Tuesday 26 April 2011

UI IOS Navigation

The iphone is very restrictive, it is very small, doesn't have a keyboards and few buttons so I have to be thoughtful when it comes to navigating such a small screen. It needs a navigation that doesn't clutter up the UI.

Navigation on an iPhone generally allows you to-
  • explore all of the level of the flow diagram and get to where you want to be easily
  • switch between main functionality systems without loosing your place within the app
  • edit and adjust info without loosing your place
  • display a list of info or choices

This is a tableview controller. It uses a tab list that is scrollable. Each option provides another list once tapped. This allows for a clean design that is easy to navigate. Easy to understand as items of a similar nature are generally listed in the same category/section.
This is a tab bar controller. It is designed to save space on the screen once you choose the option to hide the main screen. Each button has a menu that pops out individually that you can hide easily.
This is an example of flattened navigation hierarchy. It is usually used in information rich apps. It works by having a single type of main view with multiple option within each of them.
The 2 app navigational systems below aren't standard navigation systems but they focus around one interaction point. The first app uses a ticker wheel that is designed by weightbot. It has a mechanical spinning wheel for selecting items.
This navigation is used mainly for musicians but is a different version of the tab controller as it is placed in the middle of the screen instead.

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