PassKit offers a powerful platform for creating and distributing passes through Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. While PassKit allows for a high degree of customisation, there are certain limitations imposed by the Wallet platforms themselves when it comes to font selection, text size, and image placements.
In this article, we'll delve into the reasons behind these limitations and provide insights on how to best design your passes within these constraints.
Why Font, Text Size, and Image Placement Cannot Be Changed:
Consistency and User Experience:
Apple Wallet and Google Wallet provide a standardised user experience to ensure consistency across all passes. This includes the fonts, text sizes, and image size and placements to maintain a cohesive and recognisable visual identity.
A consistent design approach ensures that users can quickly identify passes and interact with them without confusion.
Branding and Aesthetics:
Apple Wallet and Google Wallet want to maintain a level of control over the appearance of passes to ensure that they align with their respective platform's branding and design guidelines.
By controlling font usage, text size, and image placements, the platforms can prevent misuse or designs that might compromise their user experience.
Accessibility:
Both platforms prioritise accessibility for all users, including those with visual impairments. By enforcing certain design limitations, they can ensure that passes remain readable and usable by a wide range of individuals.
Technical Constraints:
The passes are rendered dynamically on users' devices. To ensure efficient rendering and consistent appearance across various devices and screen sizes, the platforms impose limitations on font styles, sizes, and image placements.
Complex customisations could potentially lead to rendering issues or slow performance on certain devices.
Tips for Designing Passes Within the Constraints:
Follow Guidelines:
Familiarise yourself with Apple Wallet's Pass Design Guidelines and Google Wallet's Pass Design Guidelines. These documents provide insights into the recommended design practices and limitations for fonts, text size, and image placements.
Optimize Images:
While you can't freely adjust image placements, make sure the images you use fit well within the allowed space and are the correct size. Avoid using images with critical information close to the edges.
Brand Alignment:
Customise the pass's colours, logos, and other visual elements to align with your brand while adhering to the platform's guidelines.
Use Clear, Concise Text:
Due to limited text space, use concise and relevant information to convey the necessary details on your pass.
Test Across Devices:
Test your pass on various devices and screen sizes to ensure that it renders correctly and maintains its intended appearance.
Stay Updated:
Keep an eye on updates to platform guidelines, as they may evolve over time. Staying up-to-date will help you maintain compliance with the latest design standards.
While limitations on font selection, text size, and image size and placements may seem restrictive, they are in place to create a seamless, standardised experience for users of Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. By understanding and embracing these limitations, you can design passes that effectively convey information while maintaining a polished, user-friendly presentation