The Mercury Blog

Thoughts, tips, and opinions from our 20+ year history. Never in retrograde.

Designing great streaming TV apps, Pt 2: Top or left navigation

In part two of our series on designing great streaming TV apps, we explore the pros and cons of top and left-hand main menu navigation.

Designing great streaming TV apps, Pt 1: Introduction

Because people often use several streaming TV apps across multiple platforms, design inconsistencies create an even greater strain on users.

Free Android and iOS app icon template for Sketch and Figma

A better Sketch and Figma app icon template that allows you to create, preview, and export both Android and iOS app icons quickly and easily.

Revisiting the iconography of Apple Maps

An updated examination of the point of interest (POI) icons in Apple Maps reviewing additions, subtractions, and revisions from iOS 8 to iOS 12.

Taking Apple TV screensavers to the next level

Concepts demonstrating what could be possible if Apple TV allowed custom interactive screensavers to be included with an installed app.

Android’s change of heart: Google adds bottom navigation to Material Design guidelines

Despite Google’s history of advising against bottom navigation, they recently added it to their material design guidelines as a primary navigation pattern.

Free iOS 9.3 iPhone UI kit for Illustrator and Sketch

The most complete, most up-to-date, most accurate, and most thoughtfully structured iOS 9 UI kit available for Illustrator and Sketch. Absolutely free!

Time goes by so slowly: Performance tips for Apple Watch apps

Some important early lessons we have learned about building Apple Watch apps.

More than you ever wanted to know about Apple’s Spotlight location icons

An in-depth look at Apple’s Spotlight and Maps icons along with an examination of the breadth and harmony of the set.

Turn those gray clouds blue: Common issues setting up Apple’s Family Sharing feature

Family Sharing makes the process of sharing content between family members easier and more robust, but it is still a somewhat complex feature to setup. Learn about some of the frustrations we encountered setting up Family Sharing along with a few workarounds.

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