I attended this presentation “Best Practices for Mobile User Experience Design” by Andy Schirmer, Design Strategist from IBM, at the Lotusphere 2011. I thought a lot of his points make really good sense and I’ll like to share a summary with you guys.
Andy pointed out 9 best practices:
- Support the Social and Personal Nature of Mobile Use
Attributes: staying connected, identity, entertainment
Example: Reach out to various contacts without changing apps
- Facilitate Quick Attention and Brief Interaction
Attributes: convenience, rapid access
Example: Overview of most important things for quick reference
- Accommodate Interruption and Changing Context
Attributes: availability, changing context
Example: App properly saves states and returns to that context after a phone call
- Provide for Carrying Out Actions Across Multiple Devices
Attributes: interruption, input limitations
Example: Create a new entry on the phone, and complete all the details on a desktop
- Emphasize Primary Tasks and Reduce User Interface
Attributes: small display, rapid access, brief interaction
Example: Enter status updates without navigating, can act on objects directly, or drill down for more detail and choices
- Accommodate Device Input Weaknesses and Strengths
Attributes: display sizes, orientations, input methods
Example: Reduce typing on a small keyboard and use camera input to share information
- Exploit Unique Mobile Device Hardware Capabilities
Attributes: sensors, interfaces
Example: Buzz on alert of appointment
- Be Mindful of Mobile Environment and Device Constraints
Attributes: hardware, infrastructure, environment
Example: App works offline so user is productive even when there’s no signal
- Follow Platform and Device Guidelines Appropriately
Attributes: user experience consistency
Example: Apps use the in-app navigation style recommended by the device platform guidelines
