MDT 105 - Mobile User Interface Design

1. Evaluate the capabilities and limitations of mobile devices that create unique user interface (UI) design challenges.
   1. List device features that are central to the user experience, including a multi-touch display and sensors that detect light, motion and direction.
   2. Explain how a multi-touch display uses gestures and a virtual keyboard to enable users to interact with the device.
   3. Discuss common use cases for sensor input and other device features.
   4. Explain that device features may not always be supported in older versions of the device.
   5. Explore how device features can improve the user experience of an app by combining functions in innovative ways.
2. Explore user research methods beneficial to mobile apps
   1. Explain how early-stage research can uncover user needs, context of use, perceptions, pain points, language and norms.
   2. Describe a variety of user research methods and ways to tailor the methods for an app.
   3. Explain the research strategy depends on the type of app and its stage of development.
   4. Discuss how research can reveal new app opportunities and inspire innovative solutions.
3. Explain how to effectively analyze user research.
   1. Explain a variety of ways to translate research findings into design tools that can be used throughout the app design process.
   2. Discuss using design tools to prioritize features and ensure the app design meets user needs.
   3. Describe how user research can be used to define an app’s main purpose and intended audience.
4. Explore the benefits of competitive analyses for both new and existing apps.
   1. Discuss how competitive user experience (UX) analyses can provide a general view of the competitive landscape.
   2. Explore a variety of competitive analysis methods which can be combined and adapted to meet the needs of an app.
   3. Discuss using the analyses to help formulate best practices and identify market opportunities.
   4. Describe how an in-depth analysis of the competition may also impact an app’s purpose and audience.
5. Explore how to utilize user experience (UX) analyses to conceptualize mobile apps.
   1. Discuss various ways to illustrate and communicate early design choices.
   2. Describe the benefits of effective brainstorming to begin app concept exploration.
   3. Identify a variety of sketching techniques.
   4. Explore which parts of an app may benefit from visual representations.
6. Examine how prototyping is used to conceptualize an app.
   1. Define a prototype.
   2. Explain a prototype’s ability to explore, evaluate and communicate design ideas.
   3. Describe a variety of prototyping approaches specific to the type of app.
   4. Identify ways to improve the app concept, flows and low-level interactions through prototyping.
7. Evaluate user-testing an app and incorporating the findings into the app.
   1. Discuss the benefits of usability-testing before coding an app.
   2. Explore the importance of context in mobile research.
   3. Introduce common usability-testing methods.
   4. Explain how user feedback can guide design improvements for an app’s next release.
8. Explore user interface (UI) design guidelines.
   1. Discuss user interface best practices that can be applied across many app types.
   2. Examine first-time user experience, personalization and feedback issues.
   3. Describe back-end requirements that may impact the user experience.
9. Evaluate visual design principles and techniques.
   1. Explain how visual designs are built upon an underlying visual structure.
   2. Introduce techniques to establish visual structure with an app.
   3. Explore how color, type and imagery can reinforce visual structure.
   4. Review imagery design principles to create aesthetically appealing apps.
10. Assess in-app branding and mobile advertising.
    1. Describe techniques to express brand identity within an app’s design.
    2. Discuss combining a strong user experience (UX) with effective branding to make an app stand out in the marketplace.
    3. Describe common mobile advertising formats.
    4. Explore techniques to seamlessly integrate advertising into an app’s design.
11. Formulate accessibility and localization strategies.
    1. Describe techniques to make apps more accessible to impaired users and users with limitations in the mobile context.
    2. Explore the mobile device’s built-in accessibility features and customized in-app solutions.
    3. Discuss common localization issues including language, culture and local laws.
    4. Explore built-in and custom solutions to localize an app.