Every once in a while every startup founder gets a craving for an app redesign, a fresh look that solves all business problem. Sometimes, this craving is justified, while sometimes... Well, let's just say that finite resources are often better assigned to other initiatives.
But how do you know if your app needs a redesign or not? If so, how much does it cost? Where should you start? — This article covers all that and more.
Without further ado, let's dive right in.
What's an app redesign
In short, an app redesign is scrapping an old design in favour of a new one. The degree to which the old app design is scrapped will vary: from cosmetic UI design touch-ups to complete structural overhauls.
Now let's talk about when you should consider getting one.
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When to Redesign your App
We've done quite a few redesigns over the years at Excited. Here are some of the top reasons people should consider a redesign:
- If user engagement or retention rates are consistently declining, a redesign can help re-engage users. Additionally, consider consulting industry benchmarks to see how you compare to the competition.
- Consistent negative feedback, low app store ratings, or poor reviews can signal usability issues that a redesign might address.
- When your app looks outdated due to newer design trends or an aging technology stack, a redesign ensures relevance. Using an old template doesn't cut it.
- A shift in business models, such as introducing new monetisation strategies or significant new features, often requires a fresh design approach.
- If competitors are offering better user experiences or features, it might be time to reassess your app’s design.
These considerations are what we look at when offering our clients a redesign. Now let's look at what types of redesign there are.
Types of app redesign
In short, there are four major types of a redesign. Let's look at each in the table below.
The type of redesign you should be going for will largely depend on your situation and the resources available. More on that in the next chapter.
When NOT to redesign an existing app
Not all reasons for a redesign are good reasons. Some — are just a form of business procrastination. Let's cover them as well.
- Redesigning purely to follow current design trends, without improving functionality or addressing user needs, often results in wasted resources.
- If there's no data or user feedback suggesting a need for change, it’s better to focus on other improvements.
- When financial, technical, or staffing resources are stretched thin, a full redesign could harm other business priorities.
- Minor usability issues or visual updates might be better addressed with small tweaks rather than a full redesign.
The key takeaway: an app redesign isn't a vanity project. It should be focused on the business goals you're looking to achieve.
How much it costs to redesign an app
The short answer — it depends. Mostly, it depends on two things: the amount of work necessary and the cost of the work you're hiring. Typically, updating the look and feel would cost you less than structural changes, since it needs less effort (updating UI elements only) to implement, i.e. code.
Additionally, redesigning your mobile app would typically be less complex than web apps, so a mobile app redesign would cost you less.
Based on a quick Google search and our personal experience, the prices may vary from a couple of thousand dollars to tens of thousands. If you'd like to get a more specific estimate for your app, drop us a line here.
It's worth noting that you typically would need a team for a redesign. It's common for teams who worked on legacy designs to build attachments to visual elements and patterns. Therefore, if possible, it's recommended that you get external help.
How to redesign: a step-by-step process
While the UX process varies based on the resources available and the scope of work, let us cover the basic steps that we go through. This isn't always a clear-cut step-by-step instructions
Research and analysis: the foundation of an app redesign process
This first step sets the stage for undertaking the redesign. To redesign a product, you first need a solid understanding of its flaws and advantages. Collect user feedback, talk to key stakeholders, review analytics, and competitors, and study them closely.
Once all this information is thoroughly collected, you can proceed to the next step: namely, setting goals.
Goal Setting
A redesign can improve many things. At this stage, you need a good idea of what it is exactly that needs improvement.
This step helps avoid vanity redesigns. If you don't set clear expectations, and define the goals you're likely to get mediocre results.
Establish clear objectives that align business priorities with user needs, such as improving usability or increasing engagement. If a redesign is focused on metrics, then make sure to have your pre-redesign UX metrics recorded. You may also want to investigate the industry benchmarks and analyse user trends.
Measuring impact is how you know whether the redesign was successful or not. That's also how you communicate to a ux designer, so they invest their time accordingly.
Prototyping and Testing: See How The App Performs Before Launch
Once the goals are set, we then develop wireframes or mockups and conduct usability tests to gather feedback before committing to development. A prototype typically looks something like this:
Prototyping lets the whole team see what the the app looks like and how it works. But, most importantly, it enables you to see how users interact with your product early on to spot the strengths and weaknesses of your new designs.
You don't need lots of users to get meaningful and actionable feedback. The industry standard is having 5 users per flow you're testing.
Then, based on user feedback, you can make changes to the prototype before you commit any usability flaws to code.
Development
Design and development should go in hand. Although we're covering this as a fourth step, developers should be involved early on to ensure that we're designing something that's feasible technically.
Once the designs are tested and validated, you should then implement the changes based on feedback, ensuring both frontend and backend elements are updated where necessary.
Launch and Monitor
Once the designs are coded, you then launch them. The amount of new designs to be launched at once depends on the type of redesign you're getting. If you're changing a few flows here and there, you may introduce changes gradually. Alternatively, if you're doing a complete overhaul, you'd have to launch the new version whole.
It should be noted, that many users, no matter the quality of redesigns, will be frustrated with the changes. That's normal. Getting used to a new UI or UX takes time, so don't be quick to panic.
Roll out changes gradually, monitor performance and changes over time through analytics and use A/B testing to validate improvements.
Case Study: Xilo – Transforming the UX Design Through App Redesign
Background
Xilo, a quoting and sales automation SaaS, needed to redesign its app to improve usability, streamline workflows, and create a cohesive UI and UX design system. The app redesign process started with an in-depth analysis of user behavior, revealing that lengthy insurance forms overwhelmed users. To enhance the user experience, our design team transformed the traditional format into a step-by-step process, making it more intuitive and easier to navigate.
Successful Mobile App Redesign & Desktop Revamp
Following user research, we created wireframes and Figma prototypes, then conducted usability testing for both mobile applications and desktop versions. Beta testers provided valuable insights, allowing quick refinements before development. To ensure visual consistency across the app, we built a design system with 200+ UI components, 400+ illustrations, and an 8px grid system, reinforcing brand identity across all platforms.
Results
The redesign was successful, leading to a fresh look, a more usable app, and improved user satisfaction and retention. Xilo’s redesign projects resulted in $14 million in funding, 300+ corporate clients, and a presence in 38 states, proving that a well-executed mobile app redesign can increase user engagement and retention while driving business growth.
Case Study: ClubReady – A Holistic User Experience Redesign
Background
ClubReady, a leading fitness SaaS provider, partnered with our design team to redesign their mobile app and web-based software, starting with their scheduling solution. The redesign process aimed to create a unified design system, enhance user experience, and improve the overall usability of their platform. By conducting user research and consulting with customers, we identified pain points and restructured the platform to ensure a smooth user experience that meets the needs of its users.
Mobile application, web app and website redesign
Our UI and UX design approach involved building wireframes and prototypes, defining an intuitive layout, and running extensive usability testing to validate the new user interface elements. The redesign projects included a marketing suite, an upgraded user management system, and a robust task and communication workflow. By aligning the UI design across multiple products, we created a design system that ensured visual consistency across the app, making navigation seamless for all users.
Results
The redesign was successful, delivering a fresh look and a more intuitive mobile application. The result was a powerful, easy-to-use platform with increased user engagement and retention. The new design provided a unified experience, allowing fitness studios to use the app efficiently, manage clients with ease, and scale their business effortlessly.
Conclusion, TLDR
A successful mobile app redesign goes beyond an eye-catching design — it requires a deep understanding of user behavior and business goals. Start by defining goals for the redesign, identifying what you’re trying to solve, and conducting user research to gather valuable insights. Using wireframes and prototypes, designers refine the UI and UX design, ensuring a smooth user experience and consistency across the app with a strong design system.
The cost to redesign an app varies, but a well-planned redesign process leads to increased user satisfaction and retention. An aesthetic and functional design helps an existing app stay competitive with the latest mobile app trends. Testing with users ensures the redesign turns out successful, retaining the app's relevance.
A guide to mobile app redesign shows that a usable app isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about making strategic changes that meet the needs of users. Whether you need to redesign your app for better engagement or enhance its look and feel, a well-executed product redesign can uncover opportunities and expand your user base while ensuring users can navigate the app effortlessly.
Our goal was to redesign and improve their flagship product, marketing website, and Whitelabel iOS app.
