Designing Mobile Interfaces

Chapter 7. Labels and Indicators

Down Under and Backward

Many of you have had experiences traveling or moving to another country. The opportunity to become immersed into another culture can be quite exciting while also a bit intimidating. Having recently moved to Australia from the United States, I’ve been encountering many cultural differences that I have been forced to quickly adapt to. Not all have been so easy to grasp. Here are just a few.

Phone Numbers

The Australian Communications and Media Authority, which maintains and administers the telephone numbering plan, established a Full National Number (FNN) that is composed of 10 numbers: 0x xxxx-xxxx. The first two digits are the area code; the next four generally make up the Call Collection Area and Exchange. The last four numbers define the line number at the exchange.

Mobile numbers also have 10 digits but follow a different structure: 04yy yxx-xxx. Originally, the y digits indicated the network carrier. But now that Australia allows for Wireless Number Portability (WLNP), like the United States, there is not a fixed relationship between these numbers and the mobile carrier.

So, giving my new mobile number out to people was a bit confusing. I was always following the landline format of 0x xxxx-xxxx and getting a few confused looks.

Gas Types and Pricing

So much to choose from, and so little knowledge! There’s E85, ULP (Unleaded), E10 (ULP + 10% ethanol), PULP (Premium), UPULP (Ultra Premium), Diesel, and LPG (Liquefied Petroleum ...