A recent review by Matthew Panzarino of the iOS app Clear has brought to light the value of User Interface standards. Panzario makes the case for the UI of Clear:

“Clear takes a different tack, as its interface lacks any standard buttons and operates completely through gestures, taps or direct manipulation of the list items on the screen…Frankly it’s so different from how apps normally work and offers so little assistance to those unfamiliar with gestures that the guys at Realmac and Impending, the two studios responsible for Clear, had a tough time deciding how to introduce new users to using the app. But once a user is familiar with just the basic operation of the app, they take off like a rocket using them with ease.”

While Panzario acknowledges the learning curve, the hurdle is dismissed once familiarity has set in. Yet, this type of app-centric thinking would prove daunting if applied to your entire app ecosystem. Imagine if every app you downloaded you had to figure-out how to interact and operate it. Clear has departed from the norms of app User Interface expectations at the expense of clarity. This is done under the guise of being intuitive to a gesture-based device. Unfortunately, all it has done is turned gestures into ‘guess-tures’.

I am not advocating for slavish boring design or lack of innovation. Great design is actually very challenging. It requires presenting only the most relevant of information and task options at the right moment. As well, it should be visually engaging. But most of all, it has to be self-explanatory. If you need accompanying instructions with how to use your app – especially a mobile app – you have missed the mark. I should be able to download an app and immediately begin to use it without having to try and figure out how to make it go. This doesn’t mean there aren’t options or complexities in the app. But an app shouldn’t have the added challenge of figuring out basic operation.

Here is where Clear became unclear – while leveraging gestures is native to the device it is only one component of the UI.  Text is an essential part of the User Interface. Eliminate it and you just removed an entire dimension of the application experience. The real challenge with Clear’s approach is that they are actually handicapping themselves by eliminating one of the components. Swiping to the left in one app may mean one thing and something completely different in another. But an OK button means OK in all apps because the action of pressing it is combined with my ability to comprehend the meaning of OK. The text that is part of the User Interface is essentially a nicely self-contained user manual.

User interface standards are a slowly evolving bunch. There is practical value in having them. Not having them would mean a learning curve with each app we encounter. That is neither efficient nor productive. There is a time and a place for innovation and the introduction of new standards. The pinch/zoom of the iPhone is a perfect example. But, its introduction worked because it was, and is uniform across the entire platform and not app specific. Pinching in one app does the same thing as pinching in another.

Great app UIs leave no guesswork for users. Great apps don’t require any training. Great app UIs are self-explanatory. Most importantly, a great User Interface instinctively relies on the coupling of both our physical manipulation (gestures) with our cognizant (thinking/reading) abilities. It is enough of a challenge to design a great User Interface – don’t add to the challenge by attempting to reinvent the wheel. Now go create brilliance!

Benjamin Robbins is one of the founders of AdminBridge – providing IT Administration from mobile devices. For more information visit http://adminbridge.com. He blogs regularly at http://remotelymobileblog.com

With over 93% of the Fortune 500 companies using tablets, it is inevitable that the next big thing in Mobile will be presenting. CGI’s CEO, David Kelleher, recently used the iPad as a presentation tool when giving a presentation at the Boston Entrepreneurs Network Event. David brought the iPad along to guide him through the slides that were shown on the screen behind him. CGI is always looking for innovative and creative ideas for presenting. A few of our favorite mobile presentation ideas are to use the iPad to project your presentation or create a product demo or “elevator pitch” for presentations on the go. The following apps will help you achieve your mobile presentation goals as well as engage your audience.

1. iThoughtsHD: The first step to giving a killer mobile presentation is organizing your thoughts. The iThoughtsHD app allows you to write down ideas and create a map, essentially a “mind-mapping app.” The app then helps you make sense of your thoughts and allows the user to edit and manipulate right from the touch screen.

2. IdeaFlight: IdeaFlight allows a presenter to share their presentation via WiFi. The app allows the presenter to remotely control the audiences device from their iPad as well as locking and unlocking the presentation, and the ability to let the audience download the presentation to their device.

3. Evernote: Similar to iThoughtsHD, Evernote is a great brainstorming tool for presenters. The big difference between the two apps is the ability to separate projects in Evernote.  The Evernote app acts as a digital folder where you can store notes, links, and more.

4. 2Screens: The 2Screens app is great for an executive that presents often. The app allows you to use the iPhone as a remote, connect to a projector, switch screens, and manage documents.

5. Dropbox: The Dropbox app allows presenters to share files they create on their desktop with their iPad and even their iPhone. Having presentation files accessible through Dropbox allows a presenter instant access to a presentation. Great for presenting at the drop of a hat!

Happy New Year! 2011 was named the “Year of Mobile” so it’s important to ask what’s next in this ever growing field. CGI broke into the mobile market in 2011 by bringing presentations and apps to tablets and smart phones. We’re excited to see where we can grow with mobile in 2012. Here are our top three predictions for the next twelve months:

• Mobile Presentations: A one on one presentation can benefit from being presented on a tablet, such as the iPad. Not only does the presentation design look great, it’s interactive and easy to use and you will be sure to impress clients with an innovative new way of presenting.
• Tablets Replace PC’s: Tablets are quickly gaining momentum in the sales and marketing departments of Fortune 500 companies as the best way to present information. They are easy to use, portable, and great for presenting on the go.
• Digital Marketing Initiatives Grow: Smart phones are everywhere these days and marketers are taking advantage of the growing mobile market by creating digital marketing initiatives – from checking in with FourSquare to playing games like SCVNGR  digital marketing initiatives targeting mobile devices will continue to grow throughout 2012 and for years to come.