iPhone - Human Interface Guidelines

iPhone -Human Interface Guidelines

Martin Ebner

The presentation bases on http://developer.apple.com/iphone/library/documentation/userexperience/

conceptual/mobilehig/Introduction/Introduction.html

http://developer.apple.com/iphone/library/documentation/userexperience/conceptual/mobilehig/Introduction/Introduction.html




Do we need Usability?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rdolishny/2760207306

http://flickr.com/photos/ben30/160708916/

http://flickr.com/photos/ben30/160708916/

The future is mobile

http://flickr.com/photos/thomcochrane/416206133/



Fun - just in time - for your target group

http://www.flickr.com/photos/161/

http://flickr.com/photos/nettsu/1365343292/


iPhone / iPadjust another device?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiki99/1031313718



iPhone Human Interface Guidlines - Martin Ebner 2010

http://metrics.admob.com/

„The iPhone generates 33% of all smartphone traffic worldwide and 50% in the US“ (AdMob Mobile Metrics, Febr. 2009)





„The iPhone generates 33% of all smartphone traffic worldwide and 50% in the US“ (AdMob Mobile Metrics, Febr. 2009)

• The Symbian OS is still number one with 43% share and six of the top 10 handsets. Windows Mobile and Palm each lost half their worldwide share over last six months.

• The Top 5 US smartphones - Apple iPhone, BlackBerry Curve, BlackBery Pearl, Palm Centro, and HTC Dream (G1) - generated 77% of traffic in February

• The iPhone is now the number one device by usage in Western Europe with 21% share of total requests





„91% of iPhone users and 88% of iPod touch users would recommend their device, compared to 84% of Android users and 69% of webOS users“ (AdMob Mobile Metrics, January. 2009)




http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/08/14/apples_iphone_3gs_has_99_percent_satisfaction_rate.html

A total of 99 percent of 200 respondents to a RBC/IQ ChangeWave survey in August said they are satisfied with their

iPhone 3GS, with 82 percent of those "Very Satisfied."




http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/08/14/apples_iphone_3gs_has_99_percent_satisfaction_rate.html




iPhone - HI Guidelines

Planning your iPhoneSoftware Product

Designing the UserInterface of youriPhone Application


iPhone OS PlatformRich with Possibilites

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Platform Differences„An iPhone OS-based device is not a desktop or laptop computer, and an iPhone application is not the same as a desktop application.“

• Compact Sreen Size - 480*320 pixels

• Memory is not unlimted

• One Screen at a Time • One Application at a Time

• Minimal User Help


What Are Your Options?„Depending on the implementation details and its intended audience, some types of software may be better suited to you needs than others.“

• An iPhone Application (available in App Store)

• Web-only Content (compare http://itunes.tugraz.at): - Web Application - Optimized webpage - Compatible webpage

• Hybrid Applications (access to web content)


3 Application Styles„... applicaton styles, based on visual and behavioral characterstics, data model, and user experience.“

• What do you expect to be the user‘s motivation for using the application?

• What do you itend to be the user‘s experience while using the application?

• What is the goal or focus of the application?

• How does the application organize and display the information people care about?


Productivity Applications„ ... enables tasks that are based on the organization and manipulation of detailed information“

• Organizing the list

• Adding and subcontracting

• Drilling down, performing tasks on reached level


Utility Applications„ ... perfoms a simply task that requires a minimum of user input.“

• visually attractive

• enhancement of information display

• Organize of information into a flattened list of items; no hierachy


Immersive Applications„ ... offers a full-screen, visually rich environment that‘s focused on the content and the user‘s experience with that content“

• tends to hide much of device‘s user interface

• use of nonstandards controls appropriate

• information presentation in the context of game-play, story or experience


Choosing an App Style

„When in doubt, keep it simple.“

• Pare the feature list to the minimum

• To bring ideas from you desktop application to an iPhone application, apply the 80-20 rule (the largest percentage of users will use a very limited number of features)

• Find the core tasks


Case Study: Mail„ ... when people are mobile, their needs for an email application are simpler, and they want access to core functionality quickly.“


Human Interface Principles

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderlane/4315076635




Great User Interface„ ... follows human interface design principles, that are based on the way people think and work, not on the capibilities of the device.“

• Methaphors (playback control, sliding on-off switching, ...)

• Direct Manipulation (with the Multi-Touch Interface)

• See and Point (Presenting choices or options in list form)

• Feedback (must be immediate)

• User Control (user, not the application must initiate and control actions)

• Asthetc Integrity (how well the appearance of you application integrates with your functionality)


Characteristics of Great iPhone

Applications

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rivalee/2939042459




Build in Simplicty/Ease of Use„ ... users are probably doing other things while they simultaneously use your application“

• Make it obvious

• High level Information near the top of the screen (independent of how people tap on screen, top is most visible)

• Minimize text input

• Keep essential information succinctly

• Provide a fingertip-size target area for all tappable elements (calculator example: 44*44 pixel)


Focus on the Primary Task„An iPhone Application that establishes and maintains focus on its primary functionality is satisfying and enjoyable to use“

• What is most important in each context?

• Is the provided information essential, does a user need this information right now?


Communicate Effectively

„ ... avoid technical jargon in the user interface“

• Feedback is important

• use user-centric terminology


Support Gestures Appropriately„To ensure that your application is discoverable and easy to use, therefore, try to limit the gestures you require to the most popular.“


Handling Common Tasks

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Starting„iPhone Application should start instantly so users can begin using them without delay“

• Specify appropriate status bar styles

• Display a launch image

• Avoid displaying an About window, splash screen or another tpye of startup experiences

• Launch in portrait orientation


Stopping„iphone Applications should never quit pogrammatically“

• Be prepared to receive an exit or terminate notification at any time.

• Save the current state when stopping

• Avoid alerts

• User has to decide if continuing you application or pressing the Home Button


Settings and Configuration„It‘s best when iPhone application do not aks users to specify any settings at all“

• Focus your solutions on the needs of 80 percent of users

• Get as much information as possible from other sources

• If you must ask for setup-information, prompt users to enter within your application

• Offer configuration options in the main user interface or on the back of a screen


....„Don‘t provide a button for a built-in action, because users will wonder why there are two ways to do the same thing in your application“

• Support Copy and Paste

• Support Undo and Redo

• Enabling Push Notifications (delivery is not guaranteed)

• Providing Search and Displaying Search Results

• Using the User‘s Location


Using Sound„ ... users always expect to hear alarms that they have set.“

• Ring/Silent Switch (avoid sound if it is not explicity set)

• Volume Buttons (the user always decided the loudness)

• Headset and Headphones (plug in headsets means sound has to be set privately)

• Wireless audio (disconnection = pause, connection = no pause)

• Defining the Audio Behavior is essential task


iPhone - HI Guidelines

Planning your iPhoneSoftware Product

Designing the UserInterface of youriPhone Application


Brief Tour of the Application User Interface

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ari/4314027331




Main parts of application screen„Every application, regardless of type, has an application window“

• Status Bar

• Navigation Bar

• Tab Bar

• Toolbar


Users are accustomed to the look and behavior of standard views and controls

http://www.flickr.com/photos/r_catalano/4180965353




Status Bar„People expect to see the current battery charge of their device; hiding this information [...] is not an ideal user experience“

• hiding status bar in case of immersive application (carefully decision)

• important bar (cell signal strength, network, battery)

• three possible colors


Navigation Bar„ ... appears at the upper edge of an application screen, just below the status bar.“

• enable navigation among different views in an application

• provide title and controls that manage the items in a view


Tool Bar„ ... performs actions related to objects in the current view.“

• constrain the number of items (44*44 pixels)

• use the predefined buttons

• colors blue and black


Tab Bars„ If you application provides different perspectives on the same set of data, ... .“

• icons and text, all equal in widht and black background

• tab does not change its opacity or height, regardless of orientattion

• more than five tabs, iPhone OS add a „More“ tab

• badging a Tab is possible to communicate in a noninstrutive way


Alerts, Action Sheets, Modal Views„ ... appear when something requires the user‘s attention ... “


Alerts„ ... give users criticial information in a highly visible way. “

• minize the number of alerts

• ask for comfirmation

• single / double button alert


Action Sheet

„ ... appears as the result of a user action ... “

• no display of a textual message

• two different backgrounds

• the closer the top, the more visible

• be aware of mistakenly tapping the bottom button instead of Home button


Table View„ ... presents data in a single-column list of multiple rows.“

• provide feedback when user select a list item

• display content immediately

• plain / group style

• different table-view elements


Text View

„ ... is a region that displays multiple lines of text ....“


Different Application Controls„Remember that users expect familiar controls to behave as they to in the built-in applications.“

• Activity Indicators

• Date and Time Pickers

• Disclosure Buttons

• Info Buttons

• Labels

• Page Indicators

• Pickers

• Progress Views

• Rounded Rectangle Buttons

• Search Bars

• Segmented Controls

• Sliders

• Text Fields


Sytem Provided Buttons„ ... promote a consistent user experience and make your job easier.“


Creating Custom Iconsand Images

http://www.flickr.com/photos/conorpendergrast/2634918994




Application Icons„This is a place where branding and strong visual design should come together into a compact, instantly instantly recognizable, attractive package.“

• rounded corners, drop shadow, reflective shine automatically added

• measures 57*57 pixel

• small icon for spotlight search (29*29)


Launch Images„To enhance the user‘s experience at application launch ... .“

• should not an about window, branding elements

• measures 320*480 pixel

• it is solely intended to enhance the user‘s perception, as quick launch, ready for use


Icons for ...

„do not redesign standard buttons“

• simple and streamlined

• not easily mistaken

• readily understood and widely acceptable


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdExukJVUGI

iPad - New Way for Applications




http://elearningblog.tugraz.at/archives/2994

What happens when you hand a 3-year-old an iPhone?



Graz University of Technology

SOCIAL LEARNING

Graz University of Technology

Martin Ebnerhttp://elearning.tugraz.at

http://elearningblog.tugraz.at

Institute of Information Systems and Computer Media

http://elearning.tugraz.at




iPhone - Human Interface Guidelines

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