Smartphone icons - System for Improved Organization and Access - 11.15.2011
2 likes727 views
The document discusses the limitations of current methods for organizing icons on smartphones, such as arrays, folders, lists, and tiles, which struggle with usability on small screens. It proposes a new 'hub' and 'category' system, branded as 'neokeys' and implemented in a cloud application called webhub, which aims to improve icon accessibility and organization. The solution is designed to be intuitive and scalable, enhancing user experience across multiple devices.
Smartphone icons - System for Improved Organization and Access - 11.15.2011
- 1. Improving Organiza(on and Access of Icons on Smartphones 1
- 2. Current methods for organizing icons on smartphones • The current methods for organizing, managing and accessing icons on smartphones (and other devices) include – Arrays of icons – Folders of icons – Lists – Tiles © Yuvee, Inc. All rights reserved. 2
- 3. Why these methods aren’t good now • None of these work well on small screen mobile devices for many reasons – Icons • up to 16 icons appear per “desktop” page on the iPhone • smartphones with larger screens can have more than 16 • smartphone users frequently have 5 or more pages of icons, even using folders of icons • icons can open apps, websites, documents and folders of icons • icon folders can contain up to 12 or more icons • the long press and drag system of moving icons is unwieldy, and gets less so as more icons and folders are added • this icon system, even with a highly proficient and organized user, tends to bury many apps in less-‐visited, crowded and hard-‐to-‐see areas – Folders • tend to hide icons, so users forget what is in them • folders tend to pile up rapidly, so there are too many of them, even for a single category of icon • when viewed in “closed” folders, icons are so small that they are close to unreadable – Lists • lists of apps, websites, folders, etc is cumberson on PC/laptop size screens, let alone on small screen mobile devices • list-‐based environments sQll exist, but have been replaced in many of the most-‐used contexts by icon-‐based GUI • the organizaQon of lists is unwieldy for app, folder and website icons/names … what order is the list in … alphabeQcal, Qme prefernce, usage preference, …? – Tiles • it is too early to know whether users will find Qles easy • even with Qles, there are mulQple issues that parallel those idenQfied above, such as how many Qles are workable given the number of apps, etc, and (b) Qles frequently just lead to icons, lists, etc. thereby only pushing the problem one layer down 3
- 4. Touchscreen clu?er is growing worse • The problem of touchscreen cluYer is growing worse because the number of icons is growing rapidly • Icons are used for apps, websites, folders, documents, etc. • Please read our earlier "The Problem of Touchscreen CluYer” white paper at Slideshare.net hYp://www.slideshare.net/Qmhigg/the-‐incredible-‐shrinking-‐search-‐results-‐page-‐82009 • The organizaQon of, and interacQon among, icons across devices is inconsistent • for instance, touchscreen smartphone icons are organized and controlled differently from icons on PC/laptop desktops 4
- 5. SoluQon: a “Hub” and “Category” system • Give users a simple means to organize and access all their icons • Icons of any kind are organized and viewable in a “Hub” and “Category” system – Hubs are always viewable, and are organized in a scrolling column – Categories within Hubs are viewable whenever a user selects a “Hub”, and are organized in their own scrolling column – a combinaQon of a click on a Hub and a click on a Category defines a set of “icon results” • CreaQng a – highly scalable system that is instantly understood and usable – with every icon viewable and accessible with a scroll and a click or two • Our brand name for this patented technology is “NeoKeys” – for a list of currently issued patents, visit www.yuvee.com © Yuvee, Inc. All rights reserved. 5
- 6. Example: WebHub.mobi • We have implemented this “Hub” and “Category” system – in a cloud applicaQon for mobile and other device – that is named WebHub™ – that is available at www.webhub.mobi • WebHub is opQmized on small screen mobile devices to connect users and websites beYer than any other system – WebHub moves away from the list-‐based organizaQon of search results that is used by Google, Bing, etc., and also away from list/index based bookmarking paradigms used, for instance, by many browsers – for more on WebHub, please read our white papers “What is WebHub?” and “What is a connecQon engine?” (coming soon) • Youtube channel for WebHub intro and tutorial videos www.youtube.com/users/webhubdotmobi © Yuvee, Inc. All rights reserved. 6
- 7. Try www.webhub.mobi WebHub • is free • is private • will change your mobile search and surfing • enhances your mobile Web lifestyle • unifies your cross-‐device lifestyle • creates a personalized web experience across all your surfing devices • demonstrates a beYer icon system © Yuvee, Inc. All rights reserved. 7
- 8. Design Principles • NeoKeys and WebHub implement exactly the principle underlying the only user experience design that works on small screen mobile ① show the user ONLY what the user needs at the Qme the user needs it, and ② give the user a simple, fast way of switching among what the user needs © Yuvee, Inc. All rights reserved. 8
- 9. How “Hubs” and “Categories” work in pictures • Scrolling column of “Hubs” • Currently showing the following “app” Hubs § Game Apps § News Apps § Travel Apps § Camera Apps • Game Apps Hub is currently acQve, meaning § it was selected by the user § the lem hand column (“Categories”) show Qtles of categories/groupings of the user’s game apps § the middle “icon” keys show the games within the currently acQve “category” key that is labeled “Game 1” • Every “Hub” has a set of lem hand column “Category” keys that show only when a “Hub” is selected © Yuvee, Inc. All rights reserved. 9
- 10. How “Hubs” and “Categories” work in pictures • Scrolling column of “Categories” • Currently showing the following “Categories” within “Game Apps” Hub § Game 1 § Game 2 § Game 3 § Game 4 • “Game 1” category is currently acQve, meaning § it was selected by the user § the middle “icon” keys show the games within the currently acQve “category” key that is labeled “Game 1” © Yuvee, Inc. All rights reserved. 10
- 11. How “Hubs” and “Categories” work in pictures • A set of icons (for apps, websites, documents, videos, music, etc) • In this example, the icons are showing a set of game app icons because the user has selected (1) “Game Apps” Hub and (2) the “Game 1” category within that Hub … and the icons for these apps have been allocated to appear in that context © Yuvee, Inc. All rights reserved. 11
- 12. Works across all types of icons • Any and all types of icons can be efficiently organized and accessed using this Hub and Category system § Icons can be for any or all of apps, websites, documents, media, tv shows, tv channels, etc. § “powered by NeoKeys” § patents issued and pending in US and overseas © Yuvee, Inc. All rights reserved. 12
- 13. More White Papers • What is WebHub.mobi? (coming soon) • What is a connecQon engine? (coming soon) • What is PiQ? • The Importance of Patent-‐Protected DifferenQators to Mobile Device Manufacturers • Topics in innovaQon in mobile technology by Yuvee • NeoKeys – How it works and why it is criQcal to touchscreen devices • What is the NeoKeys Mixed Media Keypad? • The Challenge of Touchscreen CluYer (or Making Mobile Screens Big) • The Non-‐Subscriber Revenue ImperaQve – ROI on Telecoms CapEx • Richness+Simplicity: The Holy Grail of Mobile UI • Yuvee -‐ Mobile User Experience Conference – UX Designers’ Den Slides • MoneQzing the Keypad Real Estate on Mobile Devices • The Changing Face of User Input on Mobile Devices • Compound versus Elemental Devices – New Mobile Device Market Strategies • The Incredible Shrinking Search Results Page • Dynamic Keypads: Terminology © Yuvee, Inc. All rights reserved. 13
- 14. Where to Read the White Papers • www.yuvee.com/prWhitePapers.php • www.slideshare.net and www.scribd.com • Tim Higginson s profile on www.linkedin.com • Find them using a Google, Bing or other search © Yuvee, Inc. All rights reserved. 14
- 15. About Yuvee • Yuvee – owns a global patent portfolio in mobile – develops and operates www.webhub.mobi – designs, develops and licenses innovation in mobile and converged device user experiences that make the next generation mobile and converged lifestyle effortless and immersive, including the mobile Web and apps – provides advisory services in multiple areas relating innovation and the mobile and converged and cross-device user experience • Contact: Tim Higginson at info@yuvee.com Patents issued and pending – see lists at www.yuvee.com. Yuvee, PiQ, WebHub and NeoKeys are trademarks of Yuvee, Inc. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. No relationship or endorsement is intended or implied. © Yuvee, Inc. All rights reserved. 15