Designing for the slow evening

Talas at 9 p.m., when every flat is on the same network.

Every app I design is tested at 9 p.m., not 9 a.m. In the evening the network in Talas is full and every screen loads twice as slowly. So:

• Text first, pictures later. The user can start reading while the photo is still coming.


• No spinner without a reason. Tell people what you're waiting for.


• Every button works offline and sends when the network comes back.

The test phone is a three-year-old model with a cracked screen, bought at the bazaar. It is the most honest member of the team.