From iOS to Android

… and back again?

Kevin Griffin
Jul 26, 2017 · 3 min read

It was the summer of 2008 and rather than sit in my summer semester class, The Psychology of Aging, I instead woke up early to stand in line outside my mall’s Apple Store. I was trying to be one of the lucky few to get their hands on the newest iPhone. Now I wasn’t one of Apple’s first adopters to this new platform; I missed their first generation of phones and kept using my indestructible LG flip phone. But on this summer morning, I was about to upgrade to my first ever smartphone and be introduced to a whole new digital world.

Fast-forward almost a decade later; that excitement had continued every two years. Instead of waking up early to stand in line outside the store, I stayed up past my bedtime to get my pre-order. But as I’ve kept my eyes and my fingers on this one single device for all these years, I’ve been completely blind to the rise of its competitor: Android.

I’ll admit it. Over the years I was quick to scoff at those who refused to give into the Apple army, and always shuddered when I received a green bubble message (gasp!) from those so-called friends. However, being a user experience designer, I now find myself needing to know more about the other side. One of the core roles a UX designer must do is to put themselves in the shoes of a user — yet I could never truly fit my big feet into a pair of Androids. My experience using any one of their hundreds of devices was minimal. Of course, we have test devices scattered about our office to pick up and play with at any time, but even after spending a few frustrating minutes here and there, I never really felt comfortable. How can I help build a great Android experience for our users without knowing how to use an Android?

So now I am challenging myself. I’m powering down my iPhone, a device I have become so fond of, a device I know inside and out, and I’m going all in with a (gasp!) Android phone. 24/7. I have given myself a soft expiration for this challenge — about 2 months. In that time, I hope to learn the ins and outs of both the Android software and the phone itself. By the end, I’m hoping to finally be able to fit my feet into more of our users’ shoes. Along the way I’ll be writing about my struggles (which I predict will be a lot) and the highlights of using this new platform. I will be heavily comparing my experience to iOS and calling out those differences — let’s hope I don’t get too homesick.

Stay tuned for more posts as I figure out this new world!

R.I.P iPhone (For Now)— Photo took with Samsung Galaxy 8 :(

Kevin Griffin

Written by

User Experience Designer @DraftKings

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