Official mobile interface guidelines

The relatively quiet launch of a new official styleguide for the Android platform made me think it’d be worth pulling together a list of the official manufacturer design guidelines into one place. It’s as interesting to see where there’s commonality between the approaches – especially of course between the comparable iOS and Android interface experiences – as it is to identify the unique differences. I recently [finally] experienced the new Windows Phone UI and, whilst it didn’t immediately sit comfortably with me, once I forced myself to break away from the standard interface approach of iOS and Android I could imagine there being some scenarios where the flow between apps/data would be beneficial. So, whilst the following guidelines are essential in defining successful user experiences, they also offer the opportunity to highlight where the key differences and consistencies lie between the various platforms.

iOS Human Interface Guidelines [aka "the HIG"]

The Apple Human Interface Guidelines should require no introduction by now as it’s reputation became known more for being the checklist by which an app could be rejected than as a helpful aid to interface designers and developers. Furthermore, initially much of the HIG can seem to a Mobile UX designer like “preaching to the converted” and as a result of these two things, and because we are all now so overly familiar with the iOS interface, it’s too easy to overlook referring to the Apple guidelines as often as one should do. However, when I actually go back and dig around in the HIG I’m always impressed with how it manages to convey a lot of detail yet with a general ethos that results in the coherent interface experience we know of the iOS platform.
Apple iOS Human Interface Guidelines

Android Styleguide

The recently launched [or at least massively overhauled] Android interface styleguide is a great demonstration of how to provide explicitly applicable interface rules whilst also providing enough visual examples to feel like “just a good read”. Undoubtedly the new guidelines make Apple’s documentation feel somewhat dry by comparison, though clearly this is down to Google needing to re-position Android as a genuine contender for the iPhone’s “best in class experience” now that recent Android OS versions are providing a much greater user experience. A very worthwhile read, even just as a general mobile UX guideline.
Android interface styleguide [Android v.4.0 / Ice Cream Sandwich]
Android user interface guidelines [general]

Windows Phone design guidelines

My usage of the Windows Phone guidelines has thus far been as an interested UX designer as opposed to requiring implementation on a project, but whilst not as slick as the Android styleguide the Windows Phone guidelines are a good introduction to the considerations required for Windows Phone interface and experience design.
User Experience Design Guidelines for Windows Phone
Design resources for Windows Phone

Blackberry design guidelines

OK, this is a slightly tougher read. Certainly much more a “design implementation” guideline than a styleguide, the Blackberry 6.0 design documentation is helpful to assist designers get up to speed with designing for the Blackberry experience in terms of the interface and also considering device performance and capabilities but it’s not exactly bedtime reading.
Blackberry smartphone UI guidelines
Blackberry Playbook UI guidelines 

Other resources

Of course, iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows are not the only kids on the mobile block. Nokia, Sony, Motorola and most of the other manufacturers have all produced various design and UI guidelines over the years. I’d suggest that all the above ones are the most pertinent currently for UX designers working on the currently popular smartphone platforms. If that’s not enough though, check out the roundup on the Mobile Web Programming website.

31st January 2012

Ben Childs

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