This document provides guidance and recommendations for designing mobile applications with little budget or technical skills. It recommends analyzing the target market and designing for the largest segment. Interface guidelines from Apple, Android, and Blackberry are listed as resources, as well as books on general mobile design principles. Key points include using real-world metaphors, not straying too far from conventions, limiting tabs to 5 or less, clearly indicating location within the app, designing for finger-sized targets, limiting custom controls, learning and applying design patterns, and simplifying the design. Testing on actual devices from the start is also advised.

1. Design
with virtually no budget and no tech skills!

2. Design for Mobile
• There’s no rules
• How do I know where to start
• Lots of recommendations

3. No rules for mobile design?
• There are only considerations and constraints
- Josh Campbell, Magic + Might
http://floatlearning.com/2011/06/josh-campbell-multiscreen-design-strategies/
• The landscape is fragmented.
• Analyze your market - design for the biggest
chunk
• Is the next biggest chunk worth a customized
design?

4. Build your library
• Online Interface guides
• Updated often
• Word is straight from the source
• Lots of examples

5. How to get the Online Guides...
• Apple iOS HIG -
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/
UserExperience/Conceptual/MobileHIG/Introduction/
Introduction.html
• Android Guidelines -
http://developer.android.com/design/index.html
• Blackberry -
http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/subcategories/?
userType=21&category=BlackBerry+UI+Guidelines

6. Build your library
• Great Books on the Topic
• Constantly coming out!
• Look for generalities, not OS or version
specific titles

7. Some Key Thoughts
• Real world objects are the metaphor du jour
• Don’t stray too far unless you’re a star
• More than 5 tabs? You’re doing it wrong
• Let people know where they are!
• Design for the finger. 1CM or thereabouts
• Custom UI controls should be used sparingly
• Learn, Internalize and Synthesize Design
Patterns
• Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

8. Real World Objects
• A little Skeuomorphism goes a long way
http://madebymany.com/blog/apples-aesthetic-dichotomy
• Both Google and Apple recommend it in their
own styles
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/
UserExperience/Conceptual/MobileHIG/Principles/Principles.html#//
apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40006556-CH5-SW2
http://developer.android.com/design/get-started/principles.html

9. Don’t stray too far
• Usability trumps all else (except beautiful
usability)
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030825.html
http://www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/comments/aesthetic-
usability-effect&#13
• The HIG pretty much lays it out for usability,
Hoober’s book also give great tips on this.

10. 5 Tabs!
• Any more leads to hidden options... Not good.

11. Let ‘em know where they are!
• Always give the title & back button good labels!

12. How big is your finger?
• Old rule - 44px... Best rule? About 1CM

13. Custom UI Controls?
• Your existing toolkit is big... Use it.
• Only after you have exhausted it, should look
outside.

14. Learn, Grasshopper!
• When do you use a list? A grouped list?
• Only after you have exhausted your options,
should you look outside.

15. Simplify!
• Less is best.
• When you have the bare minimum to achieve
your goals... You are there.
X

16. Test
• Get it on the device immediately
• Save as a PNG, open it like a photo

17. 15 Minutes