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Human Standards

Posture & Device Use

People don’t use your app sitting perfectly still at a desk. They’re walking, commuting, lying in bed, or sneaking a peek while cooking dinner. Your design needs to work in all of these contexts.

How people actually hold devices

Section titled “How people actually hold devices”
  • Cradled one-handed: Phone rests in palm, thumb does everything. Most common, but limits reach.
  • Two-thumbed: Both hands hold device, both thumbs tap. More stable, better reach.
  • Index finger pointing: One hand holds, the other taps. Common on larger devices and tablets.

People switch grips constantly — sometimes mid-task. Don’t assume a fixed posture.

Context changes everything

Section titled “Context changes everything”
  • Glare and lighting: Outdoors, in bright offices, or dark bedrooms. High contrast and adjustable brightness matter.
  • Motion and instability: On a bus, walking, or exercising. Larger touch targets and forgiving inputs help.
  • One-handed necessity: Carrying groceries, holding a child, or eating lunch. Critical actions should be reachable with one hand.
  • Fatigue: Extended use causes muscle strain. Allow breaks, support device propping, avoid requiring sustained holds.

Orientation matters

Section titled “Orientation matters”

Support both portrait and landscape — and don’t force rotation for key tasks. Some users can’t easily rotate their devices. Consider:

  • Tablet users who have a keyboard attached
  • People with devices mounted in cars or on stands
  • Accessibility users with fixed device positions

Design for real life

Section titled “Design for real life”
  • Offer UI density modes: compact for experts, spacious for tricky contexts.
  • Let users reposition floating controls and navigation.
  • Test your app while walking, in bed, and at weird angles.
  • Remind users to take breaks during extended sessions (especially games, reading apps).
  • Support system dark mode for low-light use.

References

Section titled “References”
Maintained by AK Lodhi