Style and design may not be the most critical element in Android application development, but they do play an important role in determining the success of Android applications. Here are UI design tips for 10 Android apps, and an additional tip that can provide the visual appeal of your Android app.
Tips 1: Use an image of the right size
In terms of images, many Android application developers adopt a single-size approach. Although this will make resource management easier, it is a mistake in terms of the visual appeal of the application. To make the application show the best visual effect, different images should be designed for the specific device screen. The most appropriate image can create the best user experience.
Tips 2: Use images in the appropriate format
We have all seen some applications pause when trying to load certain large images, not only because of the size of the image, but also because the image is in a non-ideal format. The Android platform supports many media formats, such as PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP and WebP (Game Note: only supported in Android 4.0+ version). PNG is an ideal format for lossless pictures, while JPEG presentation quality is not stable.
Android also supports elastic images with Nine-Patch. If feasible, consider using WebP instead of JPEG, as this format is more efficient when stored and downloaded. That is, if you use it as a standalone picture to use with older formats, the overall scale of the application will increase, which reduces the advantage of using new formats.
Tips 3: Use subtle animations to present state changes
Use subtle animations and UI to control color changes during screen transitions to present application state changes, which will make your application more professional. For example, fading between activities makes the screen more natural, changing the color of the pressed key will highlight the user's actions that are happening and clearly present what the user is doing.
Android and subsequent versions can enable hardware acceleration, which will make the animation run smoother. But testing is required because not all functions of the application are compatible with hardware acceleration.
Tips 4: Use the rounded corner effect to soften the UI
User interface control buttons such as Button and PageView will all show rectangular pixel shapes on the screen, but this needs to be processed. On the control interface, the rounded corner effect is used to soften the appearance of the user interface, which looks very similar to the web style, but is indeed very popular with users.
Tip 5: Use consistent "lighting" in 3D effects
The latest version of the Android platform uses holographic styles and 3D icons, etc. If you use projection and other such styles in the application's control buttons, make sure you want to use consistent "lighting". In other words, make sure the shadows are facing consistently on the screen. Use the same values in the image editor to create the same slope and texture.
Tips 6: Use a high contrast color scheme
When a family member (often older generation) first discovers that he can use colored fonts and backgrounds in the email, he sends you an email using a white background and a lemon yellow font, such an email is quite difficult to read. Some people may make it difficult for players to read or navigate content on the screen when designing the screen. Using appropriate high contrast colors will make the screen easier to view and relieve eye stress. Other work should be done based on this using the color scheme as part of the system resource.
Tips 7: Use large and easy to read fonts
Like the above bad color scheme, we also receive text sent by family members with some weird fonts and difficult to read. Some fonts are indeed easier to read than other fonts.
Font size is also an important factor. While maintaining balance with other screen functions, try to make the font large enough. Just like when using a fax machine, it is not appropriate to use a font less than 12 pounds.
Android 4.0 designers have launched a new font that only works for the platform, which is easy to read on mobile devices, and it is called Roboto.
Tips 8: Don’t deviate from platform specifications too much
Many successful mobile applications use more familiar user interfaces. They have a simple and mainstream user interface, and the control method they use is also familiar to users. Don't act too alternative in user interface control and screen design. Try to be simplified and consistent with the performance of other applications on the platform. Use the platform as a clue to determine application performance and behavior.
If the UI you are making is unique, make sure to compare the new UI with traditional UI using objective methods such as AB testing, which will determine whether the new design is more optimized, such as more efficient, easier to use, or more comfortable to look.
Tips 9: Follow UI guidelines
There are many UI guidelines in the Android program manual that can be integrated into the application. These guidelines often vary depending on the version of Android used by the app. When this happens, you need to create multiple assets to deal with multiple guiding principles. Guidance covers icons, widgets, menus, and events.
Tips 10: Test the user interface
Developers are often not excellent QAs or testers. After the application can run stably, it is valuable to conduct testing for users who are completely unfamiliar with the design and intention of the application. Application designers often think that users will think their application UI is intuitive, and this may not be the case. Only by truly letting users test the application can you discover many unexpected problems before publishing the application.
Additional tips: Hire a professional art or image designer
Now, users expect to see beautifully-looking and professionally designed applications. Just as you don't dress casually to attend an interview, you should invest enough resources to polish the appearance of the app before posting it. In most cases, programmers are often not skilled art staff, so consider hiring professional art staff to do the job, just to make sure you have a clear understanding of the design results.
When you focus on Android application development, it is often easy to forget user interface design. After your app is relatively stable, browse this list to polish the app. Generally speaking, these tasks are best left to later stages of development, because the screen content is relatively fixed at this time.
You don’t understand the world of rumor god, you don’t have the life of Brother Zhun, only everyone knows the world of programmers. Programmers, fight for their wonderful world, work hard! come on……
Tips 1: Use an image of the right size
In terms of images, many Android application developers adopt a single-size approach. Although this will make resource management easier, it is a mistake in terms of the visual appeal of the application. To make the application show the best visual effect, different images should be designed for the specific device screen. The most appropriate image can create the best user experience.
Tips 2: Use images in the appropriate format
We have all seen some applications pause when trying to load certain large images, not only because of the size of the image, but also because the image is in a non-ideal format. The Android platform supports many media formats, such as PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP and WebP (Game Note: only supported in Android 4.0+ version). PNG is an ideal format for lossless pictures, while JPEG presentation quality is not stable.
Android also supports elastic images with Nine-Patch. If feasible, consider using WebP instead of JPEG, as this format is more efficient when stored and downloaded. That is, if you use it as a standalone picture to use with older formats, the overall scale of the application will increase, which reduces the advantage of using new formats.
Tips 3: Use subtle animations to present state changes
Use subtle animations and UI to control color changes during screen transitions to present application state changes, which will make your application more professional. For example, fading between activities makes the screen more natural, changing the color of the pressed key will highlight the user's actions that are happening and clearly present what the user is doing.
Android and subsequent versions can enable hardware acceleration, which will make the animation run smoother. But testing is required because not all functions of the application are compatible with hardware acceleration.
Tips 4: Use the rounded corner effect to soften the UI
User interface control buttons such as Button and PageView will all show rectangular pixel shapes on the screen, but this needs to be processed. On the control interface, the rounded corner effect is used to soften the appearance of the user interface, which looks very similar to the web style, but is indeed very popular with users.
Tip 5: Use consistent "lighting" in 3D effects
The latest version of the Android platform uses holographic styles and 3D icons, etc. If you use projection and other such styles in the application's control buttons, make sure you want to use consistent "lighting". In other words, make sure the shadows are facing consistently on the screen. Use the same values in the image editor to create the same slope and texture.
Tips 6: Use a high contrast color scheme
When a family member (often older generation) first discovers that he can use colored fonts and backgrounds in the email, he sends you an email using a white background and a lemon yellow font, such an email is quite difficult to read. Some people may make it difficult for players to read or navigate content on the screen when designing the screen. Using appropriate high contrast colors will make the screen easier to view and relieve eye stress. Other work should be done based on this using the color scheme as part of the system resource.
Tips 7: Use large and easy to read fonts
Like the above bad color scheme, we also receive text sent by family members with some weird fonts and difficult to read. Some fonts are indeed easier to read than other fonts.
Font size is also an important factor. While maintaining balance with other screen functions, try to make the font large enough. Just like when using a fax machine, it is not appropriate to use a font less than 12 pounds.
Android 4.0 designers have launched a new font that only works for the platform, which is easy to read on mobile devices, and it is called Roboto.
Tips 8: Don’t deviate from platform specifications too much
Many successful mobile applications use more familiar user interfaces. They have a simple and mainstream user interface, and the control method they use is also familiar to users. Don't act too alternative in user interface control and screen design. Try to be simplified and consistent with the performance of other applications on the platform. Use the platform as a clue to determine application performance and behavior.
If the UI you are making is unique, make sure to compare the new UI with traditional UI using objective methods such as AB testing, which will determine whether the new design is more optimized, such as more efficient, easier to use, or more comfortable to look.
Tips 9: Follow UI guidelines
There are many UI guidelines in the Android program manual that can be integrated into the application. These guidelines often vary depending on the version of Android used by the app. When this happens, you need to create multiple assets to deal with multiple guiding principles. Guidance covers icons, widgets, menus, and events.
Tips 10: Test the user interface
Developers are often not excellent QAs or testers. After the application can run stably, it is valuable to conduct testing for users who are completely unfamiliar with the design and intention of the application. Application designers often think that users will think their application UI is intuitive, and this may not be the case. Only by truly letting users test the application can you discover many unexpected problems before publishing the application.
Additional tips: Hire a professional art or image designer
Now, users expect to see beautifully-looking and professionally designed applications. Just as you don't dress casually to attend an interview, you should invest enough resources to polish the appearance of the app before posting it. In most cases, programmers are often not skilled art staff, so consider hiring professional art staff to do the job, just to make sure you have a clear understanding of the design results.
When you focus on Android application development, it is often easy to forget user interface design. After your app is relatively stable, browse this list to polish the app. Generally speaking, these tasks are best left to later stages of development, because the screen content is relatively fixed at this time.
You don’t understand the world of rumor god, you don’t have the life of Brother Zhun, only everyone knows the world of programmers. Programmers, fight for their wonderful world, work hard! come on……