Native App Design Overview

Mobile design is significantly different than desktop design. Mobile technologies and their applications are quickly evolving and present unique design challenges. The mobile user experience team is constantly researching the enterprise workforce, and this set of design principles reflects key issues in mobile application design. Mobile workers have different needs and priorities than colleagues who remain in one location throughout the day. Some characteristic activities of mobile users include completing tasks in short spurts, moving from place to place, and being frequently distracted by changes in the physical environment.

For instance, a person completing a form while waiting for a train will have to negotiate a crowd when the train arrives. As the train doors open, she gets a call from her dentist confirming an upcoming appointment. By the time she enters the train and finds a seat, she may have forgotten her next step. Therefore, tasks need to be succinct, easily recoverable, and fast — taking less than a few minutes to complete.

At their core, mobile devices are about connecting people. Collaboration and communication continue to be central to the mobile experience; integrating SMS (Short Message Service), MMS (Multimedia Message Service), IM (Instant Messaging), e-mail, and phone calls into the application can make task completion more efficient. For instance, when regional sales managers are reviewing results by store location, they may scroll to a specific store and call the store manager by clicking the phone number. Mobile application design provides unique opportunities to leverage built-in communication functionality.

When making the transition to mobile design, an application designer’s first thoughts often focus on constraints, such as the small screen size. However, mobile applications are not just limited versions of desktop applications; they also support constant updates, decision-making, and data entry. With lower costs, portability, and better computing power, mobile devices have become a platform for providing analytics and unique functionality. Sales professionals know where to go next by viewing mapped routes of upcoming sales appointments, managers stay updated with real-time performance metrics, and retail merchandisers stay current by taking pictures of competitor product marketing materials.

If mobile applications are not well designed, users will not use them. The following design principles are fundamental to maximizing the adoption of Oracle’s next generation of mobile solutions.