droidconIN 2015

Icons are the first point of interaction for an User of your app. Icons, being a part of Visual design still contribute a lot more to User Experience than you might think!

With this session, we’ll be diving into how can you follow the principles of Material Design when designing an icon, with conceptualizing, minimalizing , paper prototyping, layering with Z-index, assembling and eventually converting the paper prototype into a digital icon on Photoshop, so that your icon can be unique and attractive while following the Material Design principles and making the Android Experience consistent.

Outline

The Google Play Store is lenient with app submissions which have inaccurate icon sizes and shapes. This session will enable Developers and Designers to be consistent and precise while designing an icon for their product and making the Android experience better.

Intended Audience:

1. Android Developers/Designers wanting to explore the underlying philosophy and physics of Material Design from ground up and wanting to go through the steps of designing an icon including Ideology, Sketching, Prototyping and Digitizing, similar to Google’s very own Icon design approach for Android Lollipop.

2. Developers/Designers who want to match their icon to their app’s design/purpose.

3. Developers/Designers wanting to take a fresh new take on a popular product icon.

Takeaway:

1. Complete understanding on Material Design’s “Paper and Ink” philosophy and physics and importance of icons in User Experience Design and Android Ecosystem.

2. Detailed study on the Anatomy of a Material Design icon using Paper Prototypes.

3. A digitized icon built from ground up with Google’s design principles with keyline shapes, accurate sizing, tinted and shades edges, Z index layering and appropriate shadowing, ready to deploy with your app.

4. A physical paper prototype of hard worked icon to carry home.

Requirements

1. Must have developed and deployed at least one Android application on the Google Play Store
   OR
   Must have contributed to the Design of an Android Application.

2. Must have Adobe Photoshop CS3 or higher installed
   AND
   Must know the basics of Photoshop along with experience in using Basic Tools (Move tool, Pen tool, Brush, Marquee, Shape tool, Type tool, Zoom tool, Color Selection, Layers, Color Pickers, etc.)
   PSST. LEARN PHOTOSHOP BASICS HERE: https://www.thenewboston.com/videos.php?cat=46
   AND
   Must have Material Design Color Swatch preloaded in Photoshop.
   Download here: https://www.google.co.in/design/spec/resources/color-palettes.html
   OR
   Have this link open on the Browser while digitizing: https://www.google.co.in/design/spec/style/color.html

3. Must carry along:
   A Notebook/Dot Grid book to digitize the icon,
   3-4 Good quality A4 or larger Chart Papers,
   Stationery items (Pencils, Crayons, Rounder/ Drawing Compass, a Pair of Scissors, Glue-stick, Ruler, etc.)

4. Can be an Individual or a Team of no more than 3 individuals.

5. Developers/Designers who are Parents can bring their kids along to have a fun filled experience in designing the icon, while introducing them to the process of designing an icon.

Maximum Participants:

50 Individuals (or 25 teams).

Speaker bio

Swapnil Borkar is a User Experience Designer and Android Developer, who likes to challenge popular patterns in Experience Design and improvise them with better, scalable solutions.

He has been active on StackOverflow/ StackExchange UX from September, 2015, and has a Reputation of 2,371 as on October, 2015. Top 2% this year.

Swapnil has been a core member of Google Developer Group - Mumbai and has been writing UX Reviews since February 2015, and has reviewed 9 applications since which include: Transitpedia, DocsApp, Binge and MatchUp Cricket, etc.

He is an Active Speaker who likes to engage the audience and has delivered various sessions on Android Navigation Anti-Patterns, Product Design, Color Psychology, Material Design, etc and has conducted Iconography with Material Design on Paper workshop twice with UXSpeak in August and September, with an overwhelming response.

He has been working at the forefront of communication at Haptik Inc since June 2014, providing a conversational, yet satisfying experience to Users across the country.

Swapnil likes to actively help Startups and has mentored Design Sprints at Google’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) App Contest in Mumbai and ECell’s HackEThon Design Sprint at IIT Bombay and likes to participate and contribute actively in communities and events happening around with the focus on Android and Design.

Links

• Workshop Briefing: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qHVgqCopVIWb810sdoOYvT0wbc5uXxKDby2d_mDVnvI/edit?usp=sharing
• Iconography Workshop with UXSpeak in August: https://www.facebook.com/techvedconsulting/posts/961826867217135
• Iconography Workshop with UXSpeak in September: https://www.facebook.com/techvedconsulting/posts/940844385982050
• Stack Exchange UX Profile: http://ux.stackexchange.com/users/68872/swapnil-borkar
• LinkedIn Slideshare Profile: www.slideshare.net/SwapnilBorkar1/

Slides

http://www.slideshare.net/SwapnilBorkar1/iconography-with-material-design-workshop