May 10, 2011
Great Design
First off, let me say right off the bat that I am not suggesting that this is a great app. It seems to be missing quite a few of our attributes, but it does offer us a good base from which we can explore how design makes a difference. And that’s exactly what today’s article is about the great app attribute 3 DESIGN and the difference GREAT design can make.
Before you watch the video, take a look at the screen shot John Geleynse’s used during his speech which shows the difference between the initial screen of the app before and after it underwent it’s design transformation. The functionality is EXACTLY the same, but which one would you want in your pocket? Yeah. The one on the right. The one that sports a real Design effort.
Oh What a Difference a little DESIGN makes!
Supported from Top – Occam’s razor, Design wins!
Tiny bit of Background: For those readers who do not have a formal engineering background, Occam’s razor is a rule or saying that goes something like this: Given two equally plausible solutions, the simplest one wins! As a general rule simpler designs have less moving parts and are therefore easier to implement and maintain.
Given two equally plausible solutions, the one with the most attractive design wins!
The point John was trying to drive home during his speech was that companies or organizations need to adopt a similar rule when it comes to design, and that rule needs to become the bedrock of the company’s app development effort. Given two equally plausible solutions, the one with the most attractive design wins.
And that can only happen if it is given the full support of the company’s top brass. So, if you want your company to deliver the next Great iPhone App, make sure that Design is a priority from the top down.
Small Teams – Vision, Focused direction!
On this point, I’m really not going to take the time to elaborate. Basically what John said here is that typically, the best designs come from small design teams. A small inter-disciplinary team is usually able to deliver better design solutions because of the following: it is more organic — is easier to manage — has better communication — is able to make decisions more quickly — and most importantly it is able iterate quickly.
Those of us who deliver applications know this. It is sometimes a difficult thing to convince management that a small team is better than a larger one. But this isn’t about making widgets… it’s about creating something that is by any standards a piece of art.
Constant focus on design – Pixel level attention to detail!
From my perspective, this may be the most important element of this attribute. Pixel Level Attention to detail. While this is true for any App, it is especially important for something as small and as personal as an App that a user carries in a pocket.
Pixel level attention to detail includes things like colors, control placement, use of gestures, anything… no EVERYTHING that goes into an application of this small stature needs to be delivered with the highest quality and serve a purpose.
Please don’t misunderstand this as a call to eliminate those things which are not functional… far from it. What it is, is a call to deliver each element purposefully. Maybe that purpose is just to delight or impress the user. And that’s ok. Think about the box your iPhone came in. It’s a thing of beauty. It’s that kind of attention to detail that separates the apps into the great and just run of the mill categories.
Focus on Solutions – It’s ok to say no to Features!
This is tough for almost everyone designing or developing an application of any kind. Every designer, developer, or sales manager wants to load his or her app with every feature a user could want or need.
What I’ve found in App design, and in life for that matter, is that winners typically do a few things so incredibly well that they rise above the rest of the competition. Look at the apps that do hit the mark.
Ok… Now here’s your third challenge. Spend the rest of the day blowing up your old ideas about computers and application design. With the iPhone, you have the ability to interact with the user in a myriad of new and intuitive ways. Refuse to accept boundaries and envision an app with an focus on design!
If you want your new app to break out from the crowd, it has to look and feel as well as it works!
You can do this!
1 (877) Joe Moniz
