Features and basic design methods of IPhone app

Features of the IPhone app

The iphone has its own characteristics and temperament, so his app is different from other keyboard phones or even Android, a touchscreen phone.

First, the iphone has only a physical button home, and this button is mainly in the system-level operation to play some role in an application, most of the situation is the exit function. The following 3 modules should be included on a large screen of 320 for mobile phones to operate on an app.

1. Virtual keyboard

Although the iphone is touch-screen with Android, but does not have a physical keyboard (and Android may have a physical keyboard), all input operations require a virtual keyboard on the screen, as well as a need to consider the occlusion of the virtual keyboard.

2, Directory Navigation

There is no physical key to the outbound function of the directory menu, completely different from Symbian and Android systems, including navigation also requires virtual buttons on the screen to implement.

3. Function operation

Need to integrate all the functions in the app, such as we can use the tab bar to do functional classification, toolbar to do a specific view of the functional operations set.

Let's take a look at the user's usage of the iphone.

Apparently supporting one hand operation is not an iphone application feature, there are also some games that require both hands (immersion), but because the iphone has a very sensitive capacitive screen that supports finger multi-touch, the direct operation of the finger on the screen is more intuitive and more manipulative, and does not require any intermediate devices ( Press or mouse) to control.

1, the Top-down operation:

In most cases, the user will be like the gesture above, a hand-held machine, thumb as the main operation and click on the finger, we can see whether the iphone system applications or many other excellent applications, most use a lot of lists, because the thumb in the slide list is very smooth and convenient, and very fast operation, So a long list won't be an obstacle to iphone apps, unlike the features on other mobile platforms, not to mention that in the case of a table, click on the top status bar to quickly return to the top.

2. Reduce input

This is consistent with some of the ideas in mobile device interaction design, which means that we try to reduce user input for handheld devices, especially for a virtual keyboard like the iphone, even if the capacitive screen is more sensitive, it is not easy to touch a small virtual keyboard every time. We should try to use selectors, or enter hint suggestion to reduce costs.

3, large enough button area

For the iphone this capacitive screen, although very sensitive, but accept the feeling area is not small, and the user is directly with the finger operation, so we want to apply all the buttons to the fingertips to operate, with according to the official design guidance, 44*44pix is an ideal area.

4. Multi-Touch gestures

The fingers are always available relative to the hardware and software of the device, it is a part of the human body, can be flexible to do a variety of movements, and the direct touch screen is very intuitive, and users are very willing to use these look cool gestures, such as the picture can be opened with two fingers to enlarge, merge to reduce, direct drag to Exchange order, Shaking to refresh and so on. Of course we have to consider the different use of these gestures in different applications, do not abuse.

In short, the iphone uses a linear, coherent, intuitive reliance on sliding operations, finger clicks, and a variety of gestures that give people a cool feeling.

The basic design method of IPhone app

1, the application of the iphone classification

1) Efficient type

This kind of application can help the user to complete a task quickly, pay attention to the content organization logic function and the information architecture display, in order to facilitate the user to use quickly and efficiently, finally completes the task. Such applications typically contain a large number of lists and the task functionality in each list. The most typical is the system's own "Mail" application, which is a very typical high-performance application.

This kind of application to the user is the feeling of layers of entry, content is gradually materialized until the user's task can be completed.

Another non-system application and typical is QQ, you can see if it is also follow this feature.

2) Practical tool-type Application

This kind of application general interaction operation is very few, also does not have the very deep hierarchy structure, often is the direct display information, generally will have the "backside" (usually has a flip effect) to display the setting function. The most common is the "weather" and "stock" of the two systems with its own application.

3) Immersion Application

Mostly refers to game class applications, but there are some utilities, such as electronic compass, the so-called immersion application is generally full-screen mode, focus on a task or entertainment in-depth experience, not too much text, and the user's attention on how to use it.

2. Design iphone Application

1 basic structure of iphone application

Status bar: This is part of the iOS system, and other applications typically retain this bar except for immersion applications.

Navigation bar: This includes the current title, the control of the current main operation, and the navigation function returned

Toolbar: A function action that can be performed on the current content area.

TAB bar: Can be understood as global navigation, easy to quickly switch functions or navigation. Toolbars and tab bars can only exist in one view.

2 Transplant Your application

In most cases, we're porting web apps to mobile phones, and on the web side, if we list a functional chart that might contain more than 100 functional points, you can do the following:

① Consider this web side of the product, what is the core function, any product will have a core function, as well as additional functions, such as QQ, the core function is IM, instant messaging, may be screenshots is an additional function, although the use of a lot of people. Identify core functionality and extend as little functionality and logic as possible around core functionality. If your Web site or your business includes many, you can split them into multiple applications in different business types.

② The information architecture model on the iphone for the validated functional structure, as mentioned above, the iphone application is linear and coherent, one layer into the final task, so you need to follow this idea to organize the information structure, in general, the operation depth not more than 3 layers, If more than 3 layers should be flat to the product shape treatment, that is, change from depth to breadth, because as the depth increases, each level will have different functions, and even the ability to load the first level of function or logic, the more depth, these functions will be more complex, and in the mobile phone so small space is difficult to reasonably organize.

Can extend reading Kentzhu: Products: More restrictions, simpler design

③ reasonable use of the iphone application structure and standard controls.

tab bar, which can be understood as the global navigation in Web applications or the main sub function of the switch, this bar can run through the main view of the bottom, to facilitate the user quickly jump, such as the following figure this tab bar.

The navigation bar, which can be understood as local navigation, child navigation, or breadcrumbs in Web applications, displays the current position while also hosting 1 or two major functional operations. Makes it easy for users to return, or 1-2 of the most important operations on the current view. such as the following navigation bar.

toolbar, can be understood as a specific page of the Web some of the main operating functions, such as uploading, search and so on. Like this toolbar below.

This is the iOS system application mail, the specific message opened the toolbar, including several main actions on the current message. For your application, you can also put some operations into the main view area as a button, not at the bottom of the toolbar. But we say that iphone users are more accustomed to the iphone's "standard" operations, accustomed to the iphone's standard logic, so it seems better to put the main operation in the bottom of the toolbar.

Standard controls using the metaphor

We see the sliding effect of the switch, the convex effect of the segmented button, turntable selector, etc., instead of the traditional web of the rigid and lifeless standard control.

④ invoke the function interface provided by the system

For example, the location interface provided by the iphone can provide special features different from the Web side for your application, design more features, and better meet the needs of mobile users.

Finally, I would like to say that the iphone application is concise, including design simplicity and functional simplicity, there should not be too many functional branches, whether you can organize these functions, too many functions will always confuse users. The iphone app has a special temperament that you can design that fits perfectly with the iphone's features, even with a bit of cool, regardless of low-end users, because his experience is not too bad for users who use the iphone and can install apps.

Author: JiangYang

Article Source: pcuseman.com/?p=202