101 UX Principles

Chapter #78. Don't Use a Vanity Splash Screen

The splash screen—the full-screen graphic that appears when your user opens your iOS or Android app—is a great place for your company logo, brand messaging, or corporate vision statement, right?

No. Do not do this.

Users do not care about your corporate vision statement (and how you're making the world a better place)—they just want to open the app to do whatever it is the app does.

Instead, look at the first screen of your app and offer a splash screen that echoes this layout, but without content. Users will feel like the app is loading quicker if they see the expected interface and it then transitions into the "real" interface.

Load the UI quickly, and if that means some user interactions aren't ready ...