Tag: design

Apple HIG – Branding

I see many apps that look like web sites. These often feel the need to brand themselves with a logo and company name in the title bar. Or they present the company logo in a splash screen.

An app is not a web site. Apps are small focussed pieces of software. They live on a mobile device, and in that environment they act in a more personal and intimate role. The icon alone should brand the app. Making the conscious decision to launch an app you know what you are looking at.

Here’s a quote from the HIG:

Incorporate a brand’s assets in a refined, unobtrusive way. People use your app to get things done or be entertained; they don’t want to feel as if they’re being forced to watch an advertisement. For the best user experience, you want to quietly remind users of the brand identity through your choice of font, color, and imagery.

Human Interface Design Guidelines

Apple published a book called the Human Interface Design Guidelines. This covers everything about how to design computer interfaces. I had a print copy some years ago. You can now read it online. It covers everything from color to working with text in different languages.

Apple has also written an IOS version. Here is a great quote from it.

Deference. The user interface helps users understand and interact with the content, but never competes with it.
Clarity. Text is legible at every size, icons are precise and lucid, adornments are subtle and appropriate, and a sharpened focus on functionality motivates the design.
Depth. Visual layers and realistic motion impart vitality and heighten users’ delight and understanding.