The UX phase of a project makes you dig for competitor references- & it can be a struggle Not because  the screens are unusual or difficult to find- although that is what we initially think – but because the  method of looking for them is inefficient. It is easy to get carried away by attractive, visually appealing  screens (Scrolling… Scrolling… Scrolling) But design Functionality is actually what should be  scrutinized & prioritized – Howdistinct their functionalities are from each other. That is the whole point  of referencing in the first place- to lay out disparate options and helping clients narrow down their liking  and preference.

The bunch shortlisted should be diverse in the terms of product content, representation, how and where  features appear in the user flow. It’s quite common to make mistakes and overlook crucial details. Here is  how we go about fishing for unusual references which actually add value to the project and save us some  crucial time:

1. Top Design Sites Can Be More UI, Less UX 

You’ve obviously scrolled Behance, Dribble, Pinterest, Devian Art & others for inspiration, but are they  the most appropriate for UX references? Maybe not. They mostly get you allured to interfaces with high  visual appeal (fancy animations, trendy layouts, etc) & may distract you from analyzing user experience.

On a good search, they do have good references with content and aesthetics both, but these references are  more often indirect.

2. Scan Your Direct Competition Thoroughly

List competitors & companies from the same industry & give their products / mobile applications a  thorough scan. They would have the most relevant screen designs in terms of content and functionality,  since these companies cater to very similar target audiences. This will also give you an understanding of  Trending & Functional designs your users are adaptive too.

Pro-Tip: Also look for industries that incorporate similar features to that of your app & then  consider relevant companies belonging to those industries that have advanced in those areas.

3. Competitor Product Videos Are A True Summary 

Are you just referencing the basic play store/app store screenshots? Stop. They do not provide all screens  that make up the application & sometimes they are very demo-like, highlighting key features only. It’s  difficult to interpret the flow of the app too. Similarly, downloading the app may not be enough as it’s  possible to miss out on a few key user flows. Hence, keep product marketing videos handy. They mostly

walk you through the entire flow, giving tutorials on how the app actually works. All this will help you  gather more information and inspiration for the app you are designing.

4. Not Just Screens, Review their Product Marketing 

Apart from the mediums mentioned above, another very useful source is social media. The pages of the  companies have posts uploaded which essentially explain the features and the use of their product to  market themselves. Pictures and screenshots of their app screens are also easily found on their profiles.  This is an easy way of gathering references.

Here are some bonus tips for Collecting References:  

1. Save It All – References

Whenever you come across references which you think might not be as relevant as you want them to be,  save them. You never know when and how you might need those in the future. Often, you ignore screens  with little relevance and then struggle to find them later, for another task. By the time you realised you  needed them, you had already forgotten where and when you had seen them. Don’t make that mistake save, always (in an organized folder please.) Inspiration has infinite value in any creative work.

2. Get Filtering

After saving them up, start your filtering process. Mind you, it’s even more intense and time consuming  than searching for references. We generally set a filter guide first & then scan the options with a calm  mind. A big no no is to start saving more references while filtering, it just kills the process & your  concentration.

Conclusion:

All in all, finding references from the right places in the right way ends up saving a lot of time and effort.  Following these tips have helped us achieve our goals and satisfy the requirements of the clients in the  most optimal way. There are endless resources available to find references, but there are only limited  resources that help you gather what will really help you and work as a guiding force in the execution  phase.