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December 10, 2010
Windows Phone Developer Blog

5 of 10 – Give feedback on touch and progress within your UI



Without feedback and progress controls, an application lacks communication to users. Implementing touch feedback and progress ensures the application is performing properly, indicating successful user interaction, furthermore it allows to establish the proper dialogue between the user and the device. Give touch feedback and indicate progress—number seven of top ten things to make sure are implemented on your application.

Feedback on Touch
Feedback provides confirmation in response to user actions. Displaying feedback defines the distinction between interactive and static elements. Visually providing feedback drives the navigation and guides users towards a path. Touch feedback on WP7 is represented with a tilt effect, suggesting the illusion of an item physically being pressed. Utilize the same behavior consistently within your application so the user receives visual confirmation every time they interact with your app.

Progress Indication
Progress indicators visually represent the results of user actions being processed. Touch feedback notifies the user of the element they’ve tapped, however, progress indicators communicate the action is taking effect. You should always incorporate progress indicators throughout your experience. Absence of progress indicators results in a lack of communication between user and device leaving the user wondering if the device is working properly.
You can get more information on when to use determinate and indeterminate progress bars and code samples here. Also a nice variation that lets the animation smoothly finish before disappearing created by one of our Silverlight gurus Jeff Wilcox can be found here.

progress

 

– Alfred Astort
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