I wasn’t really sure what design revelations to expect at Google I/O last week. Google released major Material changes last year, and I didn’t think sweeping changes would happen again so soon. While they didn’t talk about many visual design changes, they did introduce more guidance around designing apps, better legacy support for Material design and more compact design components for the Android SDK. The changes introduced this year seem to make implementing better design easier.

Looking Back

Google got nostalgic and devoted a few sessions to looking back at Material Design successes from the past year. It was mostly eye candy; however, it was good to see more apps adopting the design principles that put Google on the radar of the design community. Matías Duarte confirmed that Google is planning the next Form design conference, but didn’t announce a date. Most design sessions were so packed it was hard to get a good view—it seems developers and designers alike are excited about what’s evolving.

Thoughtful Design

One exciting theme was a focus on honing the user experience through thoughtful design. In a way, it felt that the large, sweeping changes were made last year, and this year the experience continues to be refined into one that’s truly rich. Many sessions introduced more granular control (for both user and developer) in areas like permissions and notifications, allowing developers to adjust the “volume” at which their apps interrupt a user. Users and developers can now adjust frequency, urgency, privacy and importance. As someone who wants to be interrupted only for important notifications, this is a dream come true. No more having to choose all or nothing!

Now on Tap

For me, Now On Tap was probably the most impressive new idea introduced during the keynote. It utilizes Google’s massive data superpowers to soak into the Android ecosystem and predict what a user needs and wants, without feeling like a filter or an extra layer. The context recognition was fascinating to watch, and I look forward to testing it out.

Inspiring Ventures

Google also devoted a ton of conference time to Google.org and Google Ventures projects. While Google Cardboard might seem gimmicky at first blush, the Expeditions project of bringing global experiences to classrooms around the world is exciting and inspiring. I also got to learn about iterating on Project Loon from some of the team that is doing the work. They’re bringing the internet to extreme remote locations using balloons. The Future!

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What Google really proved with this conference is that they’re more than just a device and software company. They have much bigger ideas, and are in the business of designing experiences. They just happen to also design the tools for those experiences.

The post On the Floor at Google I/O appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

Get ready to tap into your creativity alongside the Nerds. Designers, developers and project managers: join us for our new Android Mobile Design and iOS Mobile Design bootcamps. In two days, these classes will teach you to design intuitive interfaces employing platform-specific conventions and innovative trends. You will learn vocabulary, current trends and how to work alongside developers to create a pixel-perfect app for mobile devices.

Diversity in Design

We’ve created these classes for a range of students, from graphic designers who want to learn mobile design to designers who want to learn a new platform (for example, an iOS designer who wants to learn Android).

If you’re a developer, you’ll learn to design your app so that users will enjoy using it again and again. Knowing how to design a stellar user interface can change the way you think about development and improve your user’s experience with your product.

Even product owners and creative project managers can benefit from the class, as alumna Holley Silirie learned from her recent bootcamp experience.

Android Mobile Design

Our Android Mobile Design bootcamp will take place May 20-21 in Atlanta.

In this class, you will discover the latest from Android 4.0 and Material Design. You’ll learn how to modernize your app and interpret your user’s needs through informed design, research and testing. After this class, you will be able to make logical choices that relate to the aesthetics your audience expects while keeping up with design trends. We’ll also cover graphics optimization, so your app will complement different screen sizes and hardware features across any Android device.

iOS Mobile Design

The iOS Mobile Design bootcamp will be held May 18-19 in Atlanta.

In the iOS Mobile Design class, we’ll take an in-depth tour of standard iOS navigation models, UI elements and the importance of animation. You will design for touch gestures and input methods, then create interactive prototypes. You’ll learn about expected interaction patterns and then validate your design choices through usability testing.

Partner with the Experts

Ready to claim your spot? Register now before seats are filled. If you’re already a Big Nerd Ranch alumni, remember to take advantage of your 10 percent discount when you enroll. Nicole Rej will be happy to provide your unique code.

The post Tap into your Creativity with our Mobile Design Bootcamps appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

The students in Big Nerd Ranch’s first week-long iOS and Android Design bootcamp were from all walks of the industry. We had app, desktop and web designers; Android and iOS developers; project managers; and college professors as our students. But what they had in common was that they all sought app design empowerment.

They were interested in rapid prototyping, user testing and visual design trends. They wanted to know the correct vocabulary to have a meaningful conversation with their app teams, and to make design decisions in line with the code they were writing.

Blurring the Line Between Software Development and Aesthetic Design

There has been this line between software development and aesthetic design. A class system of “artistic people” and “non-artistic people” has kept programmers from pursuing more attractive interface design on their own.

Ten years ago, one did not presume to cross that line, lest you be patted on the head and told to go back to what you’re good at. That’s changed recently, and in a really big way. A bridge has grown between software and design, and both are not only given permission to cross the line, but encouraged to blur it.

Apps as a Gateway Drug

The app market is the gateway drug for many developers to become interested in UX and UI design. The evidence connecting beautiful design, simplified user experiences and user success to money spent is palpable. Developers can no longer ignore design.

That care for design and attention to the actual user adds an element of humanity to software development. It has all the feels now. The humans matter!

As designers at Big Nerd Ranch, it’s our job to make sure our developers come to each of our client projects with this understanding and appreciation firmly in place. In fact, most of our developers are eager to take our new Mobile Design Bootcamp so that they can better understand design principles, usability and platform best practices. They want to know how best to use these tools: Why are they there? What do they do? Why should they care? What does the user gain?

And designers can no longer ignore the numbers, brackets and letters that make up the code of an app. Our design team is constantly learning more bits of JavaScript and Objective-C, or boning up on the complex animation capabilities introduced with new SDKs. We are curious about where the boundaries lie, how we can better converse with developers and how we can push natural mental models. We aren’t necessarily learning how to program—we are learning what programmers do, so that we can become better app designers.

We want to encourage developers and designers to blur that line and step over it. To stop tossing designs over walls, and to stop automatically saying no. We want to start a dialogue. We want to make better apps.

Join us for our next iOS and Android Design bootcamp, and take the next step to blur those lines between design and development.

The post Blurred Lines: Design and Development appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

It is all too easy to generalize the “Nerd” personality, but there is in fact incredible individuality across the board at Big Nerd Ranch. We have former physicists, civil engineers, nuclear submarine officers, gaming experts, opera singers, marathon runners and beer brewers on our team.

I get a kick out of stepping back and watching the hum of these brilliant minds working together to solve the world’s problems. But whenever we have to get work done, we put our headphones on and zone out. We go into our happy place where the rest of the room fades away and we are productive like well-oiled machines.

TUNING IN, ZONING OUT

What audio treasures transport these minds to the mental wavelengths of steady productivity? Well, I asked. And in true Nerd fashion, the answers were as unique as each person who responded. Nerds are passionate about music! Did you know there are layers and flavors of white noise? Or that disco is still alive?

Several Nerds invited me to view their current catalogs for the full breadth of musical interest. One Nerd gave me their entire Grooveshark index. “Dumped via a script [they] ran in the Firefox JS console,” of course. I would have been disappointed if it was any other way.

One of my favorite quotes: “Any kind of goofy dance music with a solid beat somewhere between 100 and 120 beats per minute usually hits the spot for me—it feels like it’s propelling me along.” I was given musical preferences for songs with specific BPMs!

One person listens to British comedy. There are many electronic, indie, psychedelic and experimental music lovers. J-Pop made it on the list from a few people. So did video game soundtracks. I love that Billie Holiday and Glen Miller made the list.

No distractions

The general consensus is that, for moments of concentration, music cannot have words. They are distracting, and steady electronic or ambient instrumentals are preferred. As one programmer put it, “For coding work, it is extremely important that the music be strongly rhythmic and hypnotic. It should drive the mind, but it should not demand conscious attention. I’m always looking for music that fits this mold, wherever it comes from.”

When creativity is happening, the landscape changes dramatically, as this programmer continues to explain. “Sometimes I like to listen to music when I’m writing, too. I wrote a fair amount of one of the Big Nerd Ranch programming guides while listening to a couple of Alan Parsons Project albums, but I finished it off listening to Dire Straits (all their albums, on loop).”

Personally, I’m in a similar boat as most Nerds. If I’m writing or concentrating, I may just put my noise-canceling headphones on without sound. Or I’ll listen to Sharon Isbin or Takenobu… something analog. But if I’m cranking on designs, I need some “angry” energy with The Glitch Mob, The Presets or Crystal Castles. They’re so familiar by now that my creative wavelengths get into the groove within the first few beats.

Music moves us. It can make us tense, relaxed, productive, distracted. I really enjoyed this observation, and can relate: “Listening to music while I work has completely altered the kind of music I listen to in general.” What do you listen to while you work?

Image courtesy of Andrew Jones. 

The post Listen While You Work appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

A funny thing is happening in the tablet app platform space. Mainstays iOS and Android helped shape the market early on, but Microsoft is coming into an arena that operates on predefined expectations, and they’re trying to change the game. That’s gutsy.

Big Nerd Ranch appreciates guts, and we’ve been working with Microsoft to develop and deliver presentations, camps and courses on Windows 8 design and development. We feel there are a lot of special things happening in W8, and want to be a part of it from the start.

You can read a great overview by Eric Jeffers covering the design decisions Microsoft has made. But I want to get down into the nitty gritty here. I may be generalizing by saying that many designers have a negative knee-jerk reaction towards the new Windows 8 style (the style formerly known as “Metro”). It celebrates flat design, embraces the grid, removes UI from the screen, and quite frankly has a lot of rules and regulations that make one wonder why you even need a designer at all.

My team and I have been working closely with Microsoft to update the Windows 8 Design Principles Bootcamp materials, supplement with new topics, and design and develop a brand-new demo app for the camp. But I’ll admit that at first, I was wary of this project. I wanted to learn the best practices for making a W8 app and be able to teach it, but switching to Windows 8 completely?

Now that I’m on the other side of the project, after I have taught the camp in person and also live on Microsoft Virtual Academy, and have traveled the world to teach designers all about Windows 8, I have to say they’ve made a believer out of me. I’m not saying I’ve traded in my iPhone for a Windows Phone, or that I’m going to keep using the PC (we are a very Mac-software-focused team), but I can honestly speak enthusiastically about the design decisions Microsoft has made.

Breaking down the pain points

Let’s break down the pain points. First, there is a strong suggestion to follow the provided grid templates. Many Windows Store apps have done that very thing. W8 makes it easy to point a template to data and publish. However, there are also many case studies in the guidelines that urge you to personalize and differentiate your app. It is not Microsoft’s desire that every app look exactly the same, but that every app respect the platform and device it’s built for.

In the same vein, typography suggestions abound. W8 comes with a designated sans serif font, a serif for body copy, and even symbol-based fonts for other languages like Japanese and Korean. A “type ramp” is provided for each typeface, limiting the number of sizes and styles you should use in your layout. Again, everything begins to feel very templated and unbranded.

In addition to the strict guidelines, there are new gestures to learn. Windows 8 is not the most intuitive system to pick up on. There are discoverable swipes and pinches, and basic moves like tap and pan that do what you think they will do. However, there are also a ton of features that you wouldn’t necessarily find on your own. So why do I like Windows 8?

Why Windows 8 Doesn’t Suck

Those grids from the templates? They create a common visual experience from app to app that gives the user’s eye an expected place to land. They also guide you, as a designer, in creating a visual rhythm without using lines and boxes. In addition, you are encouraged to create your own grid, establish a visual hierarchy and bring your brand into the design to create a unique presentation. Remember, there is a difference between visual design and usability. Microsoft is interested in making your app usable above all else, but they want it to stand out as a brand story as well..

W8 typography is a thing of brilliance. It ties back into another fabulous feature of the platform: scaling. W8, like Android, sniffs the resolution of the screen it is being displayed on, and scales the app to the proper resolution so that it is physically the size intended, regardless of resolution. The supplied typefaces and coordinating type ramps respond in the same way. Each font size is chosen specifically for its ability to follow the grid, and each typeface is designed specifically for screen display with open counters and short descenders. This ensures that your app typography looks beautiful all the time, with no fuzzy edges or funky displays.

One of the token phrases from the Microsoft Design language is “content before chrome.” This idea uses the actual content to build a design, rather than designing content around structures of interaction and organization (the “chrome”). It acknowledges that users are coming to an app with a purpose beyond seeing a beautiful app, such as consuming or creating content. It embraces the fact that usable design is often beautiful design.

Windows 8 is like a brand new pair of shoes that need to be broken in. It’s a misunderstood design language for the time being, but I don’t think it’s going to stay that way for long. The Microsoft team has put a lot of consideration behind the extreme interface and interaction changes in the new platform, and I’m impressed and looking forward to how the space settles into these new shoes.

Want To learn more?

Check out the Windows 8 UX Design videos.
And of course, keep an eye on our bootcamp schedule for upcoming Windows courses from Big Nerd Ranch.

The post Changing the Game: Windows 8 Design appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

Editor’s note: Brian Harper, Jeff Heaton and Brandy Porter are hitting the road to teach our mobile design courses in Ukraine, the Netherlands, India and Japan. At each destination, they’ll be sending blog “postcards” with updates.

As I travel via high-speed train from Tokyo to Kyoto, now officially on vacation after a month of teaching around the world, I’m able to reflect upon my time with Microsoft in Japan, but also on my trip as a whole. To begin with, the Microsoft team in Tokyo, Kasugai-San and Akiko-San, was a joy to work with. They were well-organized, helpful and down-to-earth, and they understood when to guide us in tradition, and when to encourage our “Western” habits.

We had a full turnout of around 60 people for the camp, which was held at the beautiful new Microsoft Tokyo headquarters. Kasugai-san began the camp by telling the attendees to “act like Americans and ask questions”, which made me chuckle. We were expecting a pretty quiet room, especially since everything we said had to be translated simultaneously by an impressive team of translators. The attendees, both designers and developers, surprised us all by asking really great questions after every session, and participating enthusiastically in the workshop.

The platform mix in Japan is about the same as in the US. Mostly Android, then iOS, Windows Phone 7, then Windows 8 being steadily introduced, especially in the enterprise space. The attendees were very interested, as all of the attendees have been, in Windows 8.1’s imminent reveal. What are the new features? Are there new guidelines for Snap View? Will the Start button make a reappearance? These are questions we don’t know the answers to yet. It sounds like the world is waiting to see what Microsoft does next.

It’s also satisfying to see so many developers embracing design principles, learning the reasoning behind design decisions, and eager to work with designers on their own projects. As a designer who has worked with developers in many team formats, it is exciting to see designers and developers communicating on such a technical level. Windows 8 is a platform that almost requires designers to learn about what’s possible in code, and why building in code is important. It also requires developers to understand design principles, and to communicate with designers about how to differentiate an app visually while staying smart about the way it’s built.Much like my other destinations, the attendees in Tokyo used Twitter to connect to Jeff and me before and after the camp. I have a huge new group of friends that share my passion for user experience design, platform capabilities and great travel photos (including food pics). It’s really striking to connect to so many cultures and people using the common language of design.

It’s also satisfying to see so many developers embracing design principles, learning the reasoning behind design decisions, and eager to work with designers on their own projects. As a designer who has worked with developers in many team formats, it is exciting to see designers and developers communicating on such a technical level. Windows 8 is a platform that almost requires designers to learn about what’s possible in code, and why building in code is important. It also requires developers to understand design principles, and to communicate with designers about how to differentiate an app visually while staying smart about the way it’s built.

This has been an epic month for me. I am not blind to the amazing opportunity I have been afforded. To be able to meet and work with so many special people across the world is a rare joy that I will treasure. I consider myself ridiculously lucky to work with such talented people, and beyond words to befriend the brilliant individuals in Kiev, Amsterdam, Bangalore, Pune and Tokyo. As Mr. Tolkein has been known to say, “Not all those who wander are lost.”

The post On the Road: Mobile Design in Japan appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

Editor’s note: Brian Harper, Jeff Heaton and Brandy Porter are hitting the road to teach our mobile design courses in Ukraine, the Netherlands, India and Japan. At each destination, they’ll be sending blog “postcards” with updates.

I’ve done it again. I’ve fallen in love with another country.

Getting into India took a surprising amount of effort: Brian and I had to get a variety of vaccines for the trip, and we went through several hoops to get our business visas in time. The midnight ride from the airport in Bangalore was harrowing; there isn’t much discipline to the way Bangalore taxies are driven.

However, once we settled into our beautiful hotel we had a conference call with Mark and Sandeep, our Microsoft contacts, and everything came together. We confirmed our plans for the week, then explored the IT capitol of India via rickshaw.

Learning the customs of the country took a few days, but by the end of the week we were very comfortable. I stood out as a (very fair) Westerner, and got a few stares, but my broad smile was returned warmly.

Photo courtesy Rahul Karpurapu, a camp attendee.

The class in Bangalore was held at Microsoft’s office, nestled among other well-known tech companies. There were around 30 attendees, most of them IT professionals or students, and all interested in learning more about design. It was encouraging to see so many developers learning design principles. It is something we have seen at the Ranch, and it’s rewarding to be a part of sharing design knowledge with others in different disciplines.

Photo courtesy Microsoft India.

In Pune, the camp attendees numbered more than 100, mostly designers this time. The camp was held in a beautiful (and intimidatingly large) Hyatt conference room, and the Microsoft team had a full stage set up with recording equipment. No pressure! The materials seemed to go over well, and the workshops were very productive. Afterwards a lot of attendees thanked us for the message, saying that it really brought home some key points for them. That makes it all worthwhile!

After each event, attendees asked to have pictures taken with us, which was extremely flattering. I even had a few people tell me they had seen my Microsoft Virtual Academy videos online! Yep, I have fans in India.

In Pune, most of the designers stayed late into the evening to participate in a “design jam.” They assembled visual designs for their workshop app concepts, competing for a prize. There were such great ideas from the day, and such enthusiastic participation in this after-hours event.

Photo courtesy Microsoft India.

We were able to spend an extra day in Pune to experience the city, and got to visit Lakshmi Road Market and MG Road shops_—we even saw a temple elephant being led down the street! The Microsoft team gave us each a beautiful carved wooden elephant to remember the moment by. That night, Sandeep and Aditee, another Microsoft colleague, took us to see a Bollywood film, _Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, at a local theatre. I am a huge Bollywood fan, and seeing this blockbuster in India made my year! This sort of warmth and hospitality was everywhere we turned in India. It really made it difficult to leave.

I am looking forward to visiting India again soon. Brian is heading back home, and I am heading to meet Jeff in Japan for one more camp. Time to pick up a few Japanese phrases…

The post On the Road: Mobile Design in India appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

Editor’s note: Brian Harper, Jeff Heaton and Brandy Porter are hitting the road to teach our mobile design courses in Ukraine, the Netherlands, India and Japan. At each destination, they’ll be sending blog “postcards” with updates.

Today I’m writing to you from a plane somewhere over Romania. Brian and I are headed to India for our next Microsoft design bootcamps. We just spent a week in Amsterdam, where we were able to work with the Big Nerd Ranch Europe team and deliver a three-day class covering iOS, Android and Windows 8 design principles.

The attendees ranged from local designers to government officials, all looking to better understand mobile design platforms. It was a great opportunity to teach to a smaller group, making the workshops a truly valuable and personal experience. The Amsterdam community is generally focused on iOS, but they understand the rising global importance of Android apps, and are intrigued and excited about Windows 8.

While we had to work during the day, we found a lot to do at night. Sundown didn’t occur until around 22:00, so late nights tended to sneak up on us (It’s worth mentioning that sunup was around 4:30, so early mornings also snuck up on us). We got to stay in the Big Nerd Ranch apartment while Bolot was teaching in Sweden, so we had easy access to restaurants, pubs, coffee shops and the Artis Royal Zoo. By borrowing Bolot’s bike and renting another, we had the entire city at our wheels. Some of the adventures we got into included world cuisine, the Rijks Museum of Dutch history and art, the Van Gogh Museum, harrowing bike rides, a canal tour by boat, more coffee than any reasonable person should drink, and time spent with new and fast friends.

Meeting genuine friends has to be the most valuable memory for me. Our European Nerds—Marcel, Bolot, Siemen and Rajiv—exemplify the kind of Nerd we like at the Ranch: intelligent, hardworking and kind. Siemen let me ride on the back of his bike across town on the first day we met, going out of his way to make sure we didn’t get lost. Rajiv is getting married in Mauritius this month! Marcel and his wife, Jeanette, ran the workshops without a hitch. We all met several times at various “eten and drinken” spots, simply tweeting our latest location to the group. It’s that kinda town.

We got to hang with the Appsterdam crowd during their Wednesday night meetup at Bax, where we met expats from around the world, all with a love for building brilliant apps. One Dutch guy is living and working in Brazil now, another in San Francisco; still another, Magnus Dahl, is from Sweden originally. He is actually the technical editor of our brand new Android Programming guide! We met Marcel’s son, Klaas, co-creator of Appsterdam and New Lemurs; and Olga, who is researching how to bring the Appsterdam community aspect to Greece, a country that is a bit segregated from the dev world right now. How exciting!

We saw these wonderful people a few more times over the rest of the week, and had riveting conversations in rockabilly bars, museums and even on bike rides. It really drove home this point for me: the most amazing part of Amsterdam is her people.

The post On the Road: Mobile Design in Amsterdam appeared first on Big Nerd Ranch.

Editor’s note: Brian Harper, Jeff Heaton and Brandy Porter are hitting the road to teach our mobile design courses in Ukraine, the Netherlands, India and Japan. At each destination, they’ll be sending blog “postcards” with updates.

Pryvit from beautiful Kiev, Ukraine!

Brian and I are on the road hosting bootcamps for Windows 8 Design Principles. This week we were in Kiev, Ukraine, where we met our gracious Microsoft hosts, Nikita and Yevgen.

They took us on a walking tour of the city, where we saw several landmark churches, like St. Andrew’s Church pictured here, and statues commemorating figures from Ukraine’s rich history.

The turnout for the Windows 8 Design bootcamp was strong, and mentors from the local design community were on hand to help us during lab sessions. The attendees had some intriguing app ideas that I hope to see in the Windows Store soon!

Today Brian and I visited Pirogovo, the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Lifestyle just outside of Kiev. It was a gorgeous day to learn about traditional Ukranian structures, crafts and ways of life.

I am truly in love with this city and its culture, and honored to have been invited here! Next we head to the Big Nerd Ranch Amsterdam office, where we plan to host mobile design bootcamps for Windows 8, Android and iOS. There’s a reason it’s called Appsterdam!

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