Interaction
Navigation | User Input
| Content | Messages
Navigation
- Provide contextual information to ensure users will not get lost while
navigating through the screens.
- Provide a Back option to allow users to go back to the previous
menu used and to the last application menu they visited.
- Provide a Cancel option to allow users to cancel the operation
they are in (except in some special cases due to underlying business
rules).
User Input
- Set a default focus on each screen.
- The touch screen and keyboard should be used consistently.
- Minimize text entry.
Content
- Provide clear and concise content. Avoid redondancies.
- Do not clutter the screen, but do provide as much relevant information
as possible to reduce paging.
- Use a vocabulary refering to users tasks and expectations, instead
of user interface elements. For example, refer to the "Start"
page or the "Home" page, instead of "Main Menu".
- Provide links to appropriate content to complete a task without searching.
- Due to performance and space issues, images should be avoided, except
for logos.
Messages
Popups
- Avoid interrupting users' workflow with popups.
- You may use pop-ups for confirmation of important changes before exiting
the application, and for severe errors like aborts that need direct
user intervention.
- For serious warnings, use the "LitePopup" introduced in the UMC, which
is comparable to a java popup, but has several advantages on mobile
devices.
- Before using a confirmation popup for leaving a screen, consider alternative
solutions, such as restoring data and providing an undo function.
Success Messages
- Inform users that an action has been successfully completed if they
cannot immediately see the effect of the action, or if it is part of
a critical business function.
- When appropriate, locate success messages on the footer.
Error Messages
- An application should be programmed so that error messages do not
occur. Therefore, consider preventing errors so that your application
does not need error messages at all.
- When appropriate, locate error messages on the footer.
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Source: SAP
Style Guide for Blue-Collar Worker PDAs
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