Designing for the unfocussed

I’ve developed a handy little trick when evaluating UIs recently to accommodate for the oft lamented “person-using-your-website/app-while-running-for-the-bus-carting-shopping-in-one-hand-blind-in-one-eye-stumbling-over-a-curb-only-using-one-thumb-and-counting-good-bouillon” conundrum.

If you’re on iOS 7, open up your app and then double tap the home button to the app switcher screen.

Can you still use the interface in your quiet and stayed environment? Ace, someone who’s a little distracted out and about can probably also use it.