"No Code" App Builder

One Mobile Studio - Build Native Mobile apps Faster, Cheaper, Better

Our "No Code" app builder is called

One Mobile Studio

Cognizant Mobile Center of Excellence is trying to streamline the mobile app development process by reducing costs and complexity. Looking for a suite of tools that empower developers to rapidly create high-quality applications for Android and iOS devices. Focus on efficiency and innovation.

About Project

Role : User Experience Designer

Duration : 1 year

Year : 2013-2014

Company : CTS Mobile Center of Excellence

Project Scope

Mobile Application Development Platform (MADP) that can reduce the cost and complexity of mobile app development. This platform emphasizes reusability of screen designs, enabling faster development cycles and improved efficiency for developers across Android and iOS environments.

Product vision

Faster

Cut down on project timelines. For projects that need a faster development of apps with little very little need for customization.

Cheaper

Projects working with very limited human resources. Projects that require working with less resources for development.

Better

Projects Working with Developers who are new to Mobile technologies. For those who are newly venturing into developing for Mobile

Design Process

User Archetypes

Here are our key user archetypes, each with distinct goals, backgrounds, and behaviours. Tech savy , New to app dev domain, Non technical, Enthusiast

Market Research Benchmarking Screen layouts

Market researching and proposal of most frequently used screen layouts for mobile and tablet devices, interaction models, and components that fill the layouts. While creating reusable assets its important to standardize a format to make sure you are addressing a varied set of users needs and give a sense of flexibility while also adhering to the standards set by Operating systems

200+

10+

Templates genaralized

Screen layouts studied

Below image showing various "Table" styles studied in the year 2013 to understand market usage to benchmark the template.

Proposal to standardize a format

Iconography

With reusable assets its important to standardize a format to make sure a varied set of user needs are addressed. Provide a sense of flexibility while also adhering to the standards set by Android and iOS providers that are in scope for our tool.

Here is where we started our User Research

What might the users mental model be while using a "No code" app builder ?

Designing customer journey for the app is more complex due to more channels and customer touch points users can interact with.

Mapping Task Flows Around User Goals

Customer Journey - Understanding Complexity

The following image is showing a sample of wireframes designed to detail Feedback Loops. Providing immediate feedback for actions

Wireframing

Visual hierarchy: Determine if the design effectively guides users to the most important elements.

Consistency : Use of a design system consistently throughout the application

Heuristic evaluation : User control and freedom, consistency, error prevention, and help/documentation

Usability Analysis

4 aspects considered for our usability analysis

Navigational clues : cues that help users find their way through an interface.

Behavioural Research

We conducted an in-house hackathon to study user behaviour in a dynamic, collaborative setting. This format allowed us to observe participants’ problem-solving, teamwork, decision-making, and creativity under time pressure.

Background image credits : Photo by Leon Seibert on Unsplash

Behavioural Research

Methods used for Testing

Think-Aloud Protocol:
Using the think-aloud protocol allowed us to gain direct insights into users’ cognitive processes, expectations, and frustrations as they interact with the no-code app builder. Uncovering - Usability issues, Understanding users’ mental models, and identifying areas where the interface may not align with user expectations.

Screen Recording:
Screen recordings to provide a detailed, visual account of every user action—clicks, scrolls, hesitations, and navigation paths. Pinpoint moments of confusion, track user flows, and identify specific pain points or friction in the interface. The combination of screen recordings with think-aloud commentary offered a holistic view of both what users do and why they do it.

Test Environment Details

In-house Hackathon

Platform: iOS , Android

Device : iPad , Nexus

Year: 2014

Methodology: Think-aloud protocol and screen recording

Recordings : On device screen recorder and in-person observer to take note of users thinking aloud

Limitations:

Mental model information is inferred from the behaviour of subjects performing tasks in test environments. So new behaviours may be encountered in actual work environment.

UX Test Environment and Methodology used

Synthesize findings from think-aloud data and screen recordings to produce actionable insights

Task Description for Participants:

Imagine you are building a simple restaurant menu app for a local eatery. The app should allow users to:

View different categories of menu items (e.g., Starters, Main Course, Desserts, Drinks)
See details for each menu item (name, description, price, and an image)
Add menu items to a favorites list or order list (optional)
Navigate smoothly between categories and item details

4+

Participants who are familiar with the app

Participants who are newly introduced to the app

10+

Research Findings & Actionable insights

What Worked

Call-to-action buttons like "Link," "Publish," "Save" stood out and drew user attention.
Sidebars were key hotspots for navigation.
Visual cues (color, animation, tooltips) helped users find important features.
Onboarding flows that highlighted hotspots boosted early engagement.
Forgiving interfaces (undo, auto-save) encouraged experimentation without fear.

Areas that need Improvement

Users only superficially explored data logic and database features.
Paper based planning helped some of the hackathon groups complete tasks faster than those who directly started with the tool.
Critical but underused features needed the platform to provide assistance with learnings
Support is missing for complex tasks setup.
Screen templates needed more generic naming as few template naming were misleading or didn't match user expectation.

UX Research Takeaways

Most 1st time users struggled beyond basics like adding screens, styling and naming data tables.
Tech users those already experienced with the tool struggled with alignment of UI components. The grid structure was too daunting.
Users underestimated the complexity of business logic and database integration.
Logical and physical data models, and integration can be intimidating for beginners.
Onboarding and tutorials should bridge simple UI tasks and complex workflows.
Gradually introducing features helps users build confidence.
UX improvements - Real-time guidance (tooltips, examples) to reduce confusion.
UX improvements - Hotspots must lead users to meaningful, high-value actions.
Bite-sized learning (short videos, demos) helps users learn without overwhelm.
Continuous testing and iteration smooth out friction points.
To invest in developing materials for learning

Address the learning curve

Build confidence and competence step by step Systematically introduce users to data integration fundamentals, design, development, and management, helping them
Allowing users to explore and navigate without fear of irreversible consequences gives your tools a competitive edge.
Introducing users to the understanding that app development involves not just coding, but also needs an understanding how data moves.