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Designing For 5 Screens: PC, Mobile, TV & More

Finally, Nielsen touches on 3 emerging areas of usability: TVs, very small screens (such as items with embedded RFID chips) and very large screens (such as smart buildings). According to Nielsen, each will need its own UI.

Most companies won’t need to focus on designing for the 3 emerging screen types. Television is the one most likely to need attention in the near future. Currently, writes Nielsen, “designing for TV is relevant primarily for companies in the entertainment or consumer electronics industries.” However he thinks that if interactive TV usability “improves substantially,” then more companies will need to pay attention to that platform.

Mobile and desktop are the 2 user experiences that most companies need to worry about. The other 3 are dependent on what industry you’re in. Regardless of how many screens targeted, Nielsen recommends that companies factor in these two things: create “separate and distinct UI designs for device categories that are sufficiently different” and retain the feel of a product family across devices.

Via RWW’s Richard MacManus