The DNA of webOS

As a webOS developer, focus on what is important to users. HP webOS is built on these key principles. Following these helps to ensure an effortless and engaging user experience for your app:

• Simple, effortless design...with a focus on enabling important features for users. The user interface design is focused on allowing users to accomplish their core activities with the minimal number of steps. Find the essence of your app and design it so that the essence is obvious to the user and its core activities are immediately accessible.

• Spatial metaphors ....with intuitive, familiar interactions that just make sense. webOS uses spatial metaphors to make interacting with the system feel familiar and natural. Users flick between different cards that represent different activities and drag panes to navigate through apps. Let users manipulate objects in your app directly using gestures so that managing activities feels easy and natural.

• Unobtrusive notifications....that don't take away the user's focus. Notifications are always visible, so users never miss a thing while working, playing, or relaxing with webOS apps. At the same time, a notification is discreet so that it doesn't disturb the user, and allows the user to decide when they want to act on the notifications.

• Synchronized data...makes it easier to find information with minimal navigation. Information from multiple sources and accounts is seamlessly integrated together. Users can discover and use information without opening multiple views. Use the power of webOS to harness data in your app into a single, coherent experience.

• Seamless multitasking...that allows different activities to be linked together effortlessly. Multitasking is built into the core of webOS. The device's Card view allows the user to effortlessly move between different activities when using their device, either within a single app or across multiple apps. Users are not constrained to following a linear path but can move concurrently between different activities when managing their daily lives.

• Protecting the user's data...so that apps are safe and reliable. Protecting the user's data is a fundamental need. Apps should automatically save data so that the user should never be fearful of losing their work even as a result of unexpected app closures. Users should be given sufficient warning for destructive actions that could erase data irreversibly. When tasking away from an app, the app should save state so that the user can carry on from where they left when they return to the card.