Remember: Fingers are bigger than mice
By and large, tablets have touch interfaces. This introduces a vast amount of new possibility, as touch is intrinsically easier to learn and promotes exploration and engagement. If designing a standalone application for a tablet, focus on smooth motion. Swipes are easier than pokes to select links or navigate through content on a page. Fingers are much larger than mice, and therefore it's essential that the tap area on the screen be around 40x40 pixels. Take some time to read the human interface guidelines for Apple, Android, and other platforms you're considering.
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Let go of pixel-perfect on some tablets
The current mobile landscape makes the late '90s browser and platform wars seem like a period of Zen tranquility. Between multiple devices, frequent releases of operating systems, and different form factors, it's very expensive and time consuming to create designs that are pixel-perfect on every application.
It's best to prioritize by platform, focusing on the most prominent ones, fixing the secondary sizes, and then cutting the cord when the user base is too small. This will not only ensure that the majority of your tablet users are getting what they need, but also that the team is not overworking on assets that will underperform.
Evan Gerber is VP of mobile user experience at Fidelity Investments.
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