Modern Domino: Android 4.4 (KitKat)

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Modern DominoAndroid 4.4 (Kit Kat)


KitKat

• Android 4.4 (code-name KitKat) was released on October 31.• The android market has often

suffered from fragmentation as each vendor was left to implement its own skin for Android. With KitKat we are perhaps seeing the start of a core set of UI guidelines for the mobile OS.• The following is a summary of some

of the key design changes introduced with KitKat that should be considered when designing modern Domino applications.


Android Market Share

• Strategy Analytics estimates that in the 3rd quarter of 2013 Android devices accounted for 81% of global shipments for smart phones.• While 200 million devices upgraded to

iOS 7 in the first 5 days, KitKat is likely to see a much slower uptake with initial availability limited to the Google’s own Nexus 5.• Clearly we need to keep a close eye on

everything that Android does as it slowly takes a stranglehold on the smart phone market and its users set expectations for mobile application design.

Android81%

iOS13%

Windows4%

BB1%


Branding Color

• As with iOS7, we see a move from the familiar blue of the Android holo color scheme to a more neutral grey.

• This change is designed to allow applications a greater choice of color schemes that will not clash with the entire screen content

• Also gone is the use of the blue accent color to denote the touching of hotspots on the screen. Now when something is touched its background color slightly darkens or lightens.


Icons

• When building applications for Andorid devices care must be taken to ensure icons are consistent with the core icon set.• A number of companies such as

Spiderfly Studios have published icon fonts for the core Android icons.• Icons can either be branded in the

color of the application or use a neutral grey palette. The designated color for the grey is #33333 with an opacity of 60% for enabled and 30% for disabled.• Launcher icons are now 25% larger

with a recommended size of 60dp.


Full Screen

• Android KitKat has improved support for letting applications use the entire screen.• The Lean Back approach is used

when the user will have minimal interaction with the content. A simple touch anywhere on the content will cause the bars to reappear.• A new Immersive approach is used

when a higher level of interaction is expected. A swipe from the edge will cause a bar in that location to reappear.


Translucent Bars

• Similar to iOS 7 we see a move to continuously display more content from the application through the use of translucent system, action, and navigation bars.• Note: The use of translucent bars

are an option for applications, not a requirement.


Gestures

• The double touch gesture has now been formally defined to scale up the targeted area to fill the screen.• A new double touch drag gesture

operates similar to pinch zoom gestures. Dragging up will decrease the content scale while dragging down will increase the content scale.


New Sensors

• KitKat introduces platform support for two new composite sensors – a step detector and a step counter.• A growing number of mobile

device are expected to enable this capability allowing applications to take advantage of this data.

Modern Domino: Android 4.4 (KitKat)

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