The iPad, the Kindle and the Nook, Will They Influence a Paradigm Shift in our Approach to Design?

What’s up with these new gizmos – so much buzz and hype! It may actually be for good reason. I don’t yet own one of these devices but, believe or not, I had the privilege of designing one of the first apps to launch with the iPad. We pretty much had to design blind as the yet-to-be-launched device was under lock and key… I quickly came to realize that I had to approach design in a significantly different way. They say that the approach is similar to designing for the iPhone but even that’s a reach. The iPad is 4 times larger therefore there is much more room for content, navigation, ads, etc. not to mention various new gestures have been added to the mix.

Sure, we can make pretty pictures all day – that’s easy, but what about usability and way finding? How do we create new and intuitive visual queues that help guide the user down a particular path?

Writer Steven Levy of Wired Magazine paints a picture in broad strokes but I found his article inspiring. It may be a bit apple-centric but it’s worth a look!