Designing the iPhone User
Interfaces – Case Studies (1 – 6)
Presenter: Tony Chiou
A Look of Designers’ Strategies and
Approaches to Develop App.
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Designers’ inspiration to design apps
Initial approach to the project.
Effects of research impact initial design.
Testing the apps to user and gather feedback.
Testing that impacts final design.
User Response to final product
Other questions (Big lesson learned, How it
works, etc.)
Approaches to Development
• Begin by researching user experiences.
• Create initial designs and show them to user
for feed back.
• Create prototype and test them to users and
gathered their response.
• Create final product based on feedback along
with continuous support and updates.
Case Study 1 - WindSpire
• Measuring wind speeds in local area
• For people to decide if they can be
benefitted by wind turbines.
• Ethonographic–style interviews:
– Green Tribe and Easy – Eco Tribe.
• Develop a Prototype for both users
– App to capture wind noise and convert to decibel
rating that corresponding to wind speed.
• Test and fine tune app to users.
– Incorporate messages to phone for instructions
and encouragement to use turbines.
Case Study 2 - Aardvark
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A tool for asking questions to knowledgeable peers and get responses.
Inspired for on-go-situations and popularity of
iphone market.
• Start with product design with user studies
– Recruit and interview users about mobile
apps and their appeal
– Create mock-up app design and core design for
user reaction
• Goal to development : enable main functionality without
concern of secondary features.
– “Asking a question and get answers push notifications (pg 7)”
• Thorough iterated testing with each new updated
version of the app and gathering feedback.
Case Study 3 - FoodSpotting
• A local visual guide that helps you seek dishes instead of restaurants .
• Inspired by a user designer who saw a users’
need for a food-focused dining guide.
• Pitch idea by showing concept posters to users.
• Testing possible user design interfaces using deck of
sketch cards and show to users how the app works.
– Provide scenarios to users and walk them through it to know
what screens or components app might need for users.
• Challenges to development include technical issues,
app becoming too generic ( straying away from idea:
“tantalizing collection of the best foods and where to
find them (pg 11)”).
Case Study 4 – Not for Tourists
• Guide for exploring city like a local
• Inspired by on-the-go situations with app features
(gps, wireless connections)
• Always start with user-experience
– Interviewing people (editors to readers)
– Create personas and scenarios
• Design sketches of Apps screens and create
flow charts of activities.
• Test App by giving to users and watch how
they use it as well as asking questions on their experience.
• Big lesson learned in developing apps: That Apps are never finished
because they get updated constantly.
Case Study 5 - MUSE
• A media player interface that shows your music track as dots and they all
play simultaneously. Listen to each track by touching the dots and app will
build tracks off the genre.
• Inspired by creativity of designing sophisticated interfaces with the idea of
listening to songs on radio as you tune into a station.
• Incorporates a unique interface that separate itself from traditional
interfaces.
– Follow Design Pliability, which lets content control the interface.
• Approach to project is by designing prototypes and use them to emulate
functionality and behavior.
• Main point: Developers can create unique interfaces that involves
different functionality and activities. SDKs supports elements that may not
fulfill your requirement for interaction.
Pictures of MUSE
Case Study 6 – Prototyping at Dan4
Inc.
• 3 Ways of Prototyping
– Use in design process. Developers can create,
research, communicate, and collect ideas. It helps
them establish their concepts effectively as design
progresses.
– Use as test device. Given to users as a test and collect
their feedback and reactions. Use the data to find
problems or new discoveries.
– Reused for future uses. Use as specification document
in design process. Add value to marketing or use as
demo.
Credits:
• Ginsburg, Suzanne. “Designing the iPhone
User Experience: AUser-Centered Approach to
Sketching and Prototyping iPhone
AppsDesigning”. 2011. September 11th 2011.
http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/97
80321699435/casestudies/0321699432_Ginsb
urg_full-length_CaseStudies.pdf