Mobile Application Style Guides

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Developing easy-to-use mobile applications is difficult. The devices are small and do not have a keyboard. Some devices have a scroll-and-select user interface; others use touch screens. Users have different expectations based on the device they are using. Development languages are similar to those used for desktop development, but are not the same.

And then there are the truly challenging parts of developing mobile applications. Will the user use it? What will the user be doing? Does the device that the user is using render application code the way you are expecting? What about network connectivity and carrier support?

There are some excellent resources available to help you on the technical side of your application development. Here we provide concrete, detailed recommendations for how to design the user interface of your application. Most recommendations apply to every situation; some recommendations apply only to specific devices, device classes, or carriers.


[edit] Style Guide Topics

  • Introduction
  • Using this Guide
  • Making the Transition to Mobile Development
  • Top Issues in Mobile Design
  • Design Principles
  • The Mobile Environment
    • Users
    • Devices
    • Carriers
    • Platforms
    • A Note about Simulators and Emulators
    • Multiple-Device Platforms
    • XHTML-MP/WML2 Rendering Issues
    • J2ME MIDP Rendering Issues
  • Mobile Application Design
    • Creativity vs. Consistency
    • Mobilizing a Desktop Application
    • Content Authoring: Less is More
    • Screen and Deck Size
    • Navigation
    • Security, Cookies, and State Management
    • Alerts
    • Cache and Performance Management
    • Voice Calls
    • Miscellany
  • Design Patterns
    • Alphabetical List
    • Sports Scores
    • Complex Entry: Wizards and Forms
    • Progressive Input Fields
    • Navigational Controls
    • Visual Segmenting
    • Quick City Lookup
    • Series Reader
    • Cancel Guard
  • Screen Design
    • Title and Header
    • Contents of Screen
    • Links (anchors)
    • Commands and Softkeys
    • Tickers
    • Styles
    • Multimedia and Graphics
    • Bookmarks
  • Screen Types
    • Navigational Menus
    • Action Menus
    • List of Data
    • Content Screens
    • Text Entry Screens
    • Feedback or Alert Screens
    • Settings Screens
    • Forms
    • Custom Screens
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