Contents
1 What's new.......................................................................................................................................6
2 Getting started..................................................................................................................................8
Designing applications for BlackBerry devices......................................................................................................................8
Best practice: Designing applications for BlackBerry devices......................................................................................... 9
Three key principles of BlackBerry application design.........................................................................................................10
Constraints of designing for mobile devices........................................................................................................................ 11
Designing and developing for different BlackBerry devices and software versions................................................................12
Display specifications and interaction methods for BlackBerry devices............................................................................... 15
Stages of application design...............................................................................................................................................17
Stage 1: Understanding the product requirements and user goals................................................................................18
Stage 2: Developing the concepts and building the workflow........................................................................................19
Stage 3: Organizing content on the screen................................................................................................................... 21
Stage 4: Incorporating visual design.............................................................................................................................22
3 Interactions....................................................................................................................................24
Trackpad...........................................................................................................................................................................24
Best practice: Implementing trackpad actions.............................................................................................................24
Touch screen.....................................................................................................................................................................25
Best practice: Implementing touch screen actions.......................................................................................................26
Keyboard...........................................................................................................................................................................26
Best practice: Designing applications for different types of keyboards.......................................................................... 29
Key functionality .........................................................................................................................................................29
Typing indicators.........................................................................................................................................................31
Shortcut keys..............................................................................................................................................................32
4
Strategies.......................................................................................................................................34
Setting focus and highlighting items................................................................................................................................... 34
Best practice: Setting focus and highlighting items...................................................................................................... 35
Scrolling and panning........................................................................................................................................................ 35
Zooming............................................................................................................................................................................ 36
Best practice: Zooming............................................................................................................................................... 36
Displaying images..............................................................................................................................................................37
Best practice: Displaying images................................................................................................................................. 38
Displaying information on a screen temporarily...................................................................................................................39
Best practice: Displaying information on a screen temporarily......................................................................................40
Screen transitions..............................................................................................................................................................40
Incorporating NFC in your application.................................................................................................................................41