Getting started with designing Android apps

Students have asked a few times about how to beef up their design skills for Android apps. It's something we hope to offer more of in the future, but until then, here's a quick rundown of some things that might help Android developers think a little more like Android designers. I am by no means a designer, but I've learned a few basic things that at least allow me to make things presentable.

I recently wrote two small blog posts on design inspiration, so check those out:

• http://blog.teamtreehouse.com/android-design-inspiration
• http://blog.teamtreehouse.com/five-android-interfaces-really-work

We also have a course on mobile app design for iPhone that might be helpful. Even though it's design-heavy and for iOS, some of the principles still apply for Android:

• http://teamtreehouse.com/library/mobile-app-design-for-ios

Lastly, I know this sounds boring, but the official Android documentation is actually pretty good on design. Here's the current design stuff as well as a big overview of the new Material Design from Android L. Try to read a page or section at a time (and it's okay to skim!):

• http://developer.android.com/design/index.html
• http://www.google.com/design/spec/material-design/introduction.html

Colors

From the Material Design docs, check out this color palette, too:

• http://www.google.com/design/spec/style/color.html#color-ui-color-palette

Keep practicing and take time to notice things you like in other apps, then try to implement them in your own apps. And don't forget, the open source community can be a great resource for design assets, too!