BlackBerry Smartphones Version 7.1 UI Guidelines Published: 2013-08-14 SWD-20130814110800966 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 Text................................................................................................................................................................................... 42 Fonts.......................................................................................................................................................................... 42 Writing conventions.....................................................................................................................................................42 Sound................................................................................................................................................................................47 Localization....................................................................................................................................................................... 48 Best practice: Designing applications for different languages and regions.................................................................... 49 Best practice: Coding for different languages and regions............................................................................................ 51 Best practice: Writing for different languages and regions............................................................................................ 52 Accessibility.......................................................................................................................................................................53 Best practice: Designing accessible applications......................................................................................................... 53 5 Containers and components........................................................................................................... 55 Application screens........................................................................................................................................................... 55 Best practice: Designing application screens............................................................................................................... 56 Dialog boxes...................................................................................................................................................................... 56 Best practice: Implementing dialog boxes....................................................................................................................57 Alert dialog boxes........................................................................................................................................................59 Information dialog boxes............................................................................................................................................. 60 Input dialog boxes....................................................................................................................................................... 60 Inquiry dialog boxes.....................................................................................................................................................61 Reminder dialog boxes................................................................................................................................................ 62 Status dialog boxes..................................................................................................................................................... 62 Banner and title bars..........................................................................................................................................................63 Best practice: Implementing title bars........................................................................................................................