iPhone App Design: A user-centered approach
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User-centered iPhone app design
Suzanne Ginsburg Principal, Ginsburg Design September 10, 2009
People are doing cool things with their iPhones
Three stories….
The gallery salesperson
The student
The floral designer
People their iPhones but some things could be better…
Setup is too complicated (& unfriendly)
App: Accuweather
Tasks require too many steps
App: To Do’s
Inconsistent and/or Unable to Synch with Desktop or Web version
Epicurious doesn’t synch with online recipe box
Built-in calendar doesn’t synch to do list
Can’t edit LinkedIn profile via app
Other common themes
Tasks require too much typing
App doesn’t remember where user left off
No content for given location
What can you do?
#1: Conduct upfront user research
Upfront user research will help you better understand your users’ needs.
Research will help you make informed design decisions; you may also uncover fascinating app opportunities.
Methods to consider: Shadowing, Field Interviews, Diary Studies
#2: Brainstorm & sketch like mad
Explore a wide variety of design directions early on.
Read Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines for the iPhone, but try to see beyond the basic frameworks.
Learn what’s possible with the iPhone technology and consider ways it can benefit the user experience.
#3: Refine & Test Promising Directions
Usability testing your concepts will help uncover issues related to setup, flows, terminology & more.
Alternative approaches: - Paper prototypes - Screenshot based prototype on the iPhone - Interactive prototype on the iPhone
Thank you & good luck!
Suzanne Ginsburg @suzanneginsburg
Also thanks to Michelle Reamy for her user research work in NY: