The Splash Screen: few designers think about it, but it's more important than you think! For those that may not know, the splash screen is the first screen that pops up when a user opens the app. This may include a quick logo, animation, or tagline that brands the experience and distracts the user while the app loads.
Watch the magic happen
The splash screen is meant to jump out visually to the user. This is not the occasion to tell your company’s mission or advertise the latest feature. Instead, use the opportunity to enchant the user with your logo, branding, and sleekness of the user interface. Here is a great example of this below:
With these screens - we used the splash screen as a branding opportunity and a quick distraction while the rest of the app loads in the background.
If you want to opt for a more splashy splash screen, a quick animation can help catch the user’s eye. For MVP’s, the animated splash screen is an unnecessary feature that takes away resources from development. As your app progresses in its life cycle, it can be an excellent way to differentiate your early releases from later iterations. Take a look at Uber’s and other app’s animated splash screen:
For more mature app’s the animated splash screen addition makes more sense.
For MVP’s and early stage apps though its best to KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid! The splash screen is the first impression the user has of your app and a great branding opportunity, but at the end of the day, it is not what your customers will remember most about the experience. It is best to divert resources to the user experience, design, and development to craft the best experience you can for your users.