Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Sleek, Sexy Navigation

In thinking about the interface of a mobile application, it is crucial to keep in-mind the ten heuristic categories as introduced by Scott Klemmer. I found several navigation designs by Theresa Neil that embody the heuristics and look absolutely stunning.


Springboard from CraigsList
The landing page for this app displays a fun 60's styled menu complete with peace sign, smiley faces, and big bold polka dots (aesthetic and minimalist design). It is perfectly apparent which areas of the menu are clickable and what each click will discover (recognition over recall). The help area is clear and easily accessible. The only thing I don't see immediately that I am used to seeing on the website is how to set a location, but I assume that would be found under "settings."





Page Carousel from Nigella
There are so many wonderful things to say about the design of this page. The page is absolutely loaded with information without feeling cluttered (aesthetic and minimalist design). There are progress indicator dots to show the number of recipes in the section as well as how far into that number you are currently viewing (system status). The icons for "heart-healthy," "vegetarian," and "video" are easily recognizable (familiar metaphors and language), and there are multiple ways to find a recipe (user control and freedom).




Metaphor from Wine Cellar
This visually stunning masterpiece is incredibly simplistic (aesthetic and minimalist design). You begin by adding the wine from your collection with a simple plus sign (familiar metaphors and language). Your virtual cellar is filled with buttons having the appearance of the actual bottles of wine they represent. You may then view items in your wine collection by either browsing the bottles displayed (recognition over recall) or by clicking the search button (user control and freedom). I love this display so much I think I'm going to download it today!

1 comment:

  1. Hey Alison I was also looking at the Wine Cellar metaphor and though that that was pretty cool.
    These designs have certainly caught my interest and have sort of driven me towards a 'designer phase' for a few weeks.

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