An excellent user interface should follow some Man-machine interface http://www.aliyun.com/zixun/aggregation/8912.html "> Design principles, which derive from the way people-users-think and work, not the performance of the device." If a user interface is unattractive, confusing, or illogical, even a great application can make users feel cumbersome. However, a beautiful, user-friendly user interface that does not have to be thought-free and compelling can not only improve application functionality but also inspire users to have a positive feeling and a sense of dependency on the application.
How do you embody these excellent design principles in the IPhone application?
Quasi-Object mapping
Copy the objects and operations of your application into real-world objects and operations. Especially for novice users, this technique can help them quickly understand how your application works.
Folder is a classic software metaphor. In the real world people put documents in folders, so they quickly understand putting data into a computer's folder. Switch controls are a great metaphor for the iphone.
Symbolic meaning in the design of icons should also be noted. With the real world human's public mental model has been, can resonate.
"It's worth noting that when you design your application, recognize the metaphor of the IPhone operating system and don't redefine the metaphor." Also, check the performance of your application to perform tasks, and see if there are natural metaphors to use. Remember that it is better to use standard controls and actions than to add a single user interface to fit real-world objects and actions for your application. Unless your chosen metaphor is understood by most of your users, include metaphors that add to and not reduce user confusion.
Ii. Direct operation
Direct manipulation means that people feel that they are controlling practical rather than abstract things. The advantage of following the principle of direct manipulation is that it is easier for users to understand the results of their operations on manipulating objects.
Because of its multi-touch interface, IPhone operating system users enjoy a high degree of direct manipulation of the pleasure of feeling. Using gesture manipulation allows users to feel more affinity and control over the objects they see on the screen, because they do not have to manipulate them with any intermediary devices (such as a mouse).
To improve the direct manipulation of your iPhone application, make sure that:
When a user performs an action on an object on the screen, it is immediately obvious that the result of the operation of the user that they are visible
Three, point to see
IPhone apps are better than a person who remembers a list of options, commands, data, etc. Use this advantage to provide users with choices or options in the form of a list, so users can easily scan and make selections. Minimizing text input eliminates the need for users to spend a lot of time typing, which prevents the application from performing error checking.
Provide choices to users rather than requiring more open input, while allowing users to focus on your application to accomplish tasks rather than remembering how to manipulate it.
Iv. Feedback
In addition to seeing the results of their actions, users need immediate feedback when manipulating controls, as well as status reports during long operations.
Your application should provide significant changes in response to each user action. For example, make sure that list options are highlighted temporarily when the user clicks on them. Sound cues are also effective, but they cannot be the primary or only feedback mechanism, because people may use devices that carry the IPhone's operating system when they cannot hear the sound, or where they must turn off the sound. And you don't want to compete with the voice of the IPhone operating system because users often think of it as a warning.
when the system is temporarily busy, the IPhone operating system automatically provides action feedback: Display activity indicators; When the system operates for more than a few seconds, your application should display the time consuming progress and, if so, display explanatory information;
Animation is a good way to provide feedback to users, and it is subtle and meaningful. Animation runs through the entire iphone operating system, even in non immersion applications. But as a means of providing feedback, animation is often used to improve the user experience, which is not the focus of the user experience.
V. Let users to control
Let the user trigger and control the behavior, not your application. Keep the behavior simple and straightforward so that users can easily understand and remember them. Use standard controls as much as possible and behaviors that users are already familiar with.
Before you start, you should provide an opportunity to cancel the operation, and when the user triggers a potentially disruptive behavior, be sure to confirm with the user. Make it possible for the user to abort an operation normally.
Vi. a high degree of adherence to aesthetics
Although the ultimate goal of an application is to accomplish a task, the task may even be playing games, and we should not underestimate the importance of the interface. This is because the world has a powerful influence on the function: If an application looks confusing or illogical, it must be difficult to understand and use.
The experience of beauty is good--it is a basic law. Like good-looking people always make people feel comfortable and friendly.
Aesthetic integrity is not a standard to measure how beautiful your application is. Its role is to measure the integrity of the appearance and function. For example, an efficient application should maintain subtle decorative elements and decorative backgrounds while highlighting tasks through standard controls and behavior.
For example, an immersive application, users expect a beautiful interface appearance, commitment to fun and encourage discovery. While immersive applications tend to focus on providing a diversion of attention, its appearance still needs to be combined with tasks. Make sure that the user interface elements you design are meticulous in such applications that they provide an internal, consistent experience. Via
Lion: attached "iPhone HMI design Specification (Chinese-English)"
Source: http://www.imliony.cn/blog/1932.hyh/