The document discusses several key considerations for designing user experiences and interfaces for mobile platforms. It notes that mobile screens are smaller so designs cannot be simple resizes of desktop interfaces. It also emphasizes that touchscreens differ in their interaction methods compared to mouse-based computers, requiring bigger touch targets, feedback for touches, and gesture-based navigation over buttons. The document stresses the importance of designing for the mobile context with responsive performance and offline functionality while keeping interfaces simple and focused on the user.

1. Mobile vs Desktop
UX and UI Design for Mobile Platforms
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2. It’s simple, not obvious
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3. It’s simple, not obvious
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4. A few really basic things...
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5. Mobile devices have
smaller screens
(Duh!)
You can’t start designing
your application with the
same premise as you did
before. Start from a
blank slate.
And I mean physical
screen size, not number
of pixels. Number of
pixels nowadays means
nada.
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6. Some good (extreme, but
good) examples.
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7. And some bad examples.
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8. There’s a theory, that
airplanes cockpits are
made this complex
intentionally, so that
stupid people can’t fly a
plane. But you want
everyone to use your app,
right?
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9. Fingers are not
mouse cursors
( - still not a finger)
Fingers are fat, and it’s
difficult to target small
buttons.
Bigger buttons, bigger
menus.
But it’s not ok to just
resize controls.
Fingers also come
attached to a hand.
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10. When user taps on
something, he covers
pretty much everything
underneath.
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11. Touch screens
give no feedback
(at least for now)
User has to always look
at the screen when
interacting with it when
tapping.
You can’t feel button
edges, you also don’t feel
if it’s pressed or not.
Vibration and sounds
can’t be a reliable method
of feedback.
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12. Forget about clicking
Clicking is for mice. On
mobiles users tap. And
swipe, and pinch, and
slide.
Buttons suck on touch
interfaces. As long as
you think in buttons you
are not going to provide a
better user experience to
your users.
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13. Sliding is better.
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14. Friday, 17 May 13

15. Innovative doesn’t
always mean good
Don’t over-engineer what
you do. Some things are
meant to be simple,
stupid and boring.
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17. Apps are not web sites
Don’t design them like
one. Better make a
website instead.
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19. Mobile != Apps
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22. Not everything should be
‘optimized for mobile’
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24. Stuffing a web site into
a really small screen is
not a good idea
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25. Don’t create an app if it’s
the same as a web site
(no value = useless)
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26. No bookmarks, no back
button, no tabs - it’s a
worse user experience
than in a regular
browser.
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27. Always think about
context
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28. User
Task Context
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31. Users have less time to
interact with mobile devices
(don’t ask too many questions)
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33. People hate typing on
mobile devices
(but they still do it)
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35. Develop for offline
(mobile != always online)
Cache data, preload UI if
it’s loading from
backend, allow to
continue work
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36. Responsive
(your new favorite word)
(if it’s not already)
People are used to wait
when opening a website
or clicking on a link. But
the same people will hate
your app if they have to
wait when they open
something.
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37. Fool a user and he will
be happier for it
(Apple do that, why shouldn’t you?)
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38. Users are unique
(but 80-20 principle is still true)
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40. Don’t ask users what
they want
(give them something and see how they react)
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41. Be prepared to start
from scratch
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42. Research
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43. 49%
36%
15%
http://uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2013/02/how-do-users-really-hold-mobile-devices.php
72% 28%
90% 10%
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44. Tablets are a whole
new ball game
(still not the same as desktop)
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45. Design UX, not UI
(but please do design good UI)
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47. Skeuomorphism?
Minimalism?
Skeuominimalism?
(the choice is yours)
http://sachagreif.com/flat-pixels/
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49. Friday, 17 May 13

50. Learn, investigate, steal!
mobiledesignpatterngallery.com
pttrns.com
inspired-ui.com
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51. Quick Recap
• Simple things are not
necessarily obvious
• Keep in mind platform
differences
• Don’t create things that
don’t add value
• Forget about ‘mouse UI’
paradigms
• Remember context
• Design UX, not a UI
• Think about users, not
features
• Always look at how
others do it
• Be prepared to change
everything
vasiliy.popov@gmail.com
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