Book Image

iPhone User Interface Cookbook

By : Cameron Banga
Book Image

iPhone User Interface Cookbook

By: Cameron Banga

Overview of this book

The incredible growth rates for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad have pushed consumers to a new “App” economy, with developers racing to the platform. Mobile touch-centric interfaces vary greatly from traditional computing platforms, and programmers as well as designers must learn to adapt to the new form-factor.The iPhone User Interface Cookbook offers a complete breakdown of standard interface design on the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. You will learn the tools behind the trade, how to properly utilize standard interface elements, and custom UI tricks that will help your work stand out on the App Store.The book is designed to be a complete overview of interface design on all iOS platforms, offering insight and an inside look into app design. A variety of topics are covered, starting with an overview of tools for the app interface designer, touching upon popular interface components such as the Tab Bar, and offering suggestions for complex game interfaces. Whether you’re new to the platform or a seasoned developer with numerous applications in the App Store, this book strives to teach everyone simple and easy to implement tips for iOS interface design. Regardless of skill level, the iPhone User Interface Cookbook offers a detailed breakdown of all things interface design.

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iPhone User Interface Cookbook
Cameron Banga
Nov, 2011 | 262 pages
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Table of Contents (18 chapters)
iPhone User Interface Cookbook
iPhone User Interface Cookbook
Credits
Credits
About the Author
About the Author
About the Reviewers
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
www.PacktPub.com
PacktLib.PacktPub.com
PacktLib.PacktPub.com
Preface
Preface
Free Chapter
1
Getting Started: Prototyping, Proper Tools, and Testing our Design
Getting Started: Prototyping, Proper Tools, and Testing our Design
Introduction
Starting with the sketch
Developing a rapid prototype
Migrating to the high-resolution Retina display
Getting our work onto a device
Taking a screenshot of an application on our device
Working within Apple's guidelines
2
Customizing our Icon, the Navigation Bar, and the Tab Bar
Customizing our Icon, the Navigation Bar, and the Tab Bar
Introduction
Designing an application icon and preparing it for the user home screen
Creating the rounded edges effect on our icon
Removing the app icon's gloss effect
Optimizing our newspaper or magazine app's icon for Newsstand in iOS 5
Creating a custom Tab Bar for our iPhone application
3
Different Ways to "View" our Application
Different Ways to "View" our Application
Introduction
Properly utilizing modal views
Getting quick updates with Alert Views
Improving our application through Table Views
Integrating Web View into our app
Including Twitter in iOS 5
Determining which view is better for our app
4
Utilizing Common UI Elements
Utilizing Common UI Elements
Introduction
Implementing application functionality using a Navigation Bar
Providing variety through a Tab Bar
Speeding up data entry through pickers and custom keyboards
Simplicity in the Slider control
Offering complex control through an Action Sheet
Using UI to keep our user inside our application
Making text fade in or out of view
5
All About Games
All About Games
Introduction
Planning your game around touch
Using control techniques that are optimized for touch
Designing HUDs with limited real estate
Accounting for the lost Status Bar
6
Starting, Stopping, and Multitasking
Starting, Stopping, and Multitasking
Introduction
Starting the application with a proper Default.png
Planning our application UI for a first impression
Dealing with phone calls or text messages
Working with multitasking in iOS 4
Periodical downloads and Newsstand in iOS 5
Making accommodations for other apps that are multitasking
7
Notifications, Locations, and Sounds
Notifications, Locations, and Sounds
Introduction
Integrating push or local notifications into our app
Using badges to draw attention to new content
Managing audio properties and keeping silent
Locating the sweet spot when handling location services
Making an app usable without location data
Making cents with proper ad placement
8
Accessibility, Options, and Limited Opportunity to Help our User
Accessibility, Options, and Limited Opportunity to Help our User
Introduction
Using the 80 percent rule when developing optimal settings
Properly supporting copy and paste
Supporting undo and redo
Configurations in, settings out
Cutting features when in doubt
Supporting VoiceOver and other accessibility features
9
Migrating to the iPad
Migrating to the iPad
Introduction
Migrating our app to the iPad
Experiences that are possible on the iPad, but not on the iPhone
Accounting for resolution and aspect ratio changes
Managing our app for use with two hands
Designing our app with all orientations in mind
Including Popovers and new UI elements for the iPad
Designing an app using skeuomorphic designs
The Importance of Direct Manipulation
The Importance of Direct Manipulation
If you need a stylus, you blew it
If you need a stylus, you blew it

Using badges to draw attention to new content

As a specific form of notifications, badges allow us to give a numerical bit of context on the application for the user. This is a great tool when we look to inform the user on the number of their new emails, text messages, and so on.

Badges are a relatively simple, but fundamentally important aspect of an application interface. For any application that uses Push or Local Notifications in order to update the user on new content, badges are an option to help gain user attention.

Badges are used by many applications. In the previous screenshot, badges indicate the number of apps available for update in the App Store, emails awaiting response in Mail, replies to be viewed in Twitter, and more.

By definition, badges consist of a small red circle that appears in the upper right hand corner of an application or folder icon on the iOS home screen. These interface elements are technically a component in the Push and Local Notification framework...

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