Dramatic Features
Having been pressed by numerous clients about why the iPhone is being so well received when they’ve tried the same functions, the best way I could describe it is, “Dramatic Features.” Dramatic Features are those that resonate with a person on a human level.
To understand better what I mean, consider the definition of drama: “A composition, …accommodated to action, and intended to exhibit a picture of human life, or to depict a series of grave or humorous actions of more than ordinary interest, tending toward some striking result…”
Take a look at the pins that fall from the sky and populate Google maps on the iPhone — you feel them! Why? Of course, they could just appear — just use the frame buffer and make a call to the graphics card. But to make the user feel them, we use perspective animation and a sense of gravity — all things we experience on a daily basis and can relate to.
Dramatic Features are the next step beyond features that look good and work well. They inspire. You not only understand and can use them, you enjoy them. To design Dramatic features you need an organization open to and skilled in, well, drama! With so many students in animation and game development programs, I can imagine they’ll be designing the interfaces of the future — not traditional graphic or interaction designers…