Hi Nelson,
There are many different design patterns that can be applied to Android development. For example, the "Android Interaction Design Patterns" website (
http://unitid.nl/androidpatterns/) focuses on various interaction design patterns (e.g., navigation) that can help you with the design process.
The Android learning curve is somewhat steeper than for ordinary Java. For example, you may find the XML-based layouts (e.g., RelativeLayout) to be challenging at first. One reason is that there are new concepts to learn (e.g., the android:gravity attribute). The event-based callback architecture of an activity may also take some getting used to at first. Finally, designing for devices with various screen sizes and resolutions is another challenge. However, persistence will pay off and you'll overcome these challenges.
You might want to obtain a free copy of Appendix C "Getting Started with Android", which is a 96-page PDF file that I created for this book. You can obtain this file by going to my book's Apress web page (
http://www.apress.com/9781430264545), clicking the Source Code/Downloads tab (lower down on the page), and downloading/unzipping 9781430264545.zip, which contains the book's code and this PDF file.
Appendix C is divided into three parts:
1) Download and install Android software, create virtual device, start and explore this device.
2) Learn basic architecture concepts (e.g., activity architecture and resources).
3) Explore and build three Android apps, from HelloWorld to an app that displays planet images and statistics. These apps demonstrate various concepts presented in the book.
All the best.
Jeff