Create Object

The Create Object pattern is most often done by activating a trigger, such as a button (text and/or icon) or a gesture, after which the user must enter some minimal amount of information to create a new object. The object details can be handled in a new page, a popup, or in the same place as the creation process. Objects are housed in collections, such as lists or grids, where they can later be accessed. Information on object details and collections can be found in the Manage Object pattern..

Appearance

Appearance characteristics for this component.

Icon or Button

On the phone, the "Create" or "Add" button is often on right side of the header or footer. On the tablet these are also good locations, but an application may have need for it to be placed in other locations.
The creation action typically displays a "plus" icon, or something to do with “writing”.
A common method of creating a new object it is to copy or clone an existing object. A link or button is placed close to the object that is being copied.
In a Master Detail setup, the create button may be found on the “Master side”.

Empty Object

In a collection of objects, an empty one at the beginning or end of the list allows for easy creation of a new object by tapping on it.
This will be most often found for collections such as grids or carousels.

Empty Space

At the end of a list in an empty slot or in any unoccupied place in a canvas, tapping allows for the creation of a new item.

Other

Gesture: Gestures such as spreading items on a list or pulling down can create new objects.
Voice: Voice can trigger object creation when the app is continually listening, such as with Siri or Google Now, which is triggered by saying “OK Google, take picture”. (Note: There is currently no way to do this through MAF, so use of this will require custom code)
3D Touch: User pressure on a control or screen can trigger object creation on specific Apple Mac & iOS devices. (Note: There is currently no way to do this through MAF, so use of this will require custom code)
Automatic Creation: An object is created automatically when the application is opened.
Duplicate or Copy: An object is created from an existing object, which can then be modified.

Behavior

Common behaviors for this component.

Once the user has triggered the creation of a new object, she may or may not be required to enter additional details before proceeding. There are a number of ways of handling this:

No details immediately required. A new representation of the object is added to the visible collection with a default name. The user can open the object at any time to edit or add more details.
A popup, modal view, or inspector appears to enter the details. As soon as the minimum amount of details have been entered, a Done button is enabled; tapping it closes the popup and completes the creation process.
In a Master Detail setup, a new entry is added to the master list and details can then be entered into the details portion of the screen.
The entire screen is replaced with a UI devoted to defining the object. A done button or normal navigation can then return users to the previous screen.
Details can be entered inline. The new object appears with default values that can be directly edited. This works best with list items, table rows, and other objects representations with a limited amount of details or with objects triggered by a gesture.
Device input. Tapping a button or using voice input can take a photo, start a video or audio recording, record a GPS coordinate, etc.
Automatic creation. The app opens to a blank canvas or editor. The user is free to save or share her work at any point.

Usage

Usage guidelines for this component.

When possible, keep object creation as frictionless as possible. Navigation should be flat without too many levels.
There can be more than one way to create an object on a page, for example, a create button as well as an empty object in a grid or lane collection.
Sometimes object creation uses a guided flow, where the application prompts the user for each step of object creation. This is typically when there are several fields that need information, which may also have dependencies. An example would be creating an opportunity in a CRM application.
Object creation may also involve templates, which provide some pre-set information, requiring the users to enter less.
Depending on the app, there may be a sign-in moment intervening between initiating a create object and actually entering the details.
When creating a new object, try to take advantage of copying an existing object, and supporting default selections over direct text input whenever possible.
When a lot of new object details are to be provided, consider creating the object on a new page rather than in a popup, due to the availability of more screen space on a new page.
If designing for a tablet, with simpler new objects, consider using a popup.
When saving objects, consider any differences the application has with saving to the device; saving to the cloud, so that it can be accessed by multiple devices; or publishing online, where it can be accessed by anyone.