Learning Product Design Strategy: iphone Gaming design experience

Article Description: Learn design Strategies from a good iphone game.

Almost all iphone users have used game apps, a "national game" era. In iphone applications, the game is not only the number of downloads, but also the quality of the design is commendable. I from a large number of game applications in the tide, trying to learn from the nutrition, explore good design strategies for my use.

The basic idea is:

Step one, ask a small question or a small test, please follow me to think about;

Step two, which leads to the deep principle;

Step three, this principle is embodied in the iphone game;

Step four, what are the implications for us?

Through the above steps, it simply introduces the characteristics of muscle memory, long-term memory, short-term memory, recognition and recollection, and the influence of the design of the user interface. article space and personal ability is limited, to each principle can not do too much digging, just want to be able to enlighten us some thinking.

One, muscle memory

Step one, please think:

One morning, you get up late and drive to the company in a hurry. Come to fork intersection, a passer-by tells you: this has a shortcut. At this time you face two choices: A road is the way you walk every day, very familiar with the other way you have never walked, there are many uncertainties. Which way would you choose now?

Most people will choose the path they are familiar with.

The road itself is too familiar, "Close your eyes can walk home", the brain almost do not think, the road even if the distance will not feel slow. In contrast, passers-by for your point of shortcut, there may be a fork in your wits, once the wrong, shortcut has become a long way to delay.

Step two, where the principle: muscle memory

The efficiency and accuracy of an operation is largely determined by the proximity of the person's familiar path to the operation. If the operation is repeated many times, the muscles will form a conditioned reflex to produce a memory effect. The cerebral cortex has not yet been decided, and the brainstem and spinal nerves have been led in one step. If the operation is in the new contact stage, the uncertainty is more, at this time makes the decision-making is the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex takes longer to make decisions than the brainstem and spinal nerves.

To cite an example: when the novice learns the car, uses the cerebral cortex, the execution hangs the file, the inverted pile and so on the operation is slow and is incoherent, error prone. Veteran motorists perform brakes and shift gears more subconsciously, faster and more accurate, directed by the brain stem and spinal nerves.

From the speed, accuracy, the user familiar with the operation of the path can make the operation of more calmly. If the operation path is too novel or difficult to explore, even if the procedure is shortened, it is not necessarily faster and better than the path that the user knows.

Step three, in the mobile game in the embodiment:

iphone action games, arcade games and role-playing games, the general use of horizontal screen mode, the lower left corner for the position control operation area, the lower right corner for Action control operation area. Simple user scenarios: Hands hold mobile phone, left thumb is responsible for the operation of the role of the game position, the right thumb is responsible for the operation of the role of specific action.

The user is already very familiar with this pattern, forming a muscle memory. If it is overturned, such as position operation and action operation are placed in the lower right corner, users will feel uncomfortable.

Step four, what are the implications for us

1. The consistency of the operating system is greater than the consistency of the product itself.

The difference between mobile operating systems is obvious, and performing an operation may have very different operating paths. The iOS system uses fewer long presses in specific applications, such as Android, which uses more long presses. Different mobile operating systems, which foster different muscle memories of the user; this muscle memory is exercised by countless applications that conform to the characteristics of this system, and once formed, it is difficult to change. Therefore, when the product platform, must be familiar with and match the operating platform of the user interface features, user-friendly quickly grasp the operation of the application mode.

2. The application should be in harmony with the "Neighbors".

Applications are not isolated in the user's phone, and are part of many applications. The pain is that the user does not fully remember how every detail of each application operates, and muscle memory allows them to try out the kinds of operations they are familiar with. Therefore, it is necessary to look at your "neighbor" application, to see how they are commonly used in the operation, without affecting your own creative points to play the premise can maintain a certain consistency with them.

3. Within a small application environment, controls need to be continuous and predictable.

Muscle memory can also be found in the application's small environment. Function key is necessary to maintain a stable position, in different pages can be found along the visual habits; the layout of the function key needs to be predictable, appearing in the vicinity of the relevant content area, do not bury too deep.

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Next page