about the technology

In the mobile world, the user interface is the most crucial factor in an application's success or failure. Users are on the move, and they expect Android apps to be responsive, intuitive, and engaging. Good mobile user experiences blend classic design ideas with new mobile-specific techniques. And when you throw in the rich features Android makes available, like gestures, animations, and location awareness, there's a lot to learn.

about the book

Android UI in Action is a unique and practical book for designers and developers who want to create great user experiences on Android. It begins by surveying the Android UI landscape, covering views, positioning, style, and device-specific screen considerations. You'll learn both to understand the Android platform and how to use its rich capabilities to best advantage. Next, you'll take a step back and explore some mobile design patterns that define the best apps available for Android and other mobile devices. With all the core techniques in hand, you'll look at the features and effects that make great apps stand out. For example, you'll learn how to create custom components and layouts to create responsive and rich UIs. You'll use animation as more than just eye candy, and understand how to introduce cool gesture-driven controls.

what's inside

• Master the core UI APIs for Android
• Understand and apply the latest emerging design patterns for mobile devices
• Learn the UI design and development techniques behind the best Android apps
• Tons of hands-on examples

about the reader

Written for Android designers and developers, this book assumes basic familiarity with the Android platform.

about the author

Neil Davies is a UK-based software engineer with particular interest in the intersection between good application development and designing great user experiences. He spends most of his time these days working on the Android platform. You'll find him online at inter-fuser.com.