Hi Guys This is a guide on app design guidelines.This can be applied everywhere and not only app design. I have seen many apps that perform awesome but their UI scares people away! This won't be a very detailed guide, only basic pointers on UI Design.
First off i would like to say that User experience and functionality of the app is equally or more important than it's UI. There's no point in a app that has a awesome looking UI but is very laggy or lacks functionality.
Lets begin with a few tips :
Try to make the UI simple and clean with no extra clutter.Hide extra functionality in menus. Keep the main function of the program in the front.
Make the UI flat.Use subtle gradients and shadows. Don't make it too flat like the metro ui,in which you can't distinguish an icon from a button
Use a specific color scheme. Select two to three lead colours. and select 1 or 2 background colours.
Either make it dark themed, or light themed, don't mix the two!
Use transitions. But not too fancy.
Split your app into different parts and provide a easy way to navigate
Fix Whatever you can behind the scenes
Use short Phrases, No one wants to read too much to do a simple task!
Use pastel colours or darker colours. ie. one shade lighter or darker than the original color.
Have contrast between the text color and the background color, making it easier to read.
Tricks :
Don't waste much time making animations. Use LayoutTransitions (android 3.0+)
Test your apps on different screen sizes.
Download the color swatches provided by google -click here
Google is your friend. Go to developer.android.com for more guidelines, application fundamentals etc.
Use good typography. Roboto and helvetica are some of the good fonts. Download roboto - click here
Guide on iconography - click here
Warnings! :
Do not use harsh gradients! for eg.. black to white , It makes the app feel cheap.
Try and stay away from putting ads
Do not let the app make decisions for itself, let it ask the user!
Do not make the app too colourful.
Make sure it runs smooth without jitter.
Don't put too much info. at once!
Don't use too flashy colors that hurt the eye.
Again, this isn't meant to be a very long guide, just a few basic things you should keep in mind while designing. For more detailed guidelines use developer.android.com
If i missed something important let me know! :good:
That's really helpful..
Thank you
wad!e said:
That's really helpful..
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you liked it
Amazing guide! Thanks so much! I'm glad more people love great design.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Hello there, thanks for this guide.
I am no developer so I don't have to mess with the graphics, but I still often wonder : in android programming, where there will always be the probrem of multiple display size / resolution, why isn't the most primary & most basic guideline to use as much as possible vector graphics instead of bitmap based graphics ? wouldn't it save a huge amount of hassle of having to make gfx resources for different screen sizes ?
thx in advance
phentex said:
Hello there, thanks for this guide.
I am no developer so I don't have to mess with the graphics, but I still often wonder : in android programming, where there will always be the probrem of multiple display size / resolution, why isn't the most primary & most basic guideline to use as much as possible vector graphics instead of bitmap based graphics ? wouldn't it save a huge amount of hassle of having to make gfx resources for different screen sizes ?
thx in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe it would be easier.
However, you would need a proper library to do that. Android does not support adding *.svg vector graphics by default. So all the conversion of the vector graphics need to be done manually. (There are some libs out there, but they do not support all features of *.svg graphics.)
For basic things there is support to do that using the standard Android development APIs provided by Google (declaring drawables in xml files) but it will not be enough for shapes which are more complicated than lines, rectangles or circles or a combination of those.
Addititionally the conversion of vector graphics to bitmaps (graphics consisting of single pixels) would need much processing power and would slow everything down.
Hence *.png and *.9.png files are still the standard way to do that.
@TechMasta: By the way, great guide.
TechMasta said:
Try and stay away from putting ads
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No ads? How does one go about monetization then? Don't get me wrong. I'm a Windows and Windows Phone developer. I was thinking of porting my apps to Android. I'm just getting started. But I'm using Windows Azure for which I do have to pay for. How should I go about those expenses?
TechMasta said:
Do not let the app make decisions for itself, let it ask the user!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sometimes it should. However, the user should be able to change the default behaviour. Or as the android design guidelines express it:
Decide for me but let me have the final say
Take your best guess and act rather than asking first. Too many choices and decisions make people unhappy. Just in case you get it wrong, allow for 'undo'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(http://developer.android.com/design/get-started/principles.html)
Great guide, though.
akshay2000 said:
No ads? How does one go about monetization then? Don't get me wrong. I'm a Windows and Windows Phone developer. I was thinking of porting my apps to Android. I'm just getting started. But I'm using Windows Azure for which I do have to pay for. How should I go about those expenses?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can put ads if you want. Just don't bombard the user with them, place them in a way it does not interrupt or come in the way of the user when he is using your app
phentex said:
Hello there, thanks for this guide.
I am no developer so I don't have to mess with the graphics, but I still often wonder : in android programming, where there will always be the probrem of multiple display size / resolution, why isn't the most primary & most basic guideline to use as much as possible vector graphics instead of bitmap based graphics ? wouldn't it save a huge amount of hassle of having to make gfx resources for different screen sizes ?
thx in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With google's plugin for eclipse you can add your graphics in multiple resolutions by Copying your layout from "layout" folder of resources and paste it in the "layout-land", "layout-xlarge" etc.
SahilC said:
Amazing guide! Thanks so much! I'm glad more people love great design.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you liked it
Thank you very much, very useful information.
Thx for it mate I will develop good think
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
Looks good
graphics design
Thank you for this information about web design. Really nice.
Good set of tips for the first version of an app!
The next level of designing should ideally be with testing different design variations via split testing.
Making Decisions
TechMasta said:
Do not let the app make decisions for itself, let it ask the user!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hai,
Thanks for your guide. But I am having a different opinion from one of your warnings.
Let the app make decisions by itself, for example when user deletes an item DELETE it. But do provide an option to UNDO it. Showing another dialog to confirm it, in your words "ask the user", is redundant.
Because providing too many options makes the user overwhelmed in an unexpected way. Choose the best/defaults for your app and provide some ways to configure them [Ex : Colors, Themes, Font size etc]
Ahamed.M said:
Hai,
Thanks for your guide. But I am having a different opinion from one of your warnings.
Let the app make decisions by itself, for example when user deletes an item DELETE it. But do provide an option to UNDO it. Showing another dialog to confirm it, in your words "ask the user", is redundant.
Because providing too many options makes the user overwhelmed in an unexpected way. Choose the best/defaults for your app and provide some ways to configure them [Ex : Colors, Themes, Font size etc]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. This can also be found in the Android design guidelines:
Decide for me but let me have the final say
Take your best guess and act rather than asking first. Too many choices and decisions make people unhappy. Just in case you get it wrong, allow for 'undo'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(Source: http://developer.android.com/design/get-started/principles.html#simplify-my-life)
a
nice
Nice Tips
These tips are very useful. One should keep in mind while dealing with apps whether in Android or iPhone.
Related
So, who have had time to look at the UI Design and Interaction Guide? I see everyone's busy discussing and defining multitasking, but isn't this newly released document the most interesting thing to have come out of Mix so far? I think.
I've just skimmed through it but first of all I love that Microsoft FINALLY provied a sleek GUI framework out of the box for app development! Of course, it was expected with Silverlight support and all, but it's nice to get it confirmed. I'm talking about stuff such as
-Gesture support
-Finger friendly controls
-Smooth scrolling panels
I know all these things have been possible before, but not with ease. Coming from the .NET CF world, I've had to spend a lot of time enabling such featurse in my apps. And they're not as slick as I expect them to be in WP7.
The UI is what most needed improvement for the apps on Windows Phones to be competitive with iPhone apps. This will lower the threshold for developers to create smooth, impressive apps. This will increase competitiveness for Windows Phones, which in turn will benefit us, the developers - enlarging our market.
Agree? ..or are most guys at this not that concerned with monetizing on their apps?
I've downloaded it but not had chance to look through yet as I'm at work.
Whilst I'm pretty unsure still about the whole marketplace-only, no FS support stuff, I am quite excited about the new development stuff. Like you say, nice interface controls will be there ready to use instead of having to rely on hacks and third party stuff to achieve something approaching half-decent.
I'm glad this is available already, the more time the better, and it makes sense really as MS will want their appstore pretty well populated at launch to compete with iPhone and Android.
Nilzor said:
So, who have had time to look at the UI Design and Interaction Guide?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did. Found out that there are no file open/save controls. Immediately realized that until a jailbreak comes out there's no way I'm buying a WP7S phone, despite the many things I love about this new OS.
Only 4 "accent colors" plus 1 manufacturer color.
The accent colors are ORANGE, RED, BLUE and GREEN.
Why 4? Why cant the user change it from color palette selection?
I would love to use BLACK or DARK BLUE or blue grey ala iPhone !
I just cannot understand this accent color limitation
if found something interesting in the guide. a windows mobile 7 handy have same number of buttons as a hd2 .
1. Power/Sleep
2. Volume
3. Screen
4. Camera
5. Back
6. Start
7. Search
So, the only difference is the layout.
It's a very valuable document, thanks.
We'd like Microsoft deliver more samples to provide a sort of a framework with frequently used patterns.
In any case Silverlight applications look fantastic.
vangrieg said:
I did. Found out that there are no file open/save controls. Immediately realized that until a jailbreak comes out there's no way I'm buying a WP7S phone, despite the many things I love about this new OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is your goal here? Do you want to store data for the App or are you trying to write a FileExplorer app?
tyrannus said:
What is your goal here? Do you want to store data for the App or are you trying to write a FileExplorer app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I need file storage as a user, not as a developer. Anyone who tried to transfer files to the iPhone for third party programs knows it's a PITA.
Microsoft is simply trying to protect you from yourself and the dangers of unauthorized text files and colors.
MooGoo said:
Microsoft is simply trying to protect you from yourself and the dangers of unauthorized text files and colors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
I know first hand just how nasty those text files can be .. omg HAX~
and colors?!?... watch yoursnelves. any more then 5 and we've got a global disaster on our hands.
surely ms wouldnt release an updated version of an os with less features?.. would they?
copenhagen said:
+1
I know first hand just how nasty those text files can be .. omg HAX~
and colors?!?... watch yoursnelves. any more then 5 and we've got a global disaster on our hands.
surely ms wouldnt release an updated version of an os with less features?.. would they?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While lack of colours seems weird, I'm sure it could be easily implemented.
Less features? Laughable, considering what WM6 is.
Lumic said:
While lack of colours seems weird, I'm sure it could be easily implemented.
Less features? Laughable, considering what WM6 is.
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Click to collapse
Yea just like other other weird things that could be easily implemented, like multitasking, cut & paste, file system access, and having a user accessible SD card slot.
I don't know if you saw the leaked specsheets for the Dell Lightning, but that thing comes with an 8GB miniSD card, user-upgradable.
Yes, it is upgradeable if you don't mind voiding your warranty and tearing apart your entire phone. On the plus side however, removing the battery cover on my Rhodium to get access to the SD slot doesn't seem quite as annoying anymore.
First paragraph:
http://www.techautos.com/2010/03/17/windows-phone-7-series-hardware-requirements/
Hey guys, like the title says, I'm attempting to create an app, but with little success at this point.
What I want to do, didn't sound all that complicated in my head. I want to make an episode guide for a TV show I like. Nothing too fancy, but I do want it to look WP7-authentic.
First off, I don't know or really understanding coding in the slightest. I was hoping to be able to design most of the app through the on-screen WP7 display, which it seems I can do a lot on.
From what I've gathered, here's what I'd like to do:
Use the "Pivots" as the different story arcs or "seasons"
Within each pivot, Episode # and Title
But I'd also like to go one further and have each episode be clickable, which would take the user to a page containing info about the respective episode. Synopsis, International Titles, Airdate, etc.
It's a big project, I just need a little help getting it going.
Thanks!
dbG33K
what you're describing can be done one of two ways.
1. just display images after images
2. input text into the program
from what im gathering, it should be fairly easy for you to do as this is the sort of beginner stuff in most windows phone 7 programming books. id suggest you look into programming because even the slightest pivots and transitions require code.
now if you were on android or webos, thats different. they have full on graphics based programming thats a simple matter of drag and drop and choose function.
Download Expression Blend. You can do pretty much everything without having to write any code. It includes a "Pivot" template which has a pivot all ready for you, then you just add PivotItems using your mouse. Then you can use the Sample Data feature to mock up how your episode data will look.
The only thing you would have to write code for would be to pull the episode information from a datasource. Bind it to your controls and Expression will have the rest done for you.
http://www.microsoft.com/expression/windowsphone/
Sample Data:
http://expression.microsoft.com/en-us/ee426896.aspx
First thing you'll need before you even open Visual Studio or Blend is a data feed.
An rss feed is ideal, And I'm sure theres alot of them out there for TV listings. Without that, theres little you can do (other than screen scraping websites, but people don't look too kindly on that)
If you can find me a Url for the RSS feed you want to use, I'll be more than willing to help you out
xanderkaiber said:
First thing you'll need before you even open Visual Studio or Blend is a data feed.
An rss feed is ideal, And I'm sure theres alot of them out there for TV listings. Without that, theres little you can do (other than screen scraping websites, but people don't look too kindly on that)
If you can find me a Url for the RSS feed you want to use, I'll be more than willing to help you out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said
I'd be willing to help you out as well. I'm in the process of writing a feed reader to help me make the move WP7 from WPF/Silverlight. The idea I have for the UI is similar to yours and the feed reader (at least in the basic form) will be open source so I've no problem sharing my code...
I appreciate your willingness to help me out, but it's actually a series that has been over for quite a while.
Hey guys, I've gotten much further on my app and have become a little more well-acquainted with coding in the form of using Expression Blend 4. That said, I do have a few questions:
1. After making a few pages, I decided to make a sort of Welcome page for my app. How do I tell it to show that page first instead of "MainPage.xaml"?
2. On that welcome page, I would like to make a button that pulls up the user's E-mail and have it have my e-mail as the recipient.
Thanks a bunch!
This is in the WMAppManifest.xml file within the Properties folder.
for the email look into the email compose task
barryallott said:
This is in the WMAppManifest.xml file within the Properties folder.
for the email look into the email compose task
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That doesn't really help me too much...
What am I supposed to do in the WMAppManifest.xml?
And where do I find the email compose task, and how do I implement it into the app?
EDIT: Nevermind, I figured out both of those questions. A new question, though: How do I take screen shots of the app? I need at least one to submit it to the marketplace, but I don't know how :/
dbG33K said:
That doesn't really help me too much...
What am I supposed to do in the WMAppManifest.xml?
And where do I find the email compose task, and how do I implement it into the app?
EDIT: Nevermind, I figured out both of those questions. A new question, though: How do I take screen shots of the app? I need at least one to submit it to the marketplace, but I don't know how :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download this:
http://www.innovativetechguy.com/?p=13
Make sure your emulator is set to 100% size and uncheck the "Show Device" checkbox in the tool. That will give you the necessary 480x800 sized .png
There's a fair lot you can do using the designer panel, but you will definitely need C# code for what happens 'behind the curtains'. Things like pulling the episodes from the internet and such.
I definitely recommend these tutorials:
Windows Phone 7 Development for Absolute Beginners.
It builds up slowly, but definitely gives you the foundation you need to put together basic applications.
Hey guys I found this thread and after reading it I feel I have a lot in common with dbG33K's tasks & questions. I feel I have a lot to offer WP7 apps as I learn more! I started out in January learning and studying as an absolute beginner (even did the 5 day course online). After a lot of studying, I felt confident enough to write my first BIG app.
I'm pretty good at the xaml part and getting real familiar with c# as I go along. Also, I think I have all the pieces I need, just need help putting it all together. I'm using an API for the data source (i have all the dlls and resources in place even all the c# methods for the API).
I have the UI all put together, now working on the c#. I'm just unsure on the binding part. I know my listboxes and other controls should be binded to a method in c#, but what calls that method? When the page loads that listbox, textblock, etc? Also, what kind of coding is generally used inside the {} of the methods that pulls info from the datasource?
As I have learned a lot aver the past couple of months, I find that I've learned it from examples I've found online, but I'm drawing a blank on this one. Any help would be great!
Thanks!
Do any of you can tellme how can I save text from the text box??
Sent from my LG-C900 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
This thing has not gotten near the respect it deserves on WP7... this browser is amazing compared to IE, it renders about a millisecond slower and I have a landscape address bar, better access to tabs, and just a more enjoyable and fun browsing experience. Worth the 1.99 without a doubt.
Is version 2.0 even out yet? I thought the announcement last week said it would come to the Marketplace 'within the next few weeks'.
OGCF said:
Is version 2.0 even out yet? I thought the announcement last week said it would come to the Marketplace 'within the next few weeks'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just now came through some time within the last 30 minutes or so. It's so much better than IE.
Really? Awesome! I didn't buy version 1 but I think I'll buy this one. I'll get the trial first.
Best buy I've made next to ilomilo... really an awesome browser.
Downloaded it love it but having trouble loading YouTube videos anybody know why? YouTube works with IE
I love this one but unfortunately the rendering is IE.
So the same issues as stock browser for me.
But the UI is great.
Surfcube 2.0 is great, but the Tile on the startscreen is bad...it's not a square so it destroys the elegant design of the tiles.
That's the only reason for me not to buy it, I can't live with such a fractured startscreen
Hello guys, it's the developer of SurfCube. Thanks very much for this thread, we are very glad that you like our work! Also, thank you for the purchases - every penny we get is going back to development. If you have time, we would really appreciate a rating in the Marketplace.
Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions! So far, SurfCube's development has mostly been request-driven, and we intend to keep it that way,
@Asheyb8: As for playing Youtube videos, unfortunately we as developers have to work really hard to get it done from the browser. Microsoft didn't give us the facilities that would make it easy, and have to settle for lots of hacks.
@skycamefalling: are you using your phone with the light theme? I admit the icon looks a bit out of place there, but we cannot put transparent pixels in it - that would show the accent color instead of the background, and the icon would look horrible with purple, blue, red, etc tile colors. If you don't want to pin the app to the start screen, just use voice recognition to start it
vbandi said:
@skycamefalling: are you using your phone with the light theme? I admit the icon looks a bit out of place there, but we cannot put transparent pixels in it - that would show the accent color instead of the background, and the icon would look horrible with purple, blue, red, etc tile colors. If you don't want to pin the app to the start screen, just use voice recognition to start it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I am using the black theme because the display is a SAMOLED. I just tried the light theme and there the tile of your Surfcube looks good because it is a black square and fits the other squares on the startscreen.
With the black theme you cannot see the black square around the cube-icon, so it looks like there is only the cube. Between all the other square tiles of the startscreen this looks bad. It would be nice if the tile would have a colour different than black so it stands out from the background.
Of course, this is just my opinion...but I don't think my collegues would be happy if I started talking to my phone to open your browser
skycamefalling said:
No, I am using the black theme because the display is a SAMOLED. I just tried the light theme and there the tile of your Surfcube looks good because it is a black square and fits the other squares on the startscreen.
With the black theme you cannot see the black square around the cube-icon, so it looks like there is only the cube. Between all the other square tiles of the startscreen this looks bad. It would be nice if the tile would have a colour different than black so it stands out from the background.
Of course, this is just my opinion...but I don't think my collegues would be happy if I started talking to my phone to open your browser
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, I guess it is a matter of taste - I personally love the icon on the black theme, because it stands out - but I feel it is out of place on light, because of the different square color.
vbandi said:
Hello guys, it's the developer of SurfCube. Thanks very much for this thread, we are very glad that you like our work! Also, thank you for the purchases - every penny we get is going back to development. If you have time, we would really appreciate a rating in the Marketplace.
Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions! So far, SurfCube's development has mostly been request-driven, and we intend to keep it that way,
@Asheyb8: As for playing Youtube videos, unfortunately we as developers have to work really hard to get it done from the browser. Microsoft didn't give us the facilities that would make it easy, and have to settle for lots of hacks.
@skycamefalling: are you using your phone with the light theme? I admit the icon looks a bit out of place there, but we cannot put transparent pixels in it - that would show the accent color instead of the background, and the icon would look horrible with purple, blue, red, etc tile colors. If you don't want to pin the app to the start screen, just use voice recognition to start it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello. It's great you're here.
I have a question:
Is it possible for you to build browser based on different rendering engine than IE built into WP7?
doministry said:
Hello. It's great you're here.
I have a question:
Is it possible for you to build browser based on different rendering engine than IE built into WP7?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
at present nope. even though i'm not the developer, i know it isn't possible.
The Gate Keeper said:
at present nope. even though i'm not the developer, i know it isn't possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you are right. Technically it is possible, but it would require tons of work, and most likely, even then it wouldn't be smooth and fast enough. Same goes for porting an existing browser engine.
However, HTML5 support should hit WP7 this year, and I expect the IE engine we are using to be updated, too.
Thanks. I was asking mainly because of annoying problem with support for certain pages, not html5/flash related.
vbandi said:
Hello guys, it's the developer of SurfCube. Thanks very much for this thread, we are very glad that you like our work! Also, thank you for the purchases - every penny we get is going back to development. If you have time, we would really appreciate a rating in the Marketplace.
@Asheyb8: As for playing Youtube videos, unfortunately we as developers have to work really hard to get it done from the browser. Microsoft didn't give us the facilities that would make it easy, and have to settle for lots of hacks.
Hacks? so youtube won't work at all? That is a pity since its a very cool browser, is there no way to get around this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AsheyB;11281266
Hacks? so youtube won't work at all? :confused: That is a pity since its a very cool browser said:
By hacks, I don't mean OS hacks or anything illegal. I mean, we as SurfCube developers have to do a lot of extra work, some of those may not be too elegant, and may not work in all circumstances.
But if enabling video support in a third party browser is possible at all, rest assured, we will do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
vbandi said:
Interesting, I guess it is a matter of taste - I personally love the icon on the black theme, because it stands out - but I feel it is out of place on light, because of the different square color.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a quick note to say that I also really like the cube icon on the black theme (SAMOLED screen here). It gives the app an elegant look that makes it stand out from the other tiles, and I like periodic alterations from the standard theme (Surf Cube, AP Mobile, Office, Newsroom, etc.). Kudos on the version 2 release, by the way; it's the best browser purchase I've made on the platform.
Would it be possible to have the tabs in the next release able to completely rotate as an option? Also, do you know if it is possible to do any sort of text reflow on zoom with 3rd party browsers based on the IE render engine? I would guess not, based on the browsers that are out today, but it's one of the features I really miss from Opera.
Cheers, and keep up the good work.
VelJharig said:
Would it be possible to have the tabs in the next release able to completely rotate as an option? Also, do you know if it is possible to do any sort of text reflow on zoom with 3rd party browsers based on the IE render engine? I would guess not, based on the browsers that are out today, but it's one of the features I really miss from Opera.
Cheers, and keep up the good work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks - if you really like SurfCube, a 5 star rating in the Marketplace helps a lot
I am not sure I understand what you mean by rotating the tabs, can you elaborate on that?
Text reflow is unfortunately not possible - I have found no way to determine the current viewport of the browser. Even if there was, it would require tons of html / javascript trickery, and may not be practical. I miss text reflow, too - but most sites can be read pretty well in landscape mode.
Cheers
I tried out the first version and at first I thought it was a browser where you rotated the cube not only to different settings pages, but also to different tabs of the browser (for instance, one side of the cube is Google.com, and the other could be set at yahoo.com, etc).
To me that would be more useful as I don't go into settings very often. Favorites would be the most used setting, and I don't use that very often.
So what if you could make it a cube with each side a different tab, and be able to specify a different start page for each side of the cube...
If it already does something similar, I apologize.. it is cool though.
Have a look at this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jipqNtc_PPU&feature=player_embedded
Our own developer Jaxbot is up to his tricks again, and this time, it's paid off: Finder of a hack that brought instant resuming to Windows Phone 7, he has been developing a full fast app switching/multitasking solution for Windows Phone 7.
Shown in the video above, the preview of the application is triggered by pressing the half shutter button (pressing the camera button halfway, not to the point where the camera would launch), and allows the user to jump between desired applications. The applications run in the background to a degree, as shown with the timer, and no time is required to bring the applications back from their background state. It's all very technical, but rest assure that he will be sharing some more details in the future.
Keep in mind the application is a preview-the interface and how it functions may very well change before release, and no release date is available. But if you're interested in having it on your device, share some thoughts about how you think it should look, function, etc, in the comments below.
Without further ado, watch the video above for a demonstration of fast app switching on Windows Phone 7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source
Yeah, checked the article out yesterday. Hopefully he'll be releasing something to everyone soon. It's the one thing I'm dying without No third party alarms (as the one MS provides kind of blows) and all this resuming nonsense is becoming slightly annoying.
That looks pretty slick! Would love to see this one in the wild soon, now if I could only get Pandora I would be set.
kwill said:
Yeah, checked the article out yesterday. Hopefully he'll be releasing something to everyone soon. It's the one thing I'm dying without No third party alarms (as the one MS provides kind of blows) and all this resuming nonsense is becoming slightly annoying.
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Its still work in progress, there are limitations... people work as hard as they can to overcome these limitations and make it work for all devices.
Currently I believe its not possible to automatically find the titles of the running apps, so they are manually added (hardcoded) however they can find the paths to the files... so the remaining thing is getting access to the files in these paths to extract the title and tile image.
However what you see really works, its real and should work with every app once this is accomplished.
Marvin_S said:
Its still work in progress, there are limitations... people work as hard as they can to overcome these limitations and make it work for all devices.
Currently I believe its not possible to automatically find the titles of the running apps, so they are manually added (hardcoded) however they can find the paths to the files... so the remaining thing is getting access to the files in these paths to extract the title and tile image.
However what you see really works, its real and should work with every app once this is accomplished.
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Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the insight on the operation and the obstacles they have to overcome. I'll be monitoring for any progress or assistance I can provide. Although, I'm sure my non-expert help won't be of much help.
kwill said:
Thanks a lot for the insight on the operation and the obstacles they have to overcome. I'll be monitoring for any progress or assistance I can provide. Although, I'm sure my non-expert help won't be of much help.
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you can monitor here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1006331
and here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1021135
btw I have nothing to do with the developments, I was just excited by the news and kept contact with Jaxbot who made this app/video with the code wrapper provided by fiinix
Looks great! I like the idea of a half shutter press. Very elegant solution.
Want that app!
Is this app on the video released?????? I can't find any link to download, although it was introduces about 2 years
I am pretty new to using Android Studio and app development, but I have to design an app for a project I am working on. Do any of you have any tips about designing just the app without having to work with all of the coding? I don't need the app to work right now, just a design.
if all your doing is designing it then you could just use paper layout how each screen looks and make flow charts to show how button and other things work and link to other places, thats kind of how we do it but in our heads usualy and then we just write the code to show it.
Bethany55 said:
I am pretty new to using Android Studio and app development, but I have to design an app for a project I am working on. Do any of you have any tips about designing just the app without having to work with all of the coding? I don't need the app to work right now, just a design.
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Hello,
I have just worked in Android for more 4 years and with my opinion and experience, I think one of the most important thing is the simplicity, (but its also be hard ), I think you will work in some months to feel it. But have another way to get nice design fast, of course this way is temporally. You can refer to the same kinds of your app in store to compare it to yours, or even other apps not same kind of yours, color or design. And connect your mind to another object. Remember that the simplicity is one of the most important. Hope you will success soon.
Follow the Material Design guidelines Google has posted. It's the easiest way to make a good looking app.
Design is more about what the app does. Without know more detail, my best advice is to keep it simple. Try to find the 1 or 2 real things your app does well and makes those very easy to understand and do. Show the app to strangers and without explanation see if they can use it.