Design Principles

These design principles were developed by and for the Android User Experience Team to keep users' best interests in mind. For Android developers and designers, they continue to underlie the more detailed design guidelines for different types of devices. Consider these principles as you apply your own creativity and design thinking. Deviate with purpose. Enchant Me Delight me in surprising ways A beautiful surface, a carefully-placed animation, or a well-timed sound effect is a joy to experience. Real objects are more fun than buttons and menus Allow people to directly touch and manipulate objects in your app. Let me make it mine People love to add personal touches because it helps them feel at home and in control. Get to know me Learn peoples' preferences over time. Simplify My Life Keep it brief Use short phrases with simple words. Pictures are faster than words Consider using pictures to explain ideas. Decide for me but let me have the final say Only show what I need when I need it

Facebook Paper's gestural hell - Scott Hurff Facebook's release of Paper yesterday on the App Store breaks a string of uninspired releases outside of Instagram, and has many believing it's a glimpse into the future of mobile interaction. But there's one problem: if this is the future, it's going to hurt. And I mean physically. There's no doubt that Paper is a fresh and innovative take on content browsing. But while Paper may not ask much of us when we sign up to use the app — it asks a lot of us when it comes to the app's default interactions. Paper's biggest problem is one if its nicest features: the physics-driven, inertial carousel at the bottom of the screen. But take a closer look. This means that for the ~90% of right-handed phone users, the default thumb position is a hook. Ow. I don't know about you, but I try and prevent my thumb from making contortions like that. Many people won't think twice about this. Let's get specific. This is definitely a problem I face with apps. Now, let's look at Paper with overlaid Thumb Zones.

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