article posted Jan 05 10 by Jot Kali
Multi-Mode Interfaces - Functional Interfaces Across Devices and Screen Sizes
Interfaces need to scale across multiple screen sizes. Instead of just scaling interface elements why not use the different sized apps as functional apps for the various screen sizes.
An example Tablet and Mobile device. On the right side the mobile device has the SMS app open. On the left side the tablet currently has no app open, there is a dock at the bottom with a row of app icons. The mobile is shown just as a comparison for screen size.
Safari has been opened and navigated to a webpage. The user has been notified of a SMS message
The user presses the SMS button once. The SMS opens in the same size it would for the mobile device. It is fully functional and the user can fire off a quick message. Note the web page is still in the background.
If greater interaction with the app is required, or a greater range of functionality the icon can be pressed again and the pop up app becomes dominate. Here the app can have more features.
The idea is not to scale the interface, but to use it in its various sizes. There is a compact mode for quick use, and a larger mode with greater interaction. The developer then can build apps with scaled functionality that are only shown depending on what screen size the current device has.
Article by Jot Kali
