Smashing Magazine’s latest article by Jen Gordon showcases the latest trends in iPhone app design. Jen focuses on how designers use graphical elements and user interface interactions to create applications that are creative and visually appealing. How to design useful and creative UIs and stay away from counter-intuitive designs? Read on, a brief point-by-point summary of the article is after the break.
1. Mirroring native iPhone UI Elements
- iPhone-like apps, on the iPhone
- Familiarity saves time and energy for both designer and end user
2. Simplifying the Interface
- Intuitive and simple while maintaining functionality
- Balance between functionality and design
- Like in the Flickr app, we want to see pictures, not complicated navs
3. Hardware-ish look
- Breaking out of conventional UI
- Take advantage of the iPhone’s abilities to interact via finger
- Physical!
4. Rich, Padded and pretty list views
- Visual cues
- Big pretty buttons
- Appropriate colors and typefaces
- Easier to navigate, effective use of whitespace + padding
5. Layered Interface
- Layering the interface has 3 advantages:
- Reduces # of traditional elements
- Fast access to info
- More screen real estate
- Presents a lot of info in a non-cluttered way
- Bottom line: content rich, no clutter
6. Icons for the List view
- Icons gives boost to app’s usability + navigation
- Clearly communicates the purpose
- Quickly guides user
- Never use icons for the sake of having icons!
7. Illustrations in use
- Can set an app apart from the crowd
- Can be unusual
- Can pull together the whole concept of the app
8. Using Gestures
- Creative interactions
- Flick elements or data
- Natural, intuitive
Be sure to check out the full article at SmashingMagazine.com, the above brief summary doesn’t do the article justice, the screenshots included in the article are essential.