http://www.mobiface.com en Copyright 2005, Eugen Clim mobiface.com http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=69 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 05:32:34 GMT http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=69 A lot of good points and a spot-on remark that everyone now is trying to reach iPhone interface simplicity and “wow” factor within existing non-touch UI/hardware solutions. Two distinctive interface trends stand out.

First one, let’s call it “one layer UI” is basically a copy of the iPhone interface – just the list of application icons in one layer. Sort of a computer desktop stripped of menu bars.

Other is “two layers UI” that has some basic simple interface on top of advanced menu. This solution follows the 80/20 rule (80% of the effects comes from 20% of the causes) so in most of the cases the user won’t need to go deeper then the first interface level.



“One layer UI” is seen mostly on touchscreen phones, though it can work with non-touch setup too with the help of additional hardware buttons. Its unbeatable simplicity suffers when the number of application icons are bigger then the home screen can fit.

The main drawback of current implementation of this UI is the lack of the overview – you have to launch the app to see what’s going on “inside” it. To see a missed call you have to launch a phone application, to view upcoming events you have to launch the organizer etc. Also no overview screen could create problems when the need for easy app switching while multi-tasking will appear. Would be interesting to see in what way Apple and others will solve these issues in next interface iterations.



“Two layers UI” appeared more as a desire to make current interface layout that almost didn’t change since the introduction of Ericsson T68 in 2001 much simpler. A simple basic interface sits on top of the “advanced” one. Nokia multimedia menu and Sony Ericsson upcoming G700/G900 menu can be an example of this approach. Although appeared as a compromise solution, the idea of dividing interface in several levels of complexity I think has a lot of potential, sort of menu complexity adaptive tessellation. Software application use “basic” and “advanced” modes for a long time and this approach could be taken further.

]]> http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=69 http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=68 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 06:36:42 GMT http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=68


(Images from Mobile-Review.com) ]]> http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=68 http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=67 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:32:38 GMT http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=67
]]> http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=67 http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=66 Fri, 15 Jun 2007 04:16:43 GMT http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=66
]]> http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=66 http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=65 Fri, 11 May 2007 07:51:14 GMT http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=65

À new kid-oriented mp3 player from SanDisk has an interesting way of changing songs. You shake the device to jump to the next song.

I’ve always thought shaking would be great for returning to main menu in phones. It’s a natural gesture: if something doesn’t work right, you shake it. Lost in menus? Shake the phone. ]]> http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=65 http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=64 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 04:04:18 GMT http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=64
]]> http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=64 http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=63 Wed, 21 Feb 2007 07:16:36 GMT http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=63 latest essay discusses the return of command line interface. I see things the other way – we are returning to Microsoft Bob. I mean not to the concept of UI hosted by animated characters, but to the UI containing representations of familiar physical objects and with which you can interact by intuitive physical movements.


Microsoft Bob “desktop” (left), Bumptop UI (right)

Call such interfaces fluid, active or live, they make interactions more alive, more real-world. And as in real life we can interact with a person by gestures/mimic and speech, the same applies to live interfaces. We interact with them by gestures (physical movements like rotating or tapping) and by text/speech (command line interface). So, I wouldn’t call command line interfaces the next breakthrough. It just evolves as a part of next gen interfaces supplementing and enhancing visual browsing. ]]> http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=63 http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=62 Tue, 30 Jan 2007 07:08:00 GMT http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=62


With the screen in normal position the user has access to integrated MP3 player; with the screen rotated 90 degrees to its Portable Multimedia Player (PMP) function and turned a full 180 degrees to standard camera features.

(Via dpreview.com) ]]> http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=62 http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=61 Fri, 12 Jan 2007 02:07:58 GMT http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=61


(Via Mobile-Review.com) ]]> http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=61 http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=60 Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:42:49 GMT http://www.mobiface.com/view.php?id=60 futuristic demos and plastic prototypes, others make the actual product.



The interface is amazing. Got to love the attention to details like automatic landscape mode when rotating the phone, proximity sensor (I guess first since Ericsson R520) that disables the touchscreen when you lift the phone to the ear or thread-based SMS history. Too bad it’s a little big for an everyday phone. Guess I’ll have to wait for an iPhone nano.

Something interesting for the end - to the right is a concept screen of Windows Mobile 2005.

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