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Deviate from platform consistency only by necessity

Each OS platform has standardized interaction conventions that create an identifiable experience and help people learn to use the products on the platform. Once learned, there is an expectation that other products available on the platform provide a similar experience.

Awareness of platform conventions varies from user to user. Even if the user remains unaware, breaking convention may still cause frustration, errors, or even task failure. For these reasons, it is important to deviate from platform consistency only by necessity.

• Always make it a conscious decision to deviate from platform consistency rather than standard practice when designing a product

• User research may correctly lead you to conclude that being inconsistent with the platform provides the best experience

• Consider being inconsistent with the platform if it is the only way core functionality can be included (e.g., a specialized multimedia product needs to use the soft keys in another way)

dave@mobileixd.com

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