Google has unveiled Android design principles for app developers.
According to Christian Robertson, who leads the Android visual design group, developers can go to the Android Design Web site to learn about principles, building blocks and patterns for creating “world-class” Android user interfaces. In the coming months, the Web site will be expanded to include more in-depth content, says Robertson.
Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx, says that, in the rapidly expanding field of apps, providing people with design guidelines is essential. He points out that while it is possible to simply “churn” out apps, these apps often lack the simplicity, elegance and utility that is needed to make an app become part of users' lives.
The new guidelines are structured around three core principles: 'Enchant me', 'Simplify my life', and 'Make me amazing'. The guidelines encourage the development of apps that are visually pleasing and easy to use, while also call for apps that are “emotionally satisfying” to use.
Lofty mantra
However, Goldstuck argues that while Google's “Enchant me, Simplify my life, Make me amazing” mantra sounds “fine and lofty”, very few designers can put it into practice. “It's like telling people to take their creativity to a new level when they cannot execute on their current level,” he says. “So it should be seen as an ideal to strive for, rather than a set of practical guidelines.”
Nevertheless, Goldstuck says the usability tips contained within the guidelines should be followed by all app designers who do not have a fresh and original approach themselves.
Finally, Goldstuck says the quest for more "emotionally satisfying" apps is an unstated response to the Apple experience, which appeals to people both technologically and emotionally. He points out that this is the area in which Android does not yet match iOS, and emotion represents the frontline in the war of the operating systems.
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