Accessibility and Ergonomic Guidelines
4/19/2010
To create an accessible user interface, apply the following guidelines:
- Avoid using fixed font sizes and small font sizes.
- Enable accessibility options such as font size and idle time settings.
- Ensure that the user interface elements are clearly visible in low light.
- Ensure effective and easy-to-read color combinations.
- Group related objects on the screen.
- Ensure that the user interface is predictable. For example on a Windows phone, pressing the HOME hardware button should always display the Home screen.
- For Windows Mobile PDAs, ensure that the tap region and size of the user interface elements are ergonomic.
On Windows Mobile PDAs, the size of the user interface elements should be optimized for a touch screen. The following table lists the optimal sizes for user interface elements on a .24 dot pitch display, depending on whether a stylus or finger is used to interact with user interface elements.
| Method of interaction | User interface element size |
|---|---|
Stylus |
5.04mm or 21 x 21 pixels |
Finger |
9.12mm or 38 x 38 pixels |
Note
A user might have difficulty accurately interacting with user interface elements, due to a disparity between the location of a target on the touch screen and the location of the underlying pixels when the display is viewed at an angle.
On Windows Mobile Standard, consider the following ergonomic guidelines when you design an application user interface:
- Use the same soft key for similar menus and commands.
- Use the same soft key for sequential commands.