Android Cookbook

Chapter 2. Designing a Successful Application

2.1. Introduction: Designing a Successful Android Application

Colin Wilcox

Discussion

This chapter is about design guidelines for writing imaginative and useful Android applications. Several recipes describe specific aspects of successful design. This section will list some others.

One purpose of this chapter is to explain the benefits of developing native Java Android applications over other methods of delivering rich content on mobile devices.

Requirements of a native handset application

There are a number of key requirements for successfully delivering any mobile handset application, regardless of the platform onto which it will be deployed:

• The application should be easy to install, remove, and update on a device.

• It should address the user’s needs in a compelling, unique, and elegant way.

• It should be feature-rich while remaining usable by both novice and expert users.

• It should be familiar to users who have accessed the same information through other routes, such as a website.

• Key areas of functionality should be readily accessible.

• It should have a common look and feel with other native applications on the handset conforming to the target platform’s standards and style guidelines.

• An application should be stable, scalable, usable, and responsive.

• It should use the platform’s capabilities tastefully when it makes the user’s experience more compelling.

Android application design

The Android application we will design in this chapter will exploit ...