Middle of Somewhere Design

As part of our weekly module in Interactive Media we were asked to read about the Apple Human Interface Guidelines. This reading really opened my eyes to how many different considerations come into play when designing a mobile app or game. One aspect that really stood out to me was accessibility. According to the guidelines one in seven people have a disability. That is a huge percentage of the population and a demographic that should absolutely be considered for thoughtful and considerate design features. Although companies may find accessibility considerations a waste of time or money, the percentage of users that would benefit directly goes against that argument. Small considerations like color combinations and text size could go a long way for users with poor vision, for example. Also the human interface guidelines stress the importance of simplicity when considering accessibility. Basically, don’t overcomplicate things.

In addition to the Apple Human Interface Guidelines, we were also asked to try out a quiz called Can’t Unsee, which moves through a series of questions that contain multiple images with common app components. The quiz asks the participant to find the design choice which is more correct. I was pleasantly surprised how well I did on the quiz, and I think my score came from a combination of lots of exposure to smart phones and apps over the years, as well as a keen eye and attention to detail. I would say some of the most challenging questions on the quiz involved spacing. The amount of spaces or indents can be hard to recognize versus something like a typeface that isn’t cohesive on the page. Overall I really enjoyed the activity and it provided good insight into many of the things that can derail effective app design.