Datasheet

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Part I: Getting Started
That doesn’t mean that your applications shouldn’t make connections that
ought to be made. One aspect of a compelling user experience is that all
the pieces of an application work together to tell a story. If the tasks in your
application are completely unconnected, perhaps they should be separate
applications.
An application such as MobileTravel411 is aimed at people who may not know
anything about their destination. If the application informs them that one
reason to take the Heathrow Express is that it offers convenient Tube access
on arrival in London, the users then have a bite-sized piece of valuable infor-
mation about how to get around London when they’re in the city. Save the
train routes for when they’re in the station.
Finally, limiting the focus to a single task also enables you to leave behind
some iPhone (or any other mobile device) constraints such as limited screen
size; in this respect, the limitations of the iPhone can guide you to a better
application design.
It works the way I do
Great applications are based on the way people — users — think and work.
When you make your application a natural extension of the user’s world, it
makes the application much easier and more pleasant to use — and to master.
Your users already have a mental model that describes the task your soft-
ware is enabling. The users also have their own mental models of how the
device works. At the levels of both content and user interface, your applica-
tion must be consistent with these models if you want to create a superb
user experience (which in turn creates loyalty — to your application).
The user interface in MobileTravel411 was based on how people divide the
experience of traveling. Here are typical categories:
✓ Foreign currency — how much it really costs and what’s the best way to
convert money and buy things abroad
✓ Getting to and from the airport with maximum efficiency and minimum
hassle
✓ Getting around a city, especially an unfamiliar one
✓ Finding any special events happening while you’re in the city
✓ Handling traveler’s tasks — such as making phone calls, tipping, or find-
ing a bank or ATM — with aplomb
✓ Checking the current weather and the forecast
✓ Staying safe in unfamiliar territory — places you shouldn’t go, what to
do if you get in trouble, and so on
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