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Add ios-launch-image-is-not-a-splashscreen

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Wesley Moore 2011-12-08 07:58:29 +11:00
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At work we're currently having an iOS app that I'm working on styled
by a designer. The second screen we were supplied was a pretty splash
screen with a big logo on it. We responded saying that we didn't want to
use Default.png like that. Our designer responded saying that was fine
but most clients were after TODO so he does one by default. This is
silly as it is not the intended use for the launch image.
Justin Williams recently had the following to say on the topic of splash
screens in his [On Magazines and the iPad][carpeaqua] article (emphasis
from the article):
> Remember, kids. The first rule of mobile development is that *no one
> gives a fuck about your brand*. A splash screen with a giant logo
> is something that makes editors and marketing directors feel good,
> but to a user it just feels like a meaningless delay. You know that
> feeling of frustration you get each time there’s a 15-second preroll
> before a video on the web? That’s what a splash screen with logos and
> advertisements is.
[carpeaqua]: http://carpeaqua.com/2011/12/04/on-magazines-and-the-ipad/
The Apple [iOS Human Interface Guidelines][MobileHIG] include the
following suggestions:
> Avoid taking space away from the content people care about. For
> example, displaying a second, persistent bar at the top of the screen
> that does nothing but display branding assets means that there’s less
> room for content. Consider other, less intrusive ways to display
> pervasive branding, such as subtly customizing the background of a
> screen.
> Display a launch image that closely resembles the first screen of the
> application. This practice decreases the perceived launch time of your
> application.
> Avoid displaying an About window or a splash screen. In general, try
> to avoid providing any type of startup experience that prevents people
> from using your application immediately.
> Supply a launch image to improve user experience.
>
> Avoid using your launch image as an opportunity to provide:
>
> * An "application entry experience," such as a splash screen
> * An About window
> * Branding elements, unless they are a static part of your
> application’s first screen
>
> Because users are likely to switch among applications frequently, you
> should make every effort to cut launch time to a minimum, and you
> should design a launch image that downplays the experience rather than
> drawing attention to it.
[MobileHIG]: http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/MobileHIG/MobileHIG.pdf
The launch image is designed to make the percieved launch time of you app
feel faster by showing something resembling the interface that will be loaded
as quickly as possible. Displaying a logo does nothing but draw attention
to how quickly your app loads and adds nothing to the user's experience.

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---
title: The iOS Launch Image is Not a Splash Screen
extra: Reasons why the lanuch image in iOS apps is not intended to be a splash screen with your pretty logo on it.
kind: article
section: technical
created_at: 2011-12-08 07:29:00
keywords:
- ios
- iphone
- ipad
- splash
- screen
- launch
- image