[IxDA Discuss] Touchscreen *and* desktop interface

[Fred Beecher]

On 7/25/07, Laura Valentino <laura.valentino at viasyshc.com> wrote:
>
> program which "may also be used on a touchscreen". They seem to have in
> mind that one interface can be used for both touchscreen and
> non-touchscreen devices. In my mind, these are 2 different things! Has
> anyone ever done this before? Is it just done with 2 different "skins"
> or settings that can be selected according to the device? Or can someone
> really make a desktop program "touchable" without it looking ridiculous?
> Of course you'd need many more details to really be able to answer this,
> but generally speaking...?


Laura,

First thing, you need to work with the stakeholders to clarify the business
requirements. The phrase "may also be used" to me indicates that people who
are neither designers nor developers have been dreaming, which tends to be
dangerous. : ) Seriously though, without a defined set of goals that the
stakeholders of set, the project is doomed to failure. After all, how can
you meet goals that people have neither communicated nor agreed upon among
themselves?

Interaction design, usability, etc., isn't just about design. It's about
designing the right solution to solve a defined problem within an understood
context.

So, assuming your stakeholders really do have all their requirements
documented, I'll tackle your actual question. : )

One thing we've recently talked about on this list is designing for the
iPhone, and how Apple's guidelines for doing so suggest creating a separate
stylesheet to accommodate iPhone interactions that only users browsing on an
iPhone would see. With this stylesheet, links would be spaced further apart,
hover states would be excluded, etc. If you have the flexibility to design
this app for the Web rather than the desktop, this might be something to
explore.

However, you do need to define this touchscreen device first. Is it single
touch or multi-touch? If it's single touch is it intended to be used with a
finger or a stylus? Do people lose the styluses? The reality is that if it's
a single touch interface, it will be much easier to design for in that the
finger/stylus can really substitute for the mouse. The challenge, as it is
with the iPhone, is in designing for multi-touch. In that case, you'll
either need to go the two CSS route or do two separate interfaces, most
likely.

- Fred

Best Regards,
> Laura
>
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