So I wrote this up recently for internal use at Inkling, and thought it might serve as a good general purpose guide for iPhone/iPad UI designers who work in tandem with developers. Hopefully it will help you work more efficiently and have more harmonious, fruitful partnerships!
The Main Course
Deliciously fulfilling articles about serious business.Creating UI assets for the iPhone OS
Posted on 12 April, 2010 5:35pm | 8 comments.
Star Trek and the Future of UX
Posted on 8 February, 2010 12:08pm | 2 comments.
Matt Gemmell asked a very thought-provoking question on Formspring yesterday, and I liked it enough to repost it here. I really think a lot could be said about this topic, and this just scratches the surface.
Q: To what extent has sci-fi (TV, movies, books) influenced your UX work?
A: That’s a great question. I think you can look at science fiction as our collective fantasy about technology. If you want to understand not how people use their computers but how they want to use them, popular sci-fi is the first place you should look.
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Making an iWork-style toolbar icon
Posted on 31 March, 2009 9:44pm | 4 comments.
In Mac OS X applications, toolbar icons are the illustrative UI shortcuts that appear beneath the title bar. You’ll see a few different styles of these depending on the application, but generally speaking they are relatively small and colorful, meant to be easy to remember. If you plan to design toolbar icons, you should start with the section devoted to them in the Apple Human Interface Guidelines.
While the HIG has a lot of good information, it doesn’t go into the details of implementation, so I’m going to go through the process of how I would design a toolbar icon. I’ve chosen the iWork style because I really like how crisp and clear they are, and I think they are a good model to work towards.
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The keyboard is a crutch, or why web design is boring and irrelevant
Posted on 6 March, 2009 6:41pm | 3 comments.
Ah, spring. Another Webstock has passed and SXSW is coming around the corner. I remember a time when I dreamed of going to the big web conferences, talking to exciting people working on exciting things, and meeting people I admired: Tantek Celik, Molly Holzschlag, Doug Bowman, Dan Cederholm. I started out in web design right as CSS was taking hold as a great way to make beautiful and flexible layouts. As my career unfolded I saw the growing popularity of Google, the introduction of Firefox, the beginning of the standards movement, and the explosion of AJAX, Rails, and web 2.0.
It’s easy to think I work in an an exciting, dramatic field that’s always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, and continually reinventing itself in new and better ways. Users love the web, right? We’ve done a great job, haven’t we?
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On the Side
Tasty tidbits for any occasion.Ellen’s Stock-a-Rama
3:45pm, 15-02-2010 | no comments.
Peter pointed me to these lovely stock illustrations from Ellen Lupton. I really like the textures and whimsical treatment of subjects.
On Selling Out
2:27pm, 4-02-2010 | no comments.
“I honestly don’t know what selling out is supposed to mean anymore, the term is leveled with such regularity. I was under the impression that it meant that your principles were for sale, that an indeterminate sum had changed hands and now you were under command. … Now it appears to involve infractions of some impossibly austere, orthodox hipster code, complete with constant play-by-play analysis by psychic forum trolls and betrayed fans who gleefully plot the coordinates of your downward trajectory.”
From 2004, but strikingly relevant in the context of the iPad. From Penny Arcade, via Meg.
Creativity is Not Design
3:39pm, 3-02-2010 | 1 comment.
“Creativity is not design. Creativity has nothing to do with design. Creativity is bound by no laws, rules, or strictures …which is perhaps why it’s so intoxicating. Design, on the other hand, is based entirely on math, psychology, human perception, and a host of rigid rules and laws that can be broken by only a highly skilled few. Those unfamiliar with these laws and rules, and the associated sciences are by no definition designers.”
As usual, thoughtful and informed commentary from Andy Rutledge.
So one of my New Year’s resolutions for 2010 was to end this year at a lower weight than I started it. Not drastically, but the idea is to work maintainable weight management/maintenance habits into my routine. Calorie counting has always been a good strategy for me, and hey, there’s an app for that!
Besides being an amazingly well-executed app, Lose It! is free and has some social motivational features. So if you’re using the app too, add me at ahalsall@gmail.com… it’s always easier with friends!
Snacks
Way more fun than real food.annekate: Spent the morning reading in Cal Anderson park. Now off to explore Pike Place and the waterfront. Couldn’t ask for better weather!
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annekate: Traveling with a 3G iPad is pretty much the cat’s pajamas.
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annekate: And I’m off to Seattle for some much needed R&R.
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annekate: Inkling is above Netflix but below Pac-Man Lite. Somehow it makes sense that TV < education < arcade games.
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annekate: Current status: http://yfrog.com/bfz3qxj
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annekate: Another shot with more context: http://yfrog.com/18jkigj
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annekate: Saw this piece online two months ago and fell in love. Today, found it on sale at my favorite vintage dealer. http://yfrog.com/n86auj
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annekate: OH: "Mac developers are just more fertile."
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annekate: It’s been a crazy ride, but I have been lucky to share it with an absolutely top-notch team. Couldn’t be more proud!
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annekate: Congratulations, Mr. Curtis. You are now awake.
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annekate: Exciting things afoot!
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annekate: We have an extra ticket to see Inception at the Kabuki tonight, 7:05pm showing. Anyone interested?
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annekate: Enjoyed the morning and afternoon off, now making a zucchini casserole for dinner. Then, it’s weekend warrior time! #homestretch
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annekate: Current status: http://yfrog.com/g0zb5gj
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