Hardware Design Guidelines for Windows Mobile Devices
4/8/2010
Successful industrial design plays a very important role in device adoption. Although it is difficult to measure the performance of successful industrial design, compared to a tangible measurement such as battery stand–by time, some characteristics contribute significantly to the impression of a great design, such as fit, finish, color, interaction, size, proportion, weight and ease of use. Industrial designers should keep in mind that a device with well thought out design invokes a positive response in its owner.
In This Section
- Design Guidelines for Comfort and Usability
Discusses grip, how to signal the best grip for optimal audio performance, and antenna placement.
- Design Guidelines for Input and Navigation
Presents considerations for single-handed use of devices, and for equivalent right–handed and left–handed user experiences.
- Design Guidelines for Control Feel and Feedback
Discusses key and control tactility, force–to–fire, and latency.
- Design Guidelines for Control Functions and Behavior
Discusses the placement and durability of controls, discoverability, predictability, and the decision–making that should occur when overloading controls.
Special Considerations for Control Areas
Discusses d-pads and navigational controls, how to isolate actions from navigation, keypad location and size, keypad tactility, and high–use keys.Also discusses alphabetic keyboards, and their implications for layout, key identification, and the key size and pitch.
Finally, discusses engineering considerations such as key force–to–fire, and the physical placement of the switch relative to the key.
- Design Guidelines for Device Accessories
Describes the usability considerations for headphones, microphones, and AC adapters.