%20scale(17.5)%22%20opacity%3D%220.3%22%20fill%3D%22none%22%20stroke%3D%22%23fff%22%20stroke-width%3D%222.3%22%20stroke-linecap%3D%22round%22%20stroke-linejoin%3D%22round%22%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%2214%22%20height%3D%2220%22%20x%3D%225%22%20y%3D%222%22%20rx%3D%222%22%20ry%3D%222%22%20%2F%3E%20%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M12%2018h.01%22%20%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3Cg%20transform%3D%22translate(80%2080)%20scale(17.5)%22%20opacity%3D%221%22%20fill%3D%22none%22%20stroke%3D%22%23fff%22%20stroke-width%3D%222.3%22%20stroke-linecap%3D%22round%22%20stroke-linejoin%3D%22round%22%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%2214%22%20height%3D%2220%22%20x%3D%225%22%20y%3D%222%22%20rx%3D%222%22%20ry%3D%222%22%20%2F%3E%20%3Cpath%20d%3D%22M12%2018h.01%22%20%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Mobile app design, drawn in halftone dots")
Mobile app design for iOS and Android
Mobile app design for iOS and Android is the interface design of apps for phones and tablets: flows, screens, navigation, gestures and components. Pavlo Zhydkykh designs mobile apps in Figma for AI and SaaS startups, following Apple's Human Interface Guidelines and Material Design 3, for a fixed quote after a first call.
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- Platforms
- iOS and Android
- Guidelines
- Apple HIG, Material 3
- Tool
- Figma
- Price
- Fixed quote
- Feedback
- 2 rounds
- Handoff
- Specs and assets
Key takeaways
- Native mobile apps are designed for one mobile operating system, typically iOS or Android.[1]
- Apple sets a minimum control size of 44 by 44 points on iOS and iPadOS.[2]
- Android recommends a touch target of at least 48 by 48 dp for each interactive element.[3]
- Pavlo Zhydkykh designs iOS screens to Apple's Human Interface Guidelines and Android screens to Material Design 3, and checks every screen at larger text sizes.
- Mobile app design by Pavlo has no public price: a fixed quote follows the first call, with two feedback rounds included.
What is mobile app design?
Mobile app design is the interface design of apps for phones and tablets: flows, screens, navigation, gestures and the components developers build from. iOS and Android each have separate conventions, Apple's Human Interface Guidelines for iOS and Material Design 3 for Android, and apps that follow the conventions feel familiar from the first tap.
“I follow the platform before the brand. People already know how iOS and Android behave, and fighting that costs every new user time.”
Fit check
Is Mobile app design
right for you?
A good fit if
- You are launching an iOS and Android app and need the screens before development starts.
- Your app is built in React Native or Flutter and needs one design that respects both platforms.
- Your web product needs a mobile companion app designed.
- Your current app gets reviews about confusing navigation.
Not the right fit if
- You need the app coded or published: Pavlo delivers Figma files and a handoff for your developers.
- You need a game interface or a 3D app.
- You want one layout copied to both platforms with no changes.
Compared
iOS and Android: what changes per platform
One app, two sets of conventions. These are the differences every design by Pavlo accounts for.
| Criterion | iOS (Apple HIG) | Android (Material 3) |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum touch target | 44 by 44 pt | 48 by 48 dp |
| System font | SF Pro | Roboto |
| Main navigation | Tab bar at the bottom | Navigation bar at the bottom |
| Going back | Back button and edge swipe | System back gesture |
| Main action | In the toolbar or content | Floating action button |
| Larger text | Dynamic Type | Font scale setting |
Checklist
7 checks before a mobile design goes to developers
Pavlo takes each check from the platform guidelines or from what breaks most often on real phones.
1. Touch targets are big enough
At least 44 by 44 pt on iOS and 48 by 48 dp on Android, with space between targets.
2. Main actions sit within thumb reach
Primary buttons and navigation in the lower part of the screen, where one hand can reach the controls.
3. Back works the platform way
A back button and edge swipe on iOS, the system back gesture on Android.
4. Larger text does not break the layout
Screens tested with Dynamic Type on iOS and a raised font scale on Android.
5. Safe areas are respected
Content stays clear of the status bar, the camera cutout and the home indicator.
6. Offline and slow states are designed
What the app shows with no network, and how the app saves work until the connection returns.
7. Permissions are asked in context
Camera, location or notifications requested when the feature needs access, with a screen that says why.
How it works
From user flows to iOS and Android screens ready to build
The timeline is set in writing with the fixed quote after the first call. Here is the path every project follows, step by step.
| # | Step | When | What happens | You get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Call and fixed quote | Day 1 | A call with Pavlo about the app, the users, the platforms and the screens in scope. | A fixed quote and timeline in writing |
| 02 | Flows and platform map | Week 1 | Key tasks mapped as flows, with the places iOS and Android behave differently: navigation, back, sheets and permissions. | Flow diagrams in Figma |
| 03 | Wireframes, round 1 | After flows | Phone wireframes for every step of the flows, with your comments in round 1. | Approved wireframes |
| 04 | UI and components | After sign-off | Visual design on iOS and Android frames, components with every state, larger text sizes checked. | High-fidelity screens and components |
| 05 | Prototype, round 2 | After UI | A clickable prototype you open on your phone in the Figma app, with your comments in round 2. | An approved design |
| 06 | Developer handoff | Final week | Specs, tokens, and icons and assets exported at the sizes each platform needs, plus a walkthrough between Pavlo and your developers. | A Figma file ready to build |
In their words
Mobile app design, in the words
of docs and Pavlo's clients
Word for word, with the source linked: research, official documentation and the people Pavlo Zhydkykh has worked for.
“Native applications are designed specifically for a mobile operating system, typically iOS or Android.”
“The intent of this success criterion is to help ensure targets can be easily activated without accidentally activating an adjacent target.”
“People with impaired vision, color blindness, impaired hearing, impaired dexterity, cognitive disabilities, and many other disabilities use Android devices.”
“The web and mobile designs he created were amazing. His communication was prompt.”
“One of the best contractors I have worked with. Really thoughtful about communication. Would 100% hire again.”
“He is amazing in what he contributes, both design-wise and also from the ideas.”
FAQ
Questions about
Mobile app design
Still unsure? Ask your AI about Pavlo Zhydkykh:
Q.01How much does mobile app design cost?
There is no public price: Pavlo Zhydkykh gives a fixed quote after a first call, based on the flows, screens and platforms in scope. The quote is in writing before work starts and includes two feedback rounds.
Q.02How long does a mobile app design project take?
The length depends on the number of flows and screens and on whether both platforms are in scope, and the timeline comes in writing with the fixed quote. Pavlo delivers the flows and platform map in week 1.
Q.03Do iOS and Android need separate designs?
iOS and Android share one design system but not every screen: navigation, back behaviour, sheets and touch target sizes follow each platform. The handoff marks where the two differ, so React Native or Flutter developers know what to branch.
Q.04Who owns the designs?
You do. The Figma file lives in your team or moves there at handoff, with every component, style and prototype.
Q.05What do I need to provide?
The main user tasks, your brand assets and access to any existing app or web product. One person who signs off each step keeps the project on schedule.
Q.06What happens after handoff?
Your developers build from the Figma file. Pavlo answers questions during the build and makes small changes and new screens at $30 an hour, with no retainer.
About the author
Pavlo Zhydkykh
Pavlo Zhydkykh is a web designer and developer in Eastern Europe who has built websites for AI, fintech and B2B startups since 2016, designing and building each project himself on Framer or Astro + Sanity. Clients include MStudio Asia, Silicon Data, Inturai, Accolade Pro, NimbleStax and Sancts.
- Top Rated on Upwork
- 100% Job Success
- 10 years since 2016
- 50+ sites shipped
- 90+ PageSpeed at launch
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