tell you that knowing whether your design is working isn't a one-time check—it's an ongoing conversation between you and your users. The apps that succeed are the ones where teams listen, measure, and adapt based on real user behaviour rather than assumptions.
Your app's success shows up in multiple ways: users who stick around, complete the actions you want them to take, and don't get frustrated enough to delete your app. But here's what I've learned—these signals only matter if you're actually paying attention to them. Too many teams launch their app and then just hope for the best.
The good news is that you now have a toolkit for understanding your users. Watch your analytics, run tests before big changes, ask for feedback (and actually use it), and don't be afraid to fix things that aren't working. Your users will thank you for it, and your app will perform better because of it.
Building a successful app isn't about getting everything perfect the first time; it's about creating something that works for real people and then making it better based on what you learn. That's how you build something that lasts.
