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Two page design pattern

Leveraging the metaphor of a book, the two page pattern naturally tends to provide a book-like paging experience. You can use the natural boundary to show several items from a collection — like pages or pictures — which otherwise might have required the user to view one at a time.

Depending on your app, you could decide to paginate for two pages at once or advance one page at a time.

Diagram shows the two page design pattern.

Best practices

Here are some scenarios to help guide you when applying this design pattern:

Diagram shows two pages side-by-side, like a book, with no content under the hinge.

Do Don't
Use two screens to have two completely separate page views. Don't display the page across two screens passing under the hinge.

Diagram shows items on separate pages, not under the hinge.

Do Don't
Use two-page format to display actionable items for your onboarding/instructional content. Don't display actionable items across two screens passing under the hinge.

Diagram shows each individual page expanded to take up both screens in dual-landscape mode, where the user can see all content.

Do Don't
Display your content as a single page when the device is rotated into a double landscape. Don't lock the orientation of the device. Allow the user to rotate the device to view content with a larger screen.

Diagram shows a placeholder or other element on the second screen if no content exists.

Do Don't
Use an illustration or visual indicator on the second screen if your content only needs one screen. Don't span a single page across two screens to fill up the space.

Types of apps that may benefit from this pattern

  • Document oriented app
  • Apps with contents that are paginated
  • Apps made for reading
  • Apps with an itemized canvas, for example, notes, and art boards

Code examples

These projects show a simple implementation of the two page design pattern that you can use in your apps:

Next steps

Consider these other design patterns: