New iPhone capabilities 'good for web design'

Category: Internet Trends

July 14th 08, 08:49

The latest version of Apple's iPhone is helping web designers to focus on the most important aspects of helping users to access relevant content.

This is according to experts speaking to the New York Times, who indicated that the handset's new 3G capabilities - which have given rise to a host of web applications created by the likes of Google and eBay - have renewed interest in what makes a well-designed mobile website.

Ben Shneiderman, a computer scientist who founded the University of Maryland's Human-Computer Interaction Library, told the newspaper that the iPhone's small screen helps internet users to find the most important information and services quicker.

Meanwhile, web designers have discovered the benefits of vertically-focused website design for mobile users, where pages can only be scrolled up and down and text is in a large size to improve readability, the New York Times noted.

Barney Pell, chief executive of search engine Powerset, said: "The small screen forces you to be even more ruthless and focus on usability almost like a haiku.

"That's what happens with design for the small screen. You have to think about what the most important thing the user is doing is."

The iPhone 3G was launched on July 11th, along with the App Store for downloadable internet applications.

This news story was brought to you by Bluhalo, a leading UK digital agency.

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