Example of navigation hints: Wired magazine (left) and NASA Technology Innovation (right)
We need to gather our thoughts on what exactly we are creating before we dive into a project, right? When first sitting down to put pen to paper, so to speak, there are some steps you can take to save you time and hair loss (in my case).
Before starting an app project, ask yourself, “Why am I building an app?” The answer will guide the direction of the app navigation, the app content included, the design and what type of interactivity is included. Creating an app is a different paradigm than creating for print, or even creating for the web (although it’s more similar to web creation). Instead of just passively staring at the content, the idea is that user is engaged through interactivity. As a matter of fact, an app can be rejected by the Apple App Store for being too book-like or not having enough interactivity. Again, reading the Apple App Store Guidelines will help your app avoid rejection. To access the guideline, you have to be registered with the iOS Developer program. Being a part of the iOS developer program is required in order to create apps for Apple. Once you’ve signed up for the developer program, visit this link: http://bit.ly/RjAe8i.
Unlike designing for the web, instead of clicking like on a website, the user will use their fingers to interact with the app. That means no rollovers and larger hotspot (link or button) areas. Since even the devices are so new, this type of interaction is not completely intuitive. As a result, some app designers include navigation tips, like article direction arrows.
Example of navigation hints: Wired magazine (left) and NASA Technology Innovation (right)
Some apps have instruction pages toward the beginning of the app that lead the user through how to interact and navigate to get the most out of the content, and they can also provide a legend of the icons used.
Example of an instruction page from Martha Stewart Living Boundless Beauty.
Choosing the orientation for the app is one of the most important things to think about before you start designing in InDesign. A folio can be portrait-only, landscape-only or dual-orientation. A dual-orientation article has two layouts you need to create: portrait and landscape. Depending on which way the user has the device rotated, the corresponding layout is displayed. A single-orientation folio has only one layout: portrait or landscape.
Folio orientations: portrait, landscape and dual orientation
If you create a folio that is locked to a single orientation, the articles will be created in one orientation to match the set folio orientation. For example, if you create an article with a landscape InDesign file, no matter which way the device is oriented, the landscape layout will show—so if the user looks at it with the device in a portrait orientation, the layout will be sideways.
Choose app orientation: The Brand 360 app locked to portrait orientation
Creating a single-orientation layout can save you loads of design and production time, but you need to consider the content and the audience. Of course, creating a dual-orientation layout means that you will have to design your content in one orientation and then design the content in the other orientation. I’ve found that most apps created using DPS Single Edition are locked to a single orientation. I’ve also seen apps that offer more or expanded content in one orientation (as seen in the figure). For instance, some apps have the portrait orientation be more text heavy and the landscape be video and imagery alongside text.
Same article with different content on each orientation (ex. a Kohler ad from Wired)
NOTE: You can’t combine different orientation types (for your articles) in the same folio.
For more information on deciding which orientation to use, check out this blog post by Adobe’s own Bob Bringhurst: http://blogs.adobe.com/indesigndocs/2011/02/design-decisions-for-digital-publishing-apps.html