SpyreStudios

Web Design and Development Magazine

Android vs iOS; A Usability Battle

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Lately I’ve noticed a number of articles with gripes and groans about the Android user experience, the way interfaces are designed, the usability of Android apps, and a lack of satisfaction with the whole Android ecosystem.

As someone who works on day-to-day basis with usability testing and user experience design, my interest was piqued. Were these users just iPhone users who expressed dissatisfaction after a brief flirtation with Android, or was there something deeper going on?

I can’t honestly say I’ve had a lot of experience with Android – although I do own two iOS devices – so I couldn’t write off these concerns one way or another. But rather than basing it off a few, possibly biased opinions, it seemed the fairest way to compare the two was to set up a quick usability test.

25 Essential Android Apps For Web-Workers And Designers

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The Android platform is growing in popularity every day, and for good reasons. Obviously being an open-source project and having Google behind it makes it a great choice for developers. Unfortunately the Android Market can’t really compete against the Apple App Store (in my opinion).

So I’ve chosen 25 Android apps that I think can be very useful to designers, developers and web-workers. You’ll find editors, reference guides, blogging tools, image editing tools and more. If you have your Android device handy you can scan the QR Codes next to each item in the list using the Barcode Scanner application.

Top 6 Mistakes to Avoid in Mobile Usability

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Mobile applications are important for providing users with an alternate means of accessing your web page, as well as keeping connected anywhere and at any time. The programs are an integral part of staying competitive within your market, so they should be created wisely.

A number of potential pitfalls await, and this article will acquaint you with the top mistakes to avoid that may impact your mobile usability.

10 Reasons Why You Need a Mobile Office

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Did you know that a small, purposeful workflow change can make your life significantly better? Yep, that change is having a mobile office, and there are 10 reasons why a mobile office can improve your design work and life. So what’s a mobile office? It’s what it sounds like – your design-work office on the go. All of your essential tools in a bag, ready to take with you.

Whether on a commute, a flight to somewhere far, sitting outside and overlooking gorgeous nature, or simply popping into your local library or cafe, a mobile office is a trimmed down, simplified version of only the most important tools to get your design, web, and any other creative work done.

10 Great Tools to Create a Mobile Version of Your Site

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84% of Americans currently own a mobile phone. Sadly, there are no figures showing how many of these devices are ageing bricks without internet capabilities, but you can bet that, within a few years, the majority of mobile phone users will be able to browse the internet, wherever they are. Right now, most websites are […]