Background:
Wayfair saw a rising need for better tools to develop mobile apps efficiently, so they set out to create a specialized Android toolkit. This story looks at how a designer took on this project, aiming to streamline the design and development of Android apps specifically for Wayfair.
Goal: The main aim was to craft a complete toolkit tailored for Android app designers at Wayfair. Unlike iOS tools, this toolkit focused on using Android patterns and guidelines to make designing and building apps faster and more user-friendly.
Approach:
Android Components: The toolkit's heart was a strong library of elements made just for Android. We covered everything from buttons to navigation bars, cards, and text styles, all crafted to fit Android's Material Design guidelines. We made sure they didn't just copy iOS features.
Integrating with Design Tools: Our toolkit worked smoothly with popular design tools like Sketch, Figma. This made it simple for designers to use Android-specific elements without interrupting their workflow. It kept things consistent while respecting Android's unique features.
Guidance and Docs: We made clear guides and detailed docs for using the toolkit. This helped designers stick to Android's design rules and make sure their work was consistent and followed the best practices.
Results:
More Efficient Work: Wayfair's designers and developers found they could work much faster with the Android toolkit. They could prototype quickly, use the same elements in every app, and keep everything looking and working well.
Different from iOS: By focusing on Android's own rules, not just copying iOS, the toolkit made sure our apps worked better on Android phones. It was easier for users to enjoy and find useful.
Better Teamwork: The toolkit made it easier for designers and developers at Wayfair to work together. Everyone used the same elements, which made it clear what they were doing and helped them get apps out faster.
Conclusion: Making a toolkit just for Android at Wayfair really made a difference in how we made mobile apps. Sticking to Android's rules and not copying iOS helped us make better apps that worked well and made users happy. We'll keep improving the toolkit to keep up with Android's changes and what users want, so our apps will keep getting better and better.