For questions regarding UX on iPhone applications and web apps accessible via the iPhone.
23
votes
17answers
6k views
Tools for creating mockups for mobile device UIs [closed]
I am looking for tools that can help me to create UI mockups for different mobile phones such as iPhone, Android and Windows Phone 7 devices. Is there any application that can do this?
21
votes
5answers
1k views
Should Android and iPhone UI be different?
I'm not completely new to developing apps, but I'm at a point where I'm trying to develop something and deploy it on several mobile platforms. To only concentrate on two major ones, suppose I'm ...
21
votes
1answer
1k views
Why does the iPhone calling screen have letters under the numbers?
The iPhone dialer has letters below the numbers. Why did Apple include them on this screen? In other phones it is used for T9 keyboard or contact search.
12
votes
6answers
769 views
When to use the Back button vs. Cancel/Done on iPhone
I noticed that in some cases Apple uses Cancel / Done buttons, and in others there's only the the Back button.
In Calendar, for example, when you choose how often an event should repeat, you have ...
11
votes
5answers
1k views
iPhone/iPad: Do people use landscape mode?
I noticed that I nearly never use landscape mode except when I have to (apps with fixed orientation) or when watching videos. But of course I don't want to consult customers based on my own behavior. ...
10
votes
9answers
2k views
What is an easier unlock pattern: gesture or code?
There are two popular ways to unlock a phone. iPhone makes you type in a numerical code. Android gives you the option to draw a gesture. Which of these two is easier to remember and easier to execute?
...
10
votes
7answers
10k views
Alternatives to Microsoft Visio? [closed]
What are good alternatives to Microsoft Visio?
I use it in my Android/iPhone app design workflow to illustrate a sequence of actions. Then I can generate a PDF to share with developers. However, ...
9
votes
8answers
427 views
How to best show connectivity
I am writing an app which heavily depends on having a connection to the host.
The app works fine with no connection it just doesn't send anything up or down.
Because it's a business type app the ...
9
votes
5answers
953 views
When should a mobile app have only one orientation?
Under what circumstances should a mobile app only have one orientation? That is, when you flip your phone landscape or portrait, the view does not adjust. Why did the following two iPhone apps force ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
Are “submit” buttons important for forms on iPhone and Android apps?
When inputting text on the last text field in a form on an iPhone and Android app, the enter key can be highlighted or (on iOS anyway) renamed "done", so that tapping it will submit the form. ...
7
votes
2answers
598 views
What are Windows Phone 7 best practices ? [closed]
What are WP7 best practices ?
Here are some sub-questions
What are main differences between a good iPhone UI and a good WP7 UI ?
For a cross-platform app, should we choose a look-likely UI or ...
7
votes
4answers
68 views
Always show logged in role/user?
For a new iPhone app, we're using "roles" in order to filter some of the app's functions. This role can be switched at all times. Now the question is: should I always show the current role in the UI, ...
7
votes
2answers
135 views
What user-friendly term should I use for a view that lives under a tab in a tab bar app?
My app uses a tab bar controller. In the user documentation, I'm not sure what name to use for a view that lives under a tab.
For example, the app has a Settings tab. In the user documentation, I ...
7
votes
4answers
3k views
iPhone App: Tab Bar vs. Dashboard (aka Grid Navigation). Or both?
I'm working on an iPhone app (early stage) and we had some discussions on the best navigation system:
Dashboard style (examples)
This would be the home screen. What I like: Good feature overview; a ...
7
votes
1answer
674 views
User accessibility for mobile applications [closed]
What are key points of mobile UI accessibility?
What is a difference between mobile and desktop accessibility?
Is there any recommendations we can use?
7
votes
1answer
642 views
In what situations would pagination be perferable over scrolling on the iPhone?
In the case of displaying blocks of text I know that the majority of applications on the iPhone support scrolling. Notable exceptions are ebook apps like iBooks and the Kindle app.
Is the decision ...
7
votes
1answer
466 views
How to display indexes for UITableView in a complex list?
I have a UITableView of UITableViewStylePlain with sections titled as districts (neighborhoods) in New York City. I am struggling how to implement the indexes (quick "links" on the right). Should they ...
6
votes
3answers
7k views
iOS Settings Standards: Using Checkbox Rather Than Switch
If you are familiar with iOS devices, you know that the settings application uses the UISwitch control to show that a parameter is enabled or disabled. This control appears as a toggle switch and even ...
6
votes
3answers
5k views
iPhone & Mobile Web: Pagination vs. Load more vs. Scrolling
We're working on a iPhone app and mobile website with search results loaded from the web. Several sorting options are available, every result has a photo. There are potentially hundreds of results.
I ...
6
votes
3answers
195 views
Tabbar inside Modal View - iPhone
Is it ok to have TabBar in Modal view in iOS UI (iPhone)?
I have a "Select Contact" view in my app and I plan to make it as modal view.
But "Select Contact" is a set of views: "Favourites", ...
6
votes
2answers
397 views
How to simplify an iPhone share screen?
After a user successfully performs an action - let's call it "Ramble" - I want to:
Prompt them to help their friends in the system do the same action
Encourage them to share (FB wall, Tweet, etc.) ...
6
votes
4answers
807 views
What is safe area / minimum distance for iPhone 4
What is safe area / minimum distance for iPhone 4 canvas?
6
votes
4answers
816 views
How to show the mandatory fields on an iOS device?
I have to show more than 11 fields within the screen. 4 fields are mandatory. How should I indicate the mandatory fields? Is there any standard or any ideas?
6
votes
2answers
314 views
Should you use both the accelerometer and the touchscreen in a phone/tablet based game?
So I've been formulating an idea for a game the past few days. I don't want to get into too many details, but I mainly just wanted to ask about one aspect of the gameplay.
OK, imagine a game where ...
6
votes
2answers
219 views
A workable tag auto-suggestion design for mobile devices
Over at Stack Exchange we (fairly) recently rolled out a mobile design for all of our sites. This was definitely a 1.0 attempt, and while I think it's a huge improvement over what we had (which was ...
6
votes
1answer
227 views
Rating control for iPhone world
Some time ago I implemented inline rating control for iPhone applications:
It has configurable amount of stars (depends on the app) and optional clear button (at the most right). The control works ...
6
votes
4answers
561 views
Archive of iOS / android app icons?
In creating an iOS app icons, it'd be great to see if I'm getting too close to anything that is already out there... but is there any good way to check? I haven't come across any archives out there ...
6
votes
1answer
99 views
Account activation in mobile app
I'm designing iphone app which allows users to pay bills. To use this app the user should register and activate their account via e-mail. And here is the problem: Which model I have to choose for the ...
5
votes
4answers
340 views
Is this element using the correct affordance?
what do you guys think about this page http://apple.stackexchange.com/:
The "active" button is highlighted in a way that looks like the iphone's drag button.
So the first thing that comes to my ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
Why do some custom iOS apps use the native nav bar?
I'm talking about Instagram or Foursquare, they are custom designed but still are using default themed menu bar for navigation. Is there some dirty secret behind it?
5
votes
3answers
291 views
What would this widget be called?
What is this control that is used to select an item in this screenshot called?
This is also in the latest Facebook for Android update. What is it called?
5
votes
2answers
171 views
Mobile navigation
A responsive approach has been taken to the current project I am working on. It is a corporate website with 3 levels of navigation. Attached is an example of the solution I have come up with for drop ...
5
votes
3answers
445 views
Is swipe gesture in Mobile Application distracting users with vertical scroling page ?
Normally Vertical scrolling page that used with up-down gesture for Mobile Application to browse data but also have next page to browse too
Example of Sitemap
Categories (Table List of ...
5
votes
1answer
402 views
Should an iPhone application scroll to the top of a table when resorting
My application has a table view with a segmented control in a navigation bar. When the users taps a segment in the segmented control, the application fades the table into it's newly sorted state. The ...
5
votes
4answers
266 views
Is there any user experience benefit of having a patterned background in iPhone apps?
In your experience, do users of iPhone apps enjoy using an app with a "cool special background", like the one below, or do patterned backgrounds distract from the overall point of the app?
I've seen ...
5
votes
2answers
507 views
A/B testing for mobile apps? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How to A/B test a published IOS and Android app on actual users?
Is there any proper way and tool to do A/B testing in mobile apps to find the users' engagement and pain ...
5
votes
1answer
621 views
Back Button Color in iOS
Why exactly is it that I'm not finding very many examples of a Back button being different color from the app background?
Is there somekind of a rule in place?
I proposed using a black Back button ...
5
votes
1answer
601 views
iPhone - popup dialog for user input: when it's worth using it?
I tried to ask this in another thread but, apperently, my scenario was covering the real question. So I try again here, addressing this specific issue.
I noticed that, normally, popup dialogs in iOS ...
4
votes
2answers
547 views
Why aren't iPhone text messages at full width?
Why aren't text messages viewed on the iPhone iOS displayed at full width? I can think of several reasons why it would make sense:
Short messages won't have unnecessary line breaks, long text ...
4
votes
5answers
545 views
Encourage users to tap the “review” button
How to layout an Info screen, so as many as possible are tempted to tap the "review" button?
I wish users would tap the "review" button and write a long positive review on the app store where they ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Alternative to the tab bar (in iPhone app)
I have a project that has 8 different areas, e.g, travel, weather, etc. The front page is going to have 8 different icons; they will navigate to each section. I will then need something like a tab bar ...
4
votes
5answers
2k views
What are some resources for designing slick iPhone UI graphics?
I am currently working the graphics for my iPhone app and would like to take in some tutorials and info about how to make it look as polished as possible.
I can only find resources about iteraction ...
4
votes
3answers
682 views
How to A/B test a published IOS and Android app on actual users?
I've published several apps on IOS and Android adding flurry to measure the interaction that is happening in those apps, however, I'd love to enhance this interaction and make my apps more useful by ...
4
votes
3answers
239 views
What is the acceptable number of “intro” screens for an iPhone app?
I'm building an iPhone app that shows several introduction screens to the user before presenting the main user interface. This is accomplished once, on first launch. My intention is to make the first ...
4
votes
2answers
146 views
Show camera feature on iPhone when there is no camera?
In my iPhone app I have a root view with some options, one being a "Camera" option where you can take a photo to send to us. My question is should I either
A: Show it "grayed out"
or B: Not show it ...
4
votes
2answers
113 views
Ipad/Iphone designing in Full-Screen vs Non-Full-Screen?
I've noticed that most games are in full screen mode and some Apps have taken this on in design. Is there any research or argument for having an App in Full-Screen vs Non-Full-Screen?
The only ...
4
votes
4answers
151 views
iPhone sound buttons position
Why iPhones have sound control buttons on the left side of the device?
We may assume that there are more righthanded users than lefthanded. If user hold the device in right hand, he can use his thumb ...
4
votes
3answers
1k views
Pull-to-refresh and search bar
I have an iOS app that uses tables views. It also implements a pull-to-refresh model, which works very nicely. I now want to add the option to search that table view. Normally, I would just hide the ...
4
votes
3answers
96 views
How to display 5 plus horizontal tabs on mobile device
This is purely for a mobile website that must have horizontal tabs.
The difficulty is that there could potentially be 5-7 tabs, with 5 being more likely. The text for each tab is long, which could ...
4
votes
6answers
910 views
iPhone table view filter with multiple controls
Assume we have a real-estate iPhone app which shows a list of properties in a table view.
I would like to offer the user the ability to filter the list according to about 6-7 different criteria.
...
