Mobile design inspiration dried up on your next project?

Y MEDIA LABS How to create an AMAZING mobile design 12 OF THE BEST DESIGN EXPERTS IN THE WORLD GIVE US THEIR ADVICE. PERCEPTION Perception is more important than reality. Instagram had the best example, where after choosing a filter, users were prompted with description field, not knowing that the photo was uploading in the background. Users were presented with a fake 'uploading' progress bar that seemed to go incredibly quickly, because the photo was already in the cloud. Try to mask unavoidable trade-offs by improving the perception of an experience. ALEKS WITKO HEAD OF VISUAL DESIGN, 99DESIGNS PROGRESSIVE PURPOSE ENHANCEMENT Give every screen a purpose, but not more than one. Users visit pages with the intent to accomplish something: to learn, to act, or to complete a task. If a screen has more than one job, seek ways to split it up. Use Progressive Enhancement for your site and don't use social media button APIS - they are bloated and unnecessary. MARKUS SEYFFERTH BEN GREMILLION MANAGING DIRECTOR, SMASHING MAGAZINE CONTENT DESIGNER, UXPIN BANDWIDTH EFFICIENCY Think about bandwidth efficiency: don't make users wait or needlessly use up their data. Second, don't make users input lots of information. Use keychains, biometrics, cookies etc. to recognise who they are, and the choices they're likely to make. ROB VARNEY EXPERIENCE DESIGN DIRECTOR, FOOLPROOF ITERATION Creating a great mobile experience is a process involving many people with different disciplines. A process that needs to be iterated for perfection, from early-stage sketching to high-fidelity interactive prototyping, and all the way to user testing. Each iteration will bring the mobile app closer to a great mobile experience. ALEXIS PIPERIDES CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, PROTO.IO OPEN MIND Always keep an open mind on alternative design ideas and solutions. Whether that be a layout or how something flows, the visual aesthetic or styling. When you think you have something nailed down, you should always be open to changing it and experimenting with new and different ideas. Typically when you think you've got it is when you fall into the biggest traps. CHARLES PATTERSON PRODUCT DESIGNER, INVISION SIMPLICITY The smaller the screen the more important hierarchy becomes. When designing a mobile app it is critical to understand the context of what your users are trying to accomplish and deliver this as effectively as possible. DAN TRENKNER CREATIVE DIRECTOR, DIGITAL TELEPATHY TEST EVIDENCE Test your design (interface + functionality), using real users performing real tasks using real devices. A mobile design is not just great because we think it's great or because it uses a particular design. Test at various stages even before any development is actually done (using paper prototypes). A mobile design is only great if there's measurable evidence that it's great. Never leave testing till the very end (or worse still, after you launch) because by then it will be too late! Use a simple framework to measure what users are trying to accomplish and measure before and after changes your design changes to ensure the experience is quantifiably better. Test, collect results, analyze, set actionable points, implement, repeat! 99 JUSTIN MIFSUD FOUNDER, USABILITY GEEK JEFF SAURO FOUNDING PRINCIPAL, MEASURINGU EASY TO USE AUDIENCE Focus on function, delight, speed and everything but a "clean" interface. If the app needs a walkthrough with 5 slides explaining how it works, you failed. Get to know your target audience: when designing for the most useable mobile experience, use analytics and research (not assumptions) to define your target audience, and keep focused on their primary goals and behaviours on mobile devices. ROBIN RASZKA PRODUCT DESIGNER, PTTRNS TOM SCHOFIELD CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ENGAGE INTERACTIVE PLATFORM Regardless of the platform you are designing for, it is key to understand and stay true to the platform's native user experience. Users of a mobile platform expect a particular user experience, and, therefore, it is important to stick to the guidelines defined by the platform. While innovation is important, it should never be at the expense of usability and user experience. BART JACOBS MOBILE EDITOR, ENVATO TUTS+ MEET THE EXPERTS ALEKS WITKO - Head of Visual Design - www.99designs.com MARKUS SEYFFERTH - Managing Director - www.smashingmagazine.com BEN GREMILLION - Content Designer - www.uxpin.com ROB VARNEY - Experience Design Director, www.foolproof.co.uk ALEXIS PIPERIDES - Co-founder and CEO, www.proto.io CHARLES PATTERSON - Product Designer, www.invisionapp.com DAN TRENKNER - Creative Director, www.dtelepathy.com JUSTIN MIFSUD - Founder, www.usabilitygeek.com JEFF SAURO - Founding Principal, www.measuringu.com ROBIN RASZKA - Product designer, www.pttrns.com TOM SCHOFIELD - Creative Director, www.engageinteractive.co.uk BART JACOBS - Mobile Editor, www.tutsplus.com THIS INFOGRAPHIC WAS PRODUCED BY Y MEDIA LABS All Roads Lead to Mobile. www.ymedialabs.com