Datasheet

15
Chapter 1: Creating Killer iPhone Applications
I know what I want, and I want it now,
and by the way that’s all I want
There are three important things here I want to highlight: relevance,
relevance, relevance.
What most of the really good iPhone applications have in common is focus.
They address a well-defined task that can be done within a time span that is
appropriate for that task. If I need to look something up, I want it right now! If
I am playing a game while waiting in line, I want it to be of short duration, or
broken up into a series of short and entertaining steps.
The application content itself then — especially for here-and-now applica-
tions — must be streamlined and focused on the fundamental pieces of the
task. Although you can provide a near-infinity of details just to get a single
task done, here’s a word to the wise: Don’t. You need to extract the essence
of each task; focus on the details that really make a difference.
Although the travel app I describe at the beginning of this chapter is a good
example, a counterexample might also be helpful.
The other night, my wife and I were standing with some friends inside the
lobby of a movie theater, trying to decide where to go to grab some dinner. It
was cold (at least by California standards), but we wanted to walk to the res-
taurant from the theater. We had two iPhones going, switching from applica-
tion to application, trying to get enough information to make a decision. None
of the applications gave us what we really needed — restaurants ranked by
distance and type, with reviews and directions.
One of the applications was a great example of how to frustrate the user. It
allowed you to select a restaurant by distance and cuisine. After you selected
the distance, it gave you a list of cuisines. So far, so good. But the cuisine list
was not context based; when I tapped Ethiopian, all I got was a blank screen.
Very annoying! I took it off my iPhone then and there — I don’t want an
application that makes me work only to receive nothing in return. Your users
won’t either.
Every piece of a good application is not merely important to the task, but
important to where you are in the task. For example, if I’m trying to decide
how to get to central London from Heathrow, don’t give me detailed informa-
tion about the Tube until I need it.
In some ways, what you leave out is as important to the user experience as
what you include.
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