Mobile devices today come in different form factors – tablets, phones, watches, even televisions. We design our apps to adapt to these device affordances but we assume that each device has a fixed form factor and capability. What if you had a mobile device that could fold into a phone, open up as a book, fold out like a laptop or fold over like a tent? What new experiences can we design with dual screens and different device postures?

In this talk I’ll introduce you to the features and functionality available in the Microsoft Surface Duo and talk about how you can adapt your existing apps to leverage the power of flexible layouts that can span screens or adapt to user postures. We’ll look at how you can get started building apps for the device, and end by discussing ways in which we could rethink mobile user experiences with the emergence of new device modalities and affordances.

Presenters:

Nitya Narasimhan