Android vs. iOS Interaction Design Study for a Student Multiplatform App

Abstract

When aiming to develop a multiplatform mobile application or app there is a dichotomy between following each platform interaction philosophy and creating a common cross-platform interaction design. iOS and Android are the two most common mobile platforms used by university students, and they are the obvious choice when planning to develop a mobile app for students in just two platforms. We have compared the particularities of the interaction philosophy of both, and we have studied how four popular apps have addressed the contradiction between following each platform interaction philosophy and having a common interaction design between iOS and Android versions. The results show that there are three possible approaches for multiplatform interaction design, with different pros and cons. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.