Sliding Layer
It works like this:
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After a certain trigger (button click, item selection, etc)
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A sticky container will slide from any side of the screen to a certain centered position in order to get the visual focus of the user. It’ll remain stuck to any of the side of the screens.
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This container shall be dismissible/closable by swiping it away or optionally by tapping in any empty space within it.
Use when
An accessory container to show extra information is needed and a new view / activity is too much or undesired interaction. Works best if the content in the layer is low in complexity.
The Good
- Easy to use
- Better interaction experience
- Context remains visible
The Bad
- When the content is too complex it might be overwhelming
- Ways to dismiss the layer might not be obvious without explanation
Examples
Google+
1 Google+ displays an icon for notifications in the actionbar
2 When tapped, a layer with notifications slides in from the right
3 The layer sticks to the right. It can be closed by swiping right, or tapping the notification icon again
Wunderlist
1 In Wunderlist, details for tasks can be opened by tapping the specific task
2 A sliding layer allows users to view and edit details for a new task
3 The layer can be dismissed by swiping it to the right
One Response to Sliding Layer
6 Wunderkinder just open-sourced a library to include this pattern very easily in your Android app:
https://github.com/6wunderkinder/android-sliding-layer-lib