Smart devices are designed to be easy to use and understand for children and adults alike. A simple finger swipe across a screen or a minute touch will activate any number of activities on many different devices.
However, once a user gets past the simple tap and swish of normal, everyday use applications and operating systems can become confusing and archaic.
Application Mode
Take, for example, the many different ways that an application can become lost on an iOS smart device. An iOS device requires a simple tap on the icon, located on the device’s screen, activate applications. This same simple action, if held for a moment, will activate the application-management mode.
The application-management mode activate is indicated by every app on the iOS screen becoming squiggly or wavy and all self-installed applications then gain a small “x” in the top left corner. This mode allows for the moving or deletion of any self-installed app. The application-management mode can be exited by pressing the “home” button.
The ease at which this mode of management is entered and by which applications can be deleted can lead to an app’s deletion by users and their children before either know that the app-management mode has been activated.
Simple Folder System
Along with the application-management system, iOS devices attempt to organize application on device screens through a simple folder system. All a user is required to do is to slide an application icon onto the top of another application icon to start the process.
The device will then create a folder with an automatically derived name that will not include both the moved application icon and the application icon destination.
The only visual indication of included application in the iOS folder system is a 1/9th scale version of the application icons within the folder image. This systems ease of use will lead to quickly created application folders that have the ability to hide old application without easily recognized indications.