Google has been quite productive for its latest Android version, Ice Cream Sandwich. Recently, the search engine giant announced that their team has come up with a new Android Design site. The announcement has come from Freelancer.com, which places Android as one of the top job trends of Q4 2011.
The Android Developers blog had a write up from Christian Robertson, who leads the Android Visual Design group, an extract of which is posted below:
Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) is our biggest redesign yet — both for users and developers. We’ve enhanced the UI framework with new interactions and styles that will let you create Android apps that are simpler and more beautiful than ever before.
To help you in that mission, we’re introducing Android Design: the place to learn about principles, building blocks, and patterns for creating world-class Android user interfaces. Whether you’re a UI professional or a developer playing that role, these docs show you how to make good design decisions, big and small.
Getting started has three options for the users, which were, “creative vision,” design principles, and UI overview. However, that was not all. There were sub menus for other sections too, namely, style, patterns and building blocks.
In the creative vision sub menu, users were asked to consider three main goals, which are extracted as below:
Enchant me
Beauty is more than skin deep. Android apps are sleek and aesthetically pleasing on multiple levels. Transitions are fast and clear; layout and typography are crisp and meaningful. App icons are works of art in their own right. Just like a well-made tool, your app should strive to combine beauty, simplicity and purpose to create a magical experience that is effortless and powerful.
Simplify my life
Android apps make life easier and are easy to understand. When people use your app for the first time, they should intuitively grasp the most important features. The design work doesn’t stop at the first use, though. Android apps remove ongoing chores like file management and syncing. Simple tasks never require complex procedures, and complex tasks are tailored to the human hand and mind. People of all ages and cultures feel firmly in control, and are never overwhelmed by too many choices or irrelevant flash.
Make me amazing
It’s not enough to make an app that is easy to use. Android apps empower people to try new things and to use apps in inventive new ways. Android lets people combine applications into new work flows through multitasking, notifications, and sharing across apps. At the same time, your app should feel personal, giving people access to superb technology with clarity and grace.
There is a fifth option too, which is named ‘Developers’. Clicking on the same, directs users to the http://developer.android.com/index.html, and is equally informative.
This move from the search engine giant is interesting and one would have to wait to see, as to how many more designers come in to make use of these efforts.