Thinking in Web Apps: Design Principles for Chrome Apps

[Michael Mahemoff]

Hi All,

In Google's Chrome Developer Relations, a common question we're asked
right now is "How is Chrome App different from a website?". User
experience is one of the key differences we are anticipating, and to
that end, we recently articulated several design principles for Chrome
Apps, in "Thinking in Web Apps", which you can find here:

http://code.google.com/chrome/apps/articles/thinking_in_web_apps.html

Summary:
* Tight focus
* Big screen
* Rich experience
* Beauty
* Speed

This is a work -in-progress. None of us will know for sure what makes
a successful app until the store launches and people start voting with
their feet (or mice). But for people making apps right now, it's
useful to make some educated guesses. We value your feedback and would
like to know if you've noticed other best practices for Chrome apps.

[Brandon Thomson]

"The Chrome Web Store or the developer's own website will provide the
description and copy necessary to explain or sell the web app. That
is, the discoverability of the app happens via the marketplace and
traditional search channels. For example, once inside a music app, a
user should not see extraneous banners explaining the benefits of the
music app. The user has already chosen and installed the app, and as
such does not need the app sold to them again. Just immediately
present UI elements that help the user achieve their goal."

It sounds like you are suggesting any kind of traditional landing page
for the app should be bypassed when the user comes from the Chrome Web
Store. But often landing pages are fullscreen affairs with lots of
graphics, descriptions of features and benefits, etc. Will the store
interface (which will presumably have lots of onscreen content related
to the app store rather than the specific application) sell users as
effectively as a fullscreen landing page?

Just a rhetorical question...

Regards,
Brandon

[Michael Mahemoff]

On Thu, Jul 15, 2010 at 8:30 AM, Brandon Thomson <gra...@gmail.com> wrote:

"The Chrome Web Store or the developer's own website will provide the
description and copy necessary to explain or sell the web app. That
is, the discoverability of the app happens via the marketplace and
traditional search channels. For example, once inside a music app, a
user should not see extraneous banners explaining the benefits of the
music app. The user has already chosen and installed the app, and as
such does not need the app sold to them again. Just immediately
present UI elements that help the user achieve their goal."

It sounds like you are suggesting any kind of traditional landing page
for the app should be bypassed when the user comes from the Chrome Web
Store. But often landing pages are fullscreen affairs with lots of
graphics, descriptions of features and benefits, etc. Will the store
interface (which will presumably have lots of onscreen content related
to the app store rather than the specific application) sell users as
effectively as a fullscreen landing page?

 

Rhetorical or not, it's a good question. The comparison between store entry and a traditional landing page is interesting, but somewhat tangential to the point being made above, which is that once the user has installed your app, they've already declared they want to use it, and quite likely, want to use it frequently or quickly. So the expectations for the UI will be different and more goal-directed from the start of the interaction. Of course, some applications might still want to have a "main menu" style interface as the root of all navigation, but that's different to the usual features you see on a landing page.

[Jirka Daněk]

 Hello,

this page is somewhat outdated, but still accessible on the portal. Are there plans to update it? The points I would like to see addressed include:

mobile apps; there is the project to bring Chrome Apps to Android and IOS, platforms that have their own look and feel. What UI/X advice should I follow to fit in? What tools (Twitter Bootstrap, …?) can I take advantage of to save effort? Additionally, there is a paragraph in the current text that specifically contrasts Chrome Apps with mobile and points out the differences. As it now stands, these differences need to be reconciled.

less evangelizing; web apps are becoming more and more common and now it is not necessary to introduce them to people as in 2010.

UI/X in general; nowadays platforms have design guides that describe interaction paradigms and UI elements. Although this make less sense for something web oriented, I think that there is some need for it, especially for beginning developers. The good way to provide such information might be a showcase of techniques, sometimes contradictory even, that would allow the designer to form a good picture of what is out there and allow to make an informed decision what to employ in their next work.

As a last note, I found this topic after asking on StackOverflow http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21560332/chrome-apps-ux-guidelines