Designing Mobile Interfaces

Chapter 11. Input and Selection

The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round

I remember as a kid singing the song The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round on those long bus rides up to summer camp. It was the adults’ secret weapon to pass the time and keep the kids out of trouble, I presume. It went something like this:

• The wheels on the bus go round and round,

• round and round,

• round and round.

• The wheels on the bus go round and round,

• all through the town.

• The baby on the bus says, “Wah, wah, wah;

• Wah, wah, wah;

• Wah, wah, wah.”

• The baby on the bus says, “Wah, wah, wah,”

• all through the town....

Well, the rest of the song is outside the scope of this book. But imagine if the song was describing today’s city bus commute instead. It might go something like this:

• The wheels on the bus go round and round,

• round and round,

• round and round.

• The wheels on the bus go round and round,

• all through the town.

• The teen texters on the bus tap “LOL, LOL, LOL;

• LOL, LOL, LOL;

• LOL, LOL, LOL.”

• The teen texters on the bus tap “LOL, LOL LOL,”

• all through the town.

• The businessmen’s emails go “Clicky, click, click;

• Clicky, click, click;

• Clicky, click, click.”

• The businessmen’s emails go “Clicky, click, click,”

• all through the town.

• The traders on the bus type “Buy, buy, buy;

• Buy, buy, buy;

• Buy, buy, buy.”

• The traders on the bus type “Buy, buy, buy,”

• all through the town.

Mobile Trends Today

Figure 11-1. Forms can reduce the number of steps ...