What about a good mobile application design?

After more than 10 years of service-side development, I decided to get involved in mobile development. At that time I expected that I would encounter some difficulties, such as technology. But in fact, in the six months of Android and IOS development, technology has never been a problem. Regardless of the seemingly advanced but old-fashioned Java, and regardless of the strange wonderful OB jective C, these have not let me have too much confusion. However, it is difficult to overcome the design and interface of the grasp. The author of this article Andrew, the source of the network micro-trust public number "point Rong Gang".

Back-end programmers accustomed to a large number of configuration scripts, functional switches are very difficult to adapt to the requirements of mobile applications, so the application can make people feel full of various functions, but it is difficult to find how to use these functions correctly, and the design of the interface is simple or even ugly. It's really freaking me out! So, what should the mobile apps be like before the user?

　1. Content

Why use this mobile application, give a reason first? content! This is the main reason to make this decision for users.

Users have a certain expectation of what they can do before using an app, if the user does not have the means to find what he wants in the first place, or if he can't do what he wants to do, he will delete the application in the first time, while the space of mobile devices is very valuable, on the other hand, Now the user can choose the application is too much. So we can't implicitly hide the most important features in the corner, but should be straightforward to present to the user in the first time, even at the use of the Guide page and so on to let users know as quickly as possible what he can do here.

Micro-letter In this regard is very prominent: chat and chat related to the address book features occupy four TAB in the two, other functions, not be squeezed to a single "Discovery" tab, is a fragmented arrangement to other corners. Micro-letters know very well what is the most important function and what is attached to these functions.

Selecting the most important and appropriate content to use on mobile devices from all available features is the first step in the design process.

　　2. Simplifying

As a handheld device that accompanies the user anytime, anywhere, it takes up a lot of the user's time, but the time is fragmented, a few minutes long, and a short glimpse of time. How to let users get the information he wants in such a short time is a problem that almost all mobile applications need to consider.

Starting from a single function to design, in fact, do not need to give users too many choices, users do not have the time, there is no interest to configure the application, so in the operating process of various switches and properties are interfering with the use of the branches of the user's vines. Users don't have much time to waste reading lengthy instructions, looking for the information they want, and completing the steps you specify in a step-by-step manner. Let the user's attention quickly focus on the key tasks he needs to complete, so that users do not feel the use of this application is a waste of time.

Uber throughout the call process, at least one user intervention is required to maximize the user's attention to the things he wants to do. The only intervention was what the user wanted to do at the time: Call the car. Other related operations, such as payment, confirmation, either before or after processing, or using technology such as positioning to automatically complete.

Uber experience: American products for the Chinese. An interface requires only a key message, and allows the user to make an action that is sufficient in most cases.

　　3. Exquisite

However, "simplification" is not synonymous with "simplicity". Simplifying functionality does not necessarily mean simple interface design, but in order to display the required features on a small mobile device screen, exquisite to extreme design is essential.

Mobile design has always been a contradiction in the forward. Simplify the function and operation, but do not cause ambiguity and misunderstanding, in fact, the application more than ever want to pass to the user more information. So through the explicit graphics, text, control and other interface elements, make full use of color, layout, behavior and other elements to affect users, this requires not only superb interface design skills, but also to consider more professional knowledge of psychology.

On the other hand, the exquisite design makes the user feel happy and willing to stay in the application for a second--which is a big improvement over the few seconds that the original user left for the application--and gives him a chance to try out a new feature. Refinement is also a more professional experience that adds trust to the development team behind applications and applications.

Timeline, a news client software, through the time line will be hot news string up. Clear and tidy design, can let people focus on the content itself, in the process of reading a variety of display elements silently prompts the reader, but does not interrupt the reader's reading experience.

Accurate and exquisite application design makes the application from the user's mind "usable" into "easy to use" or even "best."

　4. Technical

Well, finally, let's talk about technology. It's not about IOS, it's about Android, it's about new technology.

As a fast-changing technology frontier, using the latest technology on mobile devices has always been an all-out effort: touch, GPS positioning, taking photos, which have been widely known as "traditional mobile technology"; recognition, NFC, air pressure, heartbeat, these new technologies are already familiar to everyone. All of these technologies are beginning to influence our lives and extend the functional areas of our mobile applications. Whether intentional or unintentional, you can reduce the interaction that requires direct user intervention to achieve the previously stated simplification. On the other hand, new technologies make possible the realization of certain functions, and a considerable amount of innovation is achieved.

It is clear that there is no time to fully exploit these technological potentials, and that a large number of new technologies are still being tried, so how to use them properly in mobile applications will be a challenge.

　　Summarize

The difference with the traditional desktop applications, mobile devices unique use of the scene and hardware features, making it necessary to completely different design ideas and design concepts. In order to make applications stand out in many of the same applications, the design effort will be much higher than in any previous era of application software.