Mobile app design discussion questions

1. Discuss error protection and correction.

2. Discuss notifications and feedback within an app.

Notifications and Feedback

If the user needs new information, application creators must use notifications. These prompts pause ongoing tasks, and enable users to change processes and behaviors according to the new information or feedback.

Feedback is the user-perceived result of an interaction, providing immediate confirmation like a color change, message, or being led to a new page. Delayed feedback leads to user frustration and redundant, often error-inducing input; confirmation feedback is useful when user data could otherwise be lost, and should be indicated with a distinct change in state from the initial view. Notification can inform a user (presenting a single button to close the notification), offer the ability to cancel a process or correct an error, or give multiple options from which to select. A user should never be presented with more than three options from any notification.

Users could be notified they must log in to access application features. Security is often overused, but if only authorized individuals should have access to application features — such as a personalized “favorites” collection — users may need to create an account or verify credentials in a login area. Obscuring passwords is not as important in mobile applications. The likelihood of data-entry mistakes outweighs the security concerns of small, easy-to-move screens. User expectations do, however, shape the perceived trustworthiness of an application. One solution is to briefly display each character either for a moment or until the next key is pressed, and then mask characters as dots. In a personal mobile device context, users should need to log in only the first time they access an application, and not on subsequent visits. However, users could be prompted to reenter their password within the application when completing high-risk transactions, such as making a bank withdrawal. If the user must make a decision, or there is a risk of human error, a confirmation presents users with a choice. Because a notification forces users to read, decide, and act on a prompt to continue their task, users become frustrated with excessive confirmations. Notifications catch user attention to indicate that further action may be required, or that an action (such as a download or an update) has been completed. Visual design can be complemented with notification tones, a single and repetitive sound that may change frequency over time. Some application screens should not be obscured or disrupted by notifications, such as media centric functionality like music players and video. Try to group multiple prompts in a single view, so that no prompt obscures another important piece of information. Serialize redundant prompts: if three friends favorite your latest announcement, a single notification prompt should say clearly say “you have three favorites,” instead of three separate notifications.

3. Discuss fixed menus and expandable menus within an app.

4. Discuss effective use of screen real estate.

5. How do you determine and reach your target audience when designing an app?