UX for Beginners

Chapter 31. Devices

In today’s world, we’re not just talking about a single phone or laptop. Follow these six steps to help you think about designing for different devices:

Step 1: Finger or mouse?

I am not going to cover this here, because Chapter 69, Touch versus Mouse is completely dedicated to this idea.

Step 2: Start small.

Many people think “mobile first” has something to do with mobile being popular. Kind of, but not really: if you design for the smallest, least powerful device first, then you will focus on the content and your core functionality. That leads to simple, beautiful apps/sites. If you do it the other way around, it’ll be like trying to put a marshmallow into a piggy bank, which is neither simple, nor beautiful.

Step 3: What special powers does this device have?

Mobile devices travel with us so—surprise!—we spend more time on them and location becomes a factor. They are also small, so moving the device itself can be a feature. Laptops, on the other hand, don’t travel as well, but they are more powerful, they have huge screens and keyboards, and the mouse allows more precise selections and functions. Don’t worry about “consistency” so much—different devices require different thinking sometimes.

Step 4: Consider the software.

“Mac versus PC” is more than a cute ad campaign. Read through the UX guidelines before you start. Also, iOS 7 or Windows 8 look different than iOS 6 or Windows Vista. You might need to choose which versions you will support and which you will ignore. ...