iPhone - Hiding/showing a common Carousel view

Question

I have a Carousel view (horizontally aligned images, can be swiped left/right to switch images) above a Table view that displays some information.

Assuming I'd like to give the user the option to hide the carousel view by swiping it to the left/right, will it be considered "User friendly"?

What's the best practice for hiding views that already use gestures? I mean the user already needs to swipe left/right in order to change the centered image, so asking him to "Swipe left/right to hide the view entirely" sounds a little awkward.

What would be a good option is such cases?

Answer 1

The answer to your 1st question is: NO! it wouldn't be user friendly, it would be user frustrating. How would you differentiate between the two if the gesture is the same for hiding and scrolling through the albums.

The easiest option would be to have a close button, or some other button, that would hide the cover flow.

Answer 2

In general, hiding views on a mobile device is not a good idea in the first place. But hiding it with the same action that you navigate with is going to be very frustrating and confusing to most people.

If you need a screen without this panel view, then the options I would suggest are:

• if they really will need to change it regularly, then use a selector of some sort that lest people choose their view type
• if they will rarely (if ever) change it, then it should be in their preferences.

Answer 3

I guess that if the user can manage without the carousel, that it's not needed or helpful anyway. Just rid of it!

In case the carousel is used to pick an item in a first phase, and then the item's details are attended to in a second phase, then you need to consider a proper navigation mechanism.

For instance, see the iPod (music) application of iOS. You select an album with the carousel, and when you want to see that album's details (i.e. list of songs), you click the image, it swivels, and the details are shown on the "back" of the album picture (or on the "back of the album cover", similar to real browsing through physical CD's from a real collection, but that's another story of Skeuomorphic Design).