Why this matters
In Ghana, the phone is the main way many people go online. Many design adverts ask for mobile and responsive design for web and apps. Designing well for phones means following familiar patterns so people do not have to learn something new, and making layouts that adapt to every screen size.
Follow platform conventions
Android and iOS each publish free design guidelines: Material Design for Android and the Human Interface Guidelines for Apple. Android phones are very common in Ghana, but check your own research. Conventions to know:
- Bottom navigation with three to five main destinations is common and easy to reach with a thumb.
- The back action is expected to work. On Android many people use the system back gesture or button, so never trap them.
- A clear primary button for the main action on each screen.
- Standard icons for common actions, such as a magnifying glass for search, always with a text label when there is room.
Using familiar patterns is not lazy. It means users can spend their attention on their task, not on learning your app.
Touch targets and thumbs
Fingers are less precise than a mouse. Material Design recommends touch targets of at least 48 by 48 density independent pixels (dp), and Apple's guidelines give 44 by 44 points as the usual hit area for a button. WCAG 2.2 sets a lower floor of 24 by 24 CSS pixels at its AA level, with exceptions such as small targets that have enough space around them. Treat 24 as the floor, not the goal. Leave space between targets so people do not tap the wrong one.