“The goal is to clearly direct end users to the content they want. Metro interfaces are supposed to embody harmonious, functional, and attractive visual elements. Ideally, good UI design should encourage playful exploration when interacting with the application and people should feel a sense of wonder and excitement. A clear, straightforward design not only makes an application legible, it encourages usage.”
Link: Windows Phone 7 User Experience Guidelines (microsoft.com)
“This section on Universal Design introduces AT&T Mobility’s point of view on the relationship between accessibility and innovation. Principles of “barrier-free design” or “design for all” are not seen as constraints on design, but as fodder for innovation.
“Consider scenarios such as accessing phone keys in a darkened theater, waiting for a call in a noisy environment, or trying to operate your phone during an emergency. In these cases, tactile markings on the phone, vibrate mode, and voice dialing benefit anyone who might find themselves in situations of impairment (vision, hearing, speech, cognitive or dexterity) temporarily or for longer terms.”
Link: Universal Design (att.com, via)
“This document introduces you to the iPhone environment and how it shapes the user experience of iPhone content. Then, it explains how to design a superlative user interface for your web content so it displays and works well on iPhone. It does this by first examining different types of iPhone content and exploring how you can decide which type to create. It then discusses how to apply user interface design principles to iPhone content, and finally provides numerous metrics and guidelines to help you handle specific design issues.”
Link: iPhone Human Interfact Guidelines (apple.com)
“The judo rule: Turn your weaknesses into your strengths. If you cannot escape the limitations of the small screen, use them to your advantage! Think of ways to turn the screen size into an integral part of gameplay — part of the game’s challenge that the player must learn to overcome. Make the small screen a cognitive challenge, not just a visual limitation.”
Link: Mobile Game Graphics – Overcoming the Small Screen Challenge (nokia.com)
The One Laptop Per Child project has taken a fairly radical departure from the standard desktop metaphor, instead going for an activity-centric, social and temporally biased user experience.
“There are no software applications in the traditional sense on the laptop. The laptop focuses children around “activities.” This is more than a new naming convention; it represents an intrinsic quality of the learning experience we hope the children will have when using the laptop. Activities are distinct from applications in their foci—collaboration and expression—and their implementation—journaling and iteration.”
Link: OLPC Human Interface Guidelines (laptop.org)
An introductory paper from Nokia about the basic principles of visualization and graphic design principles for mobile devices.
“Most of the new rules relate to the mobile device capabilities and to the context of use. Mobile devices are small and they can be used virtually everywhere: The users can be sitting comfortably on the train or they can be walking on the streets while using the device. Users usually operate the device with one hand and their attention may be distracted at times. These issues pose new requirements in terms of limited display real estate and increased need for clarity and usability to meet the various different use contexts. These issues are discussed in detail in the following sections.
Link: Visualization and Graphic Design Guideline (nokia.com)
“The user interface guidelines for Windows Mobile-Based Pocket PCs assist you in developing Windows Mobile-based applications that provide a good user experience. The guidelines are based on extensive usability research.”
Link: Pocket PC User Interface Guidelines (microsoft.com)
Gong & Tarasewich take design guidelines typically used for desktop applications and transform them for mobile applications. Short and clear.
“Design for multiple and dynamic contexts
Allow for single- or no-handed operation
Design for small devices
Design for limited and split attention
Design for speed and recovery
Design for ‘top-down’ interaction
Allow for personalization
Design for enjoyment”
Link: Guidelines for handheld mobile interface design (pdf)
Resources from Nokia about design. Some interesting stuff in there, a lot of it pitched to developers.
“Usability articles. Usability articles illustrate concrete perspectives on usability in mobile application creation. They describe in brief the most interesting issues in wireless development with end user in mind. There are success cases as well as general guidance on how to handle usability issues in a cost-efficient manner in product development.
“UI & User Experience Guidelines. Our UI & Usability Guidelines provide a treasure trove for mobile application developers and enthusiasts worldwide. From general guidance and detailed enterprise application and game usability guidelines to tips and tricks for optimizing content for Nokia mobile phones, the user-friendliness of your mobile applications is ensured by putting these documents in full use.”
Link: Nokia Usability Forum
Published by Gabriel White.