There is no winner in the battle between iOS and Android, and we all know that. If a product succeeds on one platform, it will undoubtedly be ported to the other. Sometimes app developers don’t even bother waiting, and release apps for both platforms simultaneously. For designers this means only one thing — they will have to adapt an application’s UI and UX to another platform while ensuring a consistent design language across the product.
There are three different scenarios for UI multiplatform adaptation: retaining brand consistency; aligning with the conventions specific to the platform; and seeking a balance between the two. We decided to analyze these three approaches by looking at the most popular apps out there so that you get some insight into what method might work best for you.
The Brand-Oriented Approach Link
Sticking to the brand and ignoring “parents’ rules” is the fastest, easiest and most cost-efficient approach, but only in relation to UI design, not software engineering. Custom UI is rather complex in implementation, so development effort would cost you more if compared to the price of building standard components.
Furthermore, choosing brand as a priority in UI design can be a pretty dangerous approach to take. I call such apps “teenagers” because they don’t feel at home, don’t follow the rules, and can be pretty annoying sometimes. They think they’re different, but really they’re the same as everybody else at their age. There are exceptions though.
Comments
Be the first to write a comment
You must me logged in to write a comment.