A Talk About Android Design Principles at Google I/O, and the Math of Joy
Helena Roeber and Rachel Garb, Android UX and interaction design leads, spoke at the Google I/O about Android Design Principles (ADP). But this wasn’t just about geek-speak as the talk covered the importance of positive human experience as well, and which was used to create ADP.
The ADP itself is based on three principles namely enchat, simplify and amaze. Yet their focus is on creating a user experience that seeks to achieve a net positive or net zero effect on the user, and have done so, by basing their principles on research.
While that might seem simple enough, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that designers and app builders should make every effort to please audiences, and the two brought the equation down to three positive experiences for every bad experience. A couple of studies based on marriages and work-related situations has served as a foundation for the aforementioned conclusion.
Quite rightly, the duo believes that technology now has a profound impact on our lives and every time something does go wrong, we tend to blame ourselves for it. The effort to get that net positive or net zero experience becomes harder with each negative experience.
They also go on to say that the focus should not just be on minimizing negative experiences when an individual uses the Android interface but really to add points to the win column so as to really ‘spread happiness’.
While this might seem to be ambitious, it must be pointed out that since the introduction of the ADP to Android, the user experience has experienced a dramatic shift for the better since then.