Smartphone app user personas

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Week 8 Reading

Personally I had a hard time reading the information from this reading. There's a lot of it and in many places repetitive. There's some good pieces here and there, like screen sizes. Here are my bits and pieces from the reading thus far…

• The display is essential for viewing and multi-touch interaction. The user’s focus is on the content. The comfortable minimum size is 44 x 44 points.
• How an app launches should be oriented the same as the Home Screen. The home screen view is based on the device, iPhone and iPod displays in portrait; iPad can display in all orientations.
• Use iOS standards: gestures, i.e. tap, drag, flick, swipe, double tap, pinch open/close, touch and hold, and shake for the comfort of the user; controls, views and icons; incorporates device features in a reliable way
• Be mindful of app multitasking which allows other apps to run in the background.
• Online User help should be minimal, program intuitive.
• The interface is a collection of screens, single windows.
• Two types of software in iOS: iOS apps, web content. iOS uses SDK to run natively on device. Web content is hosted by a website.
• Safari on iOS supports cookies and HTML5, but does not support Flash, Java or third party plug-ins. Can use JavaScript and CSS3 transforms, transitions and animations.
• Functionality is similar to website, it should work. Aesthetics should be consistent with the function of the app, i.e. if it’s a game then a beautiful appearance is expected.
• People expect immediate feedback when they operate a control, and they appreciate status updates during lengthy operations. Use subtle animation, like highlighting items, etc.

Related links

UI Guidelines for mobile and tablet web app design
http://www.mobilexweb.com/blog/ui-guidelines-mobile-tablet-design

40 Awesome iPhone application websites from webdesigner depot
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/04/40-awesome-iphone-application-websites/

How to create your first iPhone application from Smashing Magazine
How to http://coding.smashingmagazine.com/2009/08/11/how-to-create-your-first-iphone-application/

Week 7 Reading

Chapter 12, “Help! My wants me to (fill in the blank).” Technically the last chapter, but simple and sweet! I really enjoyed reading this book and I’m actually disappointed that this is “The End.” In this chapter the author points out there are usually good intentions behind a bosses’ “bad design idea” and that they’re not just being perverse. Human nature seems to pit one against the other without understanding the other person’s point of view, especially when it comes to execs vs. layperson, so this brings it back to a two-way communication and respecting each other’s ideas and reasons.

His email samples are awesome! I would have loved to attend one of his seminars and have him send my boss an email. Ah, to be a fly on the wall when she read that! Basically, it comes down to doing research and having supportive data to backup your argument and the author definitely provides that in his email. And he keeps it diplomatic so as to not alienate one or the other. It also helps to come from a third party so the boss doesn’t think your being bias based on your own personal wants. I read the section of recommended readings and was amazed how many text the author recommends.

Related web sites/links:

Getting Started with Defensive Web Design by Ian Lurie, May 27, 2001
http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2011/05/27/getting-started-with-defensive-web-design/

Defensive Design for the Web
http://gettingreal.37signals.com/ch09_Get_Defensive.php

Usability.gov Research-based Guidelines
http://usability.gov/guidelines/index.html

Forms that work: Designing a web forms for usability
http://formsthatwork.com/

Usability News
http://psychology.wichita.edu/surl/