The mobile space is changing rapidly, but many patterns of use and design have remained consistent for years. See some old and new mobile user interface patterns and discuss different design approaches to support users.
By Barbara Ballard.
In all aspects of nature, patterns emerge. Successful patterns within their context get replicated, and unsuccessful patterns die off. Designers can learn from successful patterns in nature, human behavior, and of course existing user interfaces. Applying lessons from nature is a tricky business, but applying lessons from existing human endeavors is reasonably straightforward. In design and development, a pattern is a known good solution to a recurring problem. But what aspects of a given design are part of the good pattern? Paginated search results are certainly a pattern, but Google’s extra-large graphic to get to the next page is part of the pattern that many adopters completely miss. An experienced guide will provide examples of:
- mobile user interface design patterns, from past to present
- mobile design pattern libraries available on the web
- emerging mobile usage patterns and how they affect design
- user experience architecture patterns
- user context patterns
- design principles patterns