We were approached to explore a new visual style and interaction language for a touchscreen device. The task was to demonstrate this exploration in two native applications – Contacts & Gallery.

Since the task was to create a new language for a mobile OS, we started by creating a screen framework that would work for most native applications. The screen is divided into 4 primary areas – Application function bar, the content navigation, the content viewer, actionable button space. We then mapped out the requirements for each application onto this framework, therefore creating a singular mental model for the user to navigate through the device. The final outcome is a touchscreen experience that provides quick and efficient access to all the core features directly from the home screen. The individual applications share a common framework, therefore allowing the user to easily navigate the device.

We recommended a unified phonebook that would aggregate information about a single contact from various sources. This feature was central to the design of the Contacts application as it allowed the user to view the contact’s details from any network that they were linked to. Read Less