Comments on: Application design for mobile phones http://www.raizlabs.com/blog/290/application-design-for-mobile-phones Mobile experience, user interface design, software and new ideas. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:15:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dmitry http://www.raizlabs.com/blog/290/application-design-for-mobile-phones/comment-page-1#comment-1443 Dmitry Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:39:19 +0000 http://www.raizlabs.com/blog/?p=290#comment-1443 I think analogy is a real life pen and paper. Why do we still use it? Because it's dead simple, fast and accessible. You have a piece of paper and a pen. There's only one feature -- you can write or draw on the paper with the pen. Most software applications are the opposite -- they try to cram everything in and end up becoming some kind of supercomputer interface, with buttons and settings scattered everywhere. Software should be more accessible, just like pen and paper, you should just load the application and know instantly what to do and how to do it. This is done by limiting focus to one or two main things the app should do, putting less limitations on what the user can do with those things, cutting down on buttons and controls and providing a logical and familiar layout to the interface. I think analogy is a real life pen and paper. Why do we still use it? Because it’s dead simple, fast and accessible. You have a piece of paper and a pen. There’s only one feature — you can write or draw on the paper with the pen.

Most software applications are the opposite — they try to cram everything in and end up becoming some kind of supercomputer interface, with buttons and settings scattered everywhere. Software should be more accessible, just like pen and paper, you should just load the application and know instantly what to do and how to do it. This is done by limiting focus to one or two main things the app should do, putting less limitations on what the user can do with those things, cutting down on buttons and controls and providing a logical and familiar layout to the interface.

]]> By: inaequitas http://www.raizlabs.com/blog/290/application-design-for-mobile-phones/comment-page-1#comment-1442 inaequitas Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:04:02 +0000 http://www.raizlabs.com/blog/?p=290#comment-1442 Much agreed. Unfortunately, most people think equate money with features, so when they pay for something they seem to want the most bang for their buck. Useless, if those features are all half-working, but I've met this belief in both consumers/customers and designers/developers. There are, however, a few that stick to these principles in 'grown' apps as well, and it is a beautiful thing to experience. Much agreed. Unfortunately, most people think equate money with features, so when they pay for something they seem to want the most bang for their buck. Useless, if those features are all half-working, but I’ve met this belief in both consumers/customers and designers/developers.

There are, however, a few that stick to these principles in ‘grown’ apps as well, and it is a beautiful thing to experience.

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