Despite the fact that computers and smartphones are often lumped together, calling both the computing devices, they vary greatly in many ways: large screen size (PC) vs small (cell phones), stable internet connection vs connection with interruptions, wide channel vs narrow, network operation vs battery operation, etc. Based on this list, someone might think that mobile devices are just weak versions of “real” computers. But it will be a mistake.
In fact, the opposite is true: smartphones are in many ways stronger than PCs. They are extremely individual, always on, always with us, usually online and usually each such device can be addressed directly. In addition, they are rapidly developing sensors that can already determine location, movement, acceleration, orientation, distance to objects, environmental conditions, and so on. If we consider that there are many differences between mobile phones and PCs, then you should not be surprised that the development of software for them is also very different. Based on my workshops, I have compiled a list of 10 principles for developing mobile interfaces that will help people involved in PC design and development discover the potential of mobile platforms. 1 Mobile way of thinking Due to the same differences between mobile devices and PCs, before starting work it is important to form the right way of thinking. Focus: More does not mean better. Ruthlessly cut the functionality of the site. You still have to give up something. Uniqueness: Focus on what distinguishes your application from others like it. There are a lot of mobile applications. If yours are no different from others, why would anyone choose him? Charm: Mobile phones are very personal devices. They accompany us always and everywhere. Friendly, reliable and interesting application is pleasant to use, and people get used to it. Remember the user: Application developers too often focus on what they themselves would be interested in working with and focus on their own ideas about what the application and personal business goals should be. It's good to start with this, but if you want your application to be able to hook users, you need to put yourself in their place. Mobile context When it comes to the context of using a smartphone, many people imagine a business person walking in an airport with a briefcase in one hand and a smartphone in the other. Of course, this is one of the possible scenarios, but far from the only one. To put ourselves in the user's place, for a start, we need to realize three basic mobile contexts: Bored, Business, and Lost. Bored: Many people use a smartphone while lying at home on the couch. In this context, it is necessary to provide the user with an exciting and enjoyable pastime - this will increase the duration of the session. But even in this case, you cannot do without interruptions, so make sure that your application resumes work from the place where the user left it. Examples: Facebook, Twitter, Angry Birds, browser. Busy: This is the airport scenario mentioned above. The ability to quickly and efficiently carry out micro tasks, using one hand, at a hectic pace is extremely important. Remember that in this context, the user's perception will be limited, so it is important that the size of the target objects is large and the design is expressive. Examples: TripIt, e-mail, calendar, mobile banking. Lost: Users who are on the road, in an unknown setting, or even in a familiar setting, but in search of something new, fall into this category. In this context, Internet connection interruptions and battery levels are the most pressing problems, so you must provide a certain level of support offline and save energy on geolocation and other charge killers. Examples: Maps, Yelp, Foursquare. General recommendations Different applications require different approaches, design solutions and techniques. Nevertheless, the very essence of mobile devices with a touch screen gives some basic recommendations , since limitations of the physical world always matter. Response: Response is a key element, I will never get tired of repeating it. If your user does something, the application must always acknowledge the interaction. But remember that response and speed are not the same thing. Some operations take time, this is normal. Just make sure you let the user know that the task is being processed. Details: Sharpening parts is highly appreciated. It so happened that we treat smartphones as our constant companions, so your attention to detail, their improvement, will be noticed and appreciated. I see this as the process of “fitting and trimming” the machine. The engine can be powerful, and the body - brilliant, but if the car is noisy on the road and rattles on the road, the impressions of the driver, who often goes to the suburbs, will suffer greatly. Thumbs up: With the advent of touch-screen interfaces , everyone only says “stick here” and “stick there”, but we should not forget that applications need to be developed not under the index finger, but under the thumb. It is convenient to use the index and other fingers only if you work with the smartphone with two hands. And in this case, it is very likely that the user will type the text with two thumbs. Thumbs are default. Target objects : Look at your thumb — not at the tip, but at the pad — this is the part that interacts with the screen. The pad of my thumb resembles a bottle cap in size and shape. In some life situations it is convenient, but it’s quite difficult to get them into tiny objects on my smartphone. I came to the conclusion that the magic number for the “thumb” interface elements is 44 pixels (* implies low-resolution screens, 320 × 240 - translator's note). Of course, there are many exceptions, but still this is a good “rule of thumb”. You should also think about how to place the targets relative to each other. For example, placing the “Erase” button next to “Send” is a bad idea for an SMS application. Content: The touchscreens revolutionized because they gave us the opportunity to interact directly with the content. They have eliminated such intermediary interface devices as a mouse and a touch pad, and better correspond to how our brain works. I do not need to go far for a good example: my two-year-old son copes with his iPad without problems, but a laptop for him is a dark forest. Make the most of the potential of working with the touch interface on an intuitive level, reducing to a minimum everything that resembles buttons, tab bars, various windows and sliders (sliders) and put content at the head of everything. Controls: if you still need to add controls, place them at the bottom of the screen (in other words, under the content). Imagine a counting machine, floor scales or the same computer - the controls in them are always located under the display. If it were not for this, we would not have seen what happens to the content during our work with them. Compare these examples of real-life devices with traditional web or PC software, where virtual navigation and menus are always at the top. When using the mouse, this is quite appropriate, because the cursor is almost invisible on the screen. Not like our “finger-cursors”. Scrolling: Try not to use it. I assure you, you can do without it on mobile devices. In addition, screens without the scroll function create a feeling of greater reliability and persuasiveness, because they are more predictable. Of course, some screens can’t do without scrolling, but it’s still better to avoid it wherever possible. If you are afraid that the user will not understand that the content is more than one screen, you can gently but effectively indicate this by adding an animation that opens the screen out of sight, from end to beginning, when you open the screen. Navigation models There are many new ways to navigate for mobile applications (for example, the radial menu in the corner of the screen is immediately remembered, as in the Path application). But if you are going to use one of the most common models, then you should choose the most appropriate one for your application: No navigation: for useful applications that fit on one screen (for example, Weather Forecast for iPhone); Tab bar: if there are 3-6 content zones that are different from each other (for example, Twitter for iPhone); Nested list: list and detailed content hierarchy (for example, Settings for iPhone). User input Type the text terribly uncomfortable even on the best devices, so you should do everything in your power to make life easier for users. For example: On popular smartphones, there are about a dozen input fields (message, dialing, e-mail, URL, etc.). Make sure that each input field brings up a keyboard that is most convenient for typing relevant data; Auto-adjustments can be so confusing that a whole site is dedicated to this. For each input field, consider which of the automatic input options to activate (auto-adjust, auto-capitalize, auto-complete, etc.); If your application involves frequent use of the keyboard, then provide a horizontal orientation for fat-footed guys like me. Gestures One of the iconic features of modern touch interfaces is the ability to use gestures. No matter how good they are, you still need to remember some things: Unknown: Supported gestures are unknown to the user, so it is important to ensure their "detection". You need to decide how to show the user their existence. I saw the smartest solution on promotional iPads on display at Apple stores. When the page is loaded for the first time, the scrolling zones quickly scroll from bottom to top to their original position. This forces the user to scroll the screen, although which zones are scrolling is not specifically indicated. Two hands: Multi-touch gestures involve the use of both hands. A good example is Maps on iOS, where the gesture of “grabbing” with all fingers is used for zoom. When I'm in an unfamiliar city, holding coffee in one hand, and the phone in the second, this is an annoying limitation. The Android solved this problem by putting the zoom buttons on the map, which allows you to enjoy your coffee while walking around London. Pleasant addition: In most cases, I consider gestures to be pleasant, but not at all obligatory addition. It's like keyboard shortcuts - advanced users adore them, but most people are not even aware of their existence. Not a replacement: While there is no generally accepted set of gestures, so most applications are still too early to give up visual controls that can be operated with one finger.
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