User-centered iPhone app design

Suzanne Ginsburg Principal, Ginsburg Design September 10, 2009

People are doing cool things with their iPhones

Three stories….

The gallery salesperson

The student

The floral designer

People their iPhones but some things could be better…

Setup is too complicated (& unfriendly)

App: Accuweather

Tasks require too many steps

App: To Do’s

Inconsistent and/or Unable to Synch with Desktop or Web version

Epicurious doesn’t synch with online recipe box

Built-in calendar doesn’t synch to do list

Can’t edit LinkedIn profile via app

Other common themes

Tasks require too much typing

App doesn’t remember where user left off

No content for given location

What can you do?

#1: Conduct upfront user research

Upfront user research will help you better understand your users’ needs.

Research will help you make informed design decisions; you may also uncover fascinating app opportunities.

Methods to consider: Shadowing, Field Interviews, Diary Studies

#2: Brainstorm & sketch like mad

Explore a wide variety of design directions early on.

Read Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines for the iPhone, but try to see beyond the basic frameworks.

Learn what’s possible with the iPhone technology and consider ways it can benefit the user experience.

#3: Refine & Test Promising Directions

Usability testing your concepts will help uncover issues related to setup, flows, terminology & more.

Alternative approaches: - Paper prototypes - Screenshot based prototype on the iPhone - Interactive prototype on the iPhone

Thank you & good luck!

Suzanne Ginsburg @suzanneginsburg

Also thanks to Michelle Reamy for her user research work in NY:

michelle@michellereamy.com