{"id":1331,"date":"2021-10-13T00:42:25","date_gmt":"2021-10-13T00:42:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.elegantmedia.com.au\/blog\/?p=1331"},"modified":"2025-12-18T04:50:28","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T04:50:28","slug":"best-app-designs-of-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elegantmedia.com.au\/blog\/best-app-designs-of-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Best App Designs of the Future – App Design Gold! [2026]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It was in June 2007 that the very first iPhone was released. Native apps were developed for the phone, and just over a year later in 2008, the App Store was launched. Till only a few years ago, most people on the planet did not even know what App design or even Apps were. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast forward to 2026 and Apps have become the lifeblood of the way we humans consume information, communicate with each other and do pretty much everything else.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Best App Designs of 2007 looked like the work of a toddler when compared to the Best App Designs of today. The App designs of today are all about innovation, they are simple, they are elegant, they are intuitive, and they are designed to keep the user engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before we list our carefully picked 20 best App designs of the future, it is important to define what factors make an App design ‘great’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes Mobile App design great?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are 3 main factors that we need to consider when looking for the best mobile App designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. UI Design (User Interface):  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The way an app feels, the way it catches our attention and the way it interacts with us, is all dependent on the UI design of that App. A user’s visual interactive experience is dependent on the UI Design of the App, making it one of the most important factors to consider when selecting the best App design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most obvious factor to be considered when identifying a \u2018great\u2019 mobile app design: <\/em>UI Design<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. App Flow (Navigation): <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We have all used Apps and websites with terrible navigation. That is the thing about great navigation, it is not memorable, terrible navigation is. A great App design should have navigation that is so fluid and intuitive that the user does not even realise they are navigating through the App. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most striking differences between Android smartphones & Apple iPhones is their navigation flow. While Android phones have a drawer menu which is a drop-down list of elements, the iOS uses the tab bar and has no navigation buttons anymore. With Android, the designers have more functionalities available to them, while iOS has its own benefits and limitations.  

This is the next most important factor in giving a mobile app design a yay or a nay: <\/em>Navigation<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. UX Design (User Experience):  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

UX Design is a human-first approach to designing a product. Which in our case is an App. An App with a great UX design ensures that a user finds it easy to accomplish the task that App is designed for, it ensures the App feels intuitive and easy to use. A great UX Design will leave the user feeling like they want to use the App again. Which really is the primary role of any well designed App.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the prime factors when we try to identify a \u2018great\u2019 mobile app design: <\/em>UX Design<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alright then! With these 3 factors in mind, here is our list of <\/strong>the:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

20 Best App Design Ideas of the Future <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

(In no particular order) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Best App Design (Wellness) – Lo\u00f3na<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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If you are searching for that perfect night\u2019s sleep then look no further than the Lo\u00f3na<\/a> Mobile App. This App makes disconnecting from a stressful day really easy with its collection of sleepscapes – a guided session that combines activity-based relaxation, storytelling, and atmospheric sounds in a unique way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One cool aspect about the Lo\u00f3na Mobile App is that instead of putting the user to sleep it promises to alter the user\u2019s mood that transports them to a night of blissful sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This App was the Google Play Best App of 2020 and an Apple Design Award 2021 Winner for Visuals & Graphics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=oh2zK8wg_Bw\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Apple: App Store Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Android: <\/a>Play Store Link<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Best Design (AR Lifestyle App) – Houzz<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Built by the house renovation website with the same name Houzz<\/a> is an App that covers all bases when it comes to renovating a house.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Houzz App's users love the AR feature it offers. Source: Houzz<\/a><\/sub><\/code><\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

With its Augmented Reality feature, Houzz shows us how a great design can seamlessly integrate technology like AR adding immense value to its functionality. With a stunning 4.8 star rating the App consistently delivers on everything it promises and more. Houzz is another great example of how integrated AR will soon become a norm in all lifestyle Apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Houzz
Houzz app gets \u2018View in My Room 3D\u2019 tool update, now able to place tile flooring in AR. Source: 9to5mac<\/a><\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Apple: App Store Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Android: Play Store Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Best App Design (Game) – Sayonara Wild Hearts <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When you win the 2019 game of the year and 2020 best design of the year awards from Apple, you know you have done something monumental with the design of your App!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The App industry is swarming with thousands of new and old games and Sayonara Wild Hearts has managed to stand out from the crowd with its dreamy design that makes riding motorcycles, skateboarding, dance battling, shooting lasers, wielding swords, and breaking hearts into a mesmerising experience. The game is available on mobile exclusively as part of Apple Arcade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Apple: App Store Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Best App design (AR Education) – The Star Shopper<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is our homegrown Aussie App that is redefining the potential for AR in educating kids. The Star Shopper App, built by Elegant Media, brings comic books to life by using Augmented Reality technology, making learning much more interactive and engaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A number of things make this App special. This App uses Augmented Reality, a technology that is bound to become ubiquitous in the near future. Also, this App is built to teach kids the skills to manage money as part of ASB\u2019s GetWise financial literacy schools programme for New Zealand students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The seamless integration of AR-enabled learning which turns education into a fun experience for kids is what makes the design of this App a great one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apple: App Store Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Android: Play Store Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t

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Have an App Idea?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Our Award-Winning design team can help you build the App of your dreams<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\tBook FREE Consultation<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\n\n

5. Best design (Meditation App) – Waking up <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This not so well known meditation App might just be the best-designed self-help App in the world right now. The Waking up<\/a> App tackles the tricky terrain of meditation and philosophy with the simplicity and ease of a design Guru.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The seamless integration of philosophy, interviews and meditation sessions is simply magical in Waking up. The success of the design team is reflected in the unheard-of 4.9-star rating the App has on both the App Store and the Play Store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Apple: App Store Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Android: Play Store Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Best Design (Photography App) – Darkroom<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Winner of the 2020 Apple Design Award<\/a> for outstanding design, innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement, this popular photography App makes regular updates to its design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: iphonephotographyschool<\/a><\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis comprehensive and surprisingly powerful photo editor comes loaded with all the granular controls and moody filters you\u2019ve come to expect \u2014 with an elegant interface that truly lights the way. Its simple Curves editor lets photographers of all levels fine-tune light and colour in an intuitive and artful way. Pros will appreciate Darkroom\u2019s ability to batch-edit images, open RAW files, and create custom filters. In the crowded world of photo-editing apps, Darkroom shines bright.\u201d – Apple<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might be worth noting that the App seems to have a much better design on Apple than on Android, going by the number of average\/bad reviews it has on the Android Play Store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Source: Cultofmac<\/a><\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Apple: App Store Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Android: Play Store Link<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Best App Design (Wellness) – Be My Eyes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Imagine a community of over 4.5 million volunteers, across 150+ countries and 180+ languages, coming together to help more than 300,000 blind and low-vision users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Be My Eyes<\/a> App empowers the blind and those with low-vision to identify objects by pairing them with volunteers from around the world using their camera.

This App was an Apple Design Award 2021 Winner for Social Impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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