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UX Concerns across Mobile Platforms

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Joseph Labrecque
Joseph Labrecque

Joseph Labrecque presented on UX concerns across mobile platforms. He discussed how mobile UX is different from desktop UX due to small screens and full-screen apps. He also covered platform-specific considerations for iOS, Android, and Blackberry, including hardware buttons and menu systems. Labrecque argued that designers should learn what makes each device unique but also adhere to existing paradigms, only deviating to improve the user experience.

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FITC Unconference @ UX Concerns across Mobile Platforms Joseph Labrecque © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
Introduction FITC @ Joseph Labrecque, MA University of Denver - CTL Senior Interactive Software Engineer Adjunct Faculty Fractured Vision Media, LLC Proprietor Adobe Community Professional Adobe Education Leader What’s New in Flash Player 11 What’s New in Adobe AIR 3 © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 2
What We’ll Talk About FITC @ Desktop User Expectations Desktop Experiences How Mobile UX is Different Concerns Across Platforms Apple iOS! Google Android! Blackberry Tablet OS! Why Adhere to Existing Paradigms? When to Deviate from Existing Paradigms? © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 3
Who This Talk is For FITC @ Q: Are you a seasoned mobile designer or developer? ? A: Yeah? You should probably just leave now… unless you just want to hear me blabber. Q: Interested in my perspective on mobile UX across platforms? A: Mmm… perfect. Q: Are you simply mobile-curious? A: Yes? Cool- stick around. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 4
Desktop User Expectations FITC @ My normal setup: dual 1680 x 1050 displays Lots of applications opened simultaneously Uber-Multitasking! © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 5
Windows vs. Mac vs. Linux FITC @ Example: Adobe AIR AIR allows developers to build desktop applications which can run on Windows, OSX, and Linux. This fact caused a stir among platform- specific UI purists as application interface controls could take on a variety of forms due to the open nature of Flash UI design. Any experience, if done well, does not necessarily need to conform strictly to any specific guidelines. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 6
Mobile UX is Different FITC @ Users generally have very small screens and therefore not a lot of room to work with. Applications take up the entire screen. The user’s full attention is directed toward the running application. You are guaranteed a captive audience, barring any disturbances. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 7
Screen Paradigm FITC @ The fact that an application will fill the entire screen during the entire duration of an interaction is the single most important consideration for mobile UX. Depending upon the platform, this may mean that while an application is active, additional applications have been dismissed to the background or closed entirely. The user is always focused upon one screen at a time, and methods for navigating these screens are often dependent upon whichever operating system is in play. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 8
Platform-Specific Hardware FITC @ Dedicated Buttons iOS: one button. Android: four buttons along the bottom or side, which include a home key, dedicated back button, dedicated options menu button, and search. Tablet OS: a unique bezel through which a variety of gestures can be used, moving beyond simple button presses. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 9
Touch and Gestures FITC @ Touch interfaces completely derail the concept of a single, clicking arrow, substituting fingertips, gestures, and sensors for the simple mouse pointer. This fact alone reshapes the entire interactive landscape when considering UX with these devices. Touch and gestures are ancient and powerful! Nothing new at all- the mouse has been an imperfect deviation. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 10
Cross-Platform Concerns FITC @ Menu Systems Android: a dedicated menu button built into the device that can be programmed to reveal application options, normally via a menu at the bottom of the screen. iOS: a button within the application that allows the user to access application-specific menus. Tablet OS: a swipe from the top bezel will pull down or dismiss a set of menu options defined for any given application. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 11
Existing Paradigms FITC @ When users have become familiar with a specific platform, they will expect certain behaviors when interacting with that device. Deviating from an established expectation can cause confusion for the user and lead to a frustrating experience, or even to total abandonment of the application. [image courtesy of GestureWorks] © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 12
The Urge to Deviate FITC @ Adhering to known user conventions is the safest way to approach UX, but it may not always be the best. At times, it may be worth the risk of deviating from the norm, either due to the uniqueness of some application process, or because it better establishes a connection with your user in a tighter way than the standard paradigm allows. Example: http://www.swype.com © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 13
Last Thoughts FITC @ Learn what makes the device platform different from others and to take advantage of that. Only deviate from established norms when it benefits the user in some way by making interactions better than they would be otherwise. Skinning your controls for each device, while not always necessary, will add a touch of polish and may go that extra little bit to win a user’s appreciation. [image courtesy of GestureWorks] © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 14
Questions? FITC @ Ask ‘em. ? © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 15
Get in Touch! FITC @ Joseph Labrecque, MA University of Denver - CTL Senior Interactive Software Engineer Adjunct Faculty Fractured Vision Media, LLC Proprietor EMAIL Joseph.Labrecque@du.edu WEB http://josephlabrecque.com/ TWITTER @JosephLabrecque What’s New in Flash Player 11 What’s New in Adobe AIR 3 © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 16
FITC Unconference @ © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.

More Related Content

UX Concerns across Mobile Platforms

  • 1. FITC Unconference @ UX Concerns across Mobile Platforms Joseph Labrecque © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
  • 2. Introduction FITC @ Joseph Labrecque, MA University of Denver - CTL Senior Interactive Software Engineer Adjunct Faculty Fractured Vision Media, LLC Proprietor Adobe Community Professional Adobe Education Leader What’s New in Flash Player 11 What’s New in Adobe AIR 3 © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 2
  • 3. What We’ll Talk About FITC @ Desktop User Expectations Desktop Experiences How Mobile UX is Different Concerns Across Platforms Apple iOS! Google Android! Blackberry Tablet OS! Why Adhere to Existing Paradigms? When to Deviate from Existing Paradigms? © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 3
  • 4. Who This Talk is For FITC @ Q: Are you a seasoned mobile designer or developer? ? A: Yeah? You should probably just leave now… unless you just want to hear me blabber. Q: Interested in my perspective on mobile UX across platforms? A: Mmm… perfect. Q: Are you simply mobile-curious? A: Yes? Cool- stick around. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 4
  • 5. Desktop User Expectations FITC @ My normal setup: dual 1680 x 1050 displays Lots of applications opened simultaneously Uber-Multitasking! © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 5
  • 6. Windows vs. Mac vs. Linux FITC @ Example: Adobe AIR AIR allows developers to build desktop applications which can run on Windows, OSX, and Linux. This fact caused a stir among platform- specific UI purists as application interface controls could take on a variety of forms due to the open nature of Flash UI design. Any experience, if done well, does not necessarily need to conform strictly to any specific guidelines. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 6
  • 7. Mobile UX is Different FITC @ Users generally have very small screens and therefore not a lot of room to work with. Applications take up the entire screen. The user’s full attention is directed toward the running application. You are guaranteed a captive audience, barring any disturbances. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 7
  • 8. Screen Paradigm FITC @ The fact that an application will fill the entire screen during the entire duration of an interaction is the single most important consideration for mobile UX. Depending upon the platform, this may mean that while an application is active, additional applications have been dismissed to the background or closed entirely. The user is always focused upon one screen at a time, and methods for navigating these screens are often dependent upon whichever operating system is in play. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 8
  • 9. Platform-Specific Hardware FITC @ Dedicated Buttons iOS: one button. Android: four buttons along the bottom or side, which include a home key, dedicated back button, dedicated options menu button, and search. Tablet OS: a unique bezel through which a variety of gestures can be used, moving beyond simple button presses. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 9
  • 10. Touch and Gestures FITC @ Touch interfaces completely derail the concept of a single, clicking arrow, substituting fingertips, gestures, and sensors for the simple mouse pointer. This fact alone reshapes the entire interactive landscape when considering UX with these devices. Touch and gestures are ancient and powerful! Nothing new at all- the mouse has been an imperfect deviation. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 10
  • 11. Cross-Platform Concerns FITC @ Menu Systems Android: a dedicated menu button built into the device that can be programmed to reveal application options, normally via a menu at the bottom of the screen. iOS: a button within the application that allows the user to access application-specific menus. Tablet OS: a swipe from the top bezel will pull down or dismiss a set of menu options defined for any given application. © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 11
  • 12. Existing Paradigms FITC @ When users have become familiar with a specific platform, they will expect certain behaviors when interacting with that device. Deviating from an established expectation can cause confusion for the user and lead to a frustrating experience, or even to total abandonment of the application. [image courtesy of GestureWorks] © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 12
  • 13. The Urge to Deviate FITC @ Adhering to known user conventions is the safest way to approach UX, but it may not always be the best. At times, it may be worth the risk of deviating from the norm, either due to the uniqueness of some application process, or because it better establishes a connection with your user in a tighter way than the standard paradigm allows. Example: http://www.swype.com © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 13
  • 14. Last Thoughts FITC @ Learn what makes the device platform different from others and to take advantage of that. Only deviate from established norms when it benefits the user in some way by making interactions better than they would be otherwise. Skinning your controls for each device, while not always necessary, will add a touch of polish and may go that extra little bit to win a user’s appreciation. [image courtesy of GestureWorks] © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 14
  • 15. Questions? FITC @ Ask ‘em. ? © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 15
  • 16. Get in Touch! FITC @ Joseph Labrecque, MA University of Denver - CTL Senior Interactive Software Engineer Adjunct Faculty Fractured Vision Media, LLC Proprietor EMAIL Joseph.Labrecque@du.edu WEB http://josephlabrecque.com/ TWITTER @JosephLabrecque What’s New in Flash Player 11 What’s New in Adobe AIR 3 © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential. 16
  • 17. FITC Unconference @ © 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.