Make sure your mobile design is useful, usable and used. Methods and frameworks for planning and executing your next mobile design research project. Presented at MOB'd UP, Mobile Design Uprising conference, in San Diego.
9. CONSIDER YOUR CONSTRAINTS
WHO WHAT
HOWWHERE
are your
participants?
should the study
take place?
should participants
interact with the design?
data do you need
to capture?
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
11. IS IT USEFUL?
Does this concept resonate with my users?
Does it solve a problem in their lives?
Can they understand what the product does?
Where are the delighters in my design? Where are the gaps?
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
12. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Document Camera
What It Is
Table top camera with adjustable stand.
Examples: HoverCam and IPEVO
Best For
Where to Use
paper tablet
in the lab
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
13. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Mobile Device Sled
What It Is
Camera that attaches to mobile device.
Examples: Noldus
Best For
Where to Use
digital phone
in the lab
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
14. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Device Screen Mirroring
What It Is
Wired or wireless connection between
device and monitor, mirroring device
screen. Example: Reflection
Best For
Where to Use
digital phone
in the lab
tablet
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
15. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Over-the-Shoulder Camera
What It Is
Position video camera behind the
participant, looking over their shoulder.
Example: Kodak PlaySport
Best For
Where to Use
digital phone
in the lab
tablet
in the field
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
16. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Emulators
What It Is
Displaying your design in a mobile
wrapper on a computer. Examples:
Screenfly and Mobile Phone Emulator.
Best For
Where to Use
digital phone
in the lab
tablet
remote
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
17. CASE STUDY: QuickBooks Tablet
Question. Do customers understand the
information architecture? Do the features and flow
make sense to them?
Who. Small business owners all over the country
that spend more than 70% of their time away from
the back office.
Prototype Fidelity. High-fi, not interactive.
Method. Static screen mock-ups shared remotely
over WebEx.
Outcome. Narrowed on visual design direction
and navigation flow for the app.
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
18. CASE STUDY: Mint for Financial Institutions
Question. What’s the best way to introduce the
features and benefits of the Mint personal finance
app within a mobile banking context?
Who. Mobile banking users
Prototype Fidelity. Hi-fidelity, interactive
Method. Amazon Mechanical Turk, Unbounce and
SurveyMonkey
Outcome. Team compared conversion rates and
qualitative feedback for different messages.
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
19. IS IT USABLE?
Can users navigate my design?
Does the task and information flow make sense?
Can users complete tasks in their real-world environment?
Is the design physically comfortable to use?
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
20. CONTEXT & MOBILE DESIGN
TABLET USAGESMARTPHONE USAGE
Google, The New Multiscreen World, 2012
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
21. FROM MOBILE CONTEXT TO MULTI-CONTEXT
DEVICE
ENVIRONMENT
TIME
ACTIVITY
INDIVIDUAL
LOCATION
SOCIAL Cennydd Bowles, Designing with Context
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
22. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Simulated Context
What It Is
Recreating the context in which the
product will be used
Best For
Where to Use
digital phone
in the lab
tabletpaper
in the field
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
23. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Mobile Eye-tracking
What It Is
A way to see where the users is looking
when interacting with a mobile device.
Example: Tobii
Best For
Where to Use
phone tabletdigital
in the lab
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
24. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Webcam Hug
What It Is
A way to view natural interaction with a
mobile device via webcam.
Best For
Where to Use
phone tablet
remote
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
25. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Wearable Cameras
What It Is
Hands-free, wearable camera that
streams live video. Example: Looxcie
Best For
Where to Use
phone tablet
remote
digital
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
26. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Mobile Recording Tools
What It Is
Apps that record screen, taps, audio,
and front-facing camera.
Examples: Magitest and UXRecorder
Best For
Where to Use
phone tablet
remote
digital
in the field
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
27. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Mobile Usability Tools
What It Is
Services that offer unmoderated, remote
mobile usability testing.
Example: UserZoom
Best For
Where to Use
phone tablet
remote
digital
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
28. CASE STUDY: QuickBooks Tablet
Question. How does this work in the field? Are
customers able to use it in the context of their
work?
Who. Small business owners all over the country
that spend more than 70% of their time away from
the back office.
Prototype Fidelity. High-fi, interactive.
Method. On-device prototype with simulated
context.
Outcome. Some features that customers loved in
the lab setting were now seen as undesirable in
context.
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
29. CASE STUDY: GoPayment
Question. How does this work in the field? Are
customers able to use it in the context of their
work?
Who. Small business owners accepting credit card
payments in the field.
Prototype Fidelity. High-fi, interactive.
Method. On-device prototype with real and
simulated context in the field.
Outcome. Many customers accepted payments
outside, and the color scheme made the app
difficult to see in bright sunlight.
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
30. IS IT USED?
How do people really use my product?
Do they use it the way I expected/intended?
Which features do they used most often?
How does their usage change over time?
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
31. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Mobile Analytics
What It Is
Real world, real time tap-tracking on
mobile devices. Examples: Adobe
SiteCatalyst and Apsalar.
Best For
Where to Use
phone tablet
remote
digital
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
32. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Mobile Surveys
What It Is
Services that deliver surveys on mobile
devices, triggered by time, location, or
task. Examples: OnePoint and
Luminosity.
Best For
Where to Use
phone tablet
remote
digital
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
33. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Mobile Diary Services
What It Is
Services that deliver diary-like tasks to
users over time a period of time.
Examples: Luminosity or Revelation.
Best For
Where to Use
phone tablet
remote
digital
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
34. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
Lightweight Diary Tools
What It Is
Various authoring apps and capabilities
that can be repurposed for diary use.
Examples: Evernote, Google Docs, SMS
Best For
Where to Use
phone tablet
remote
digital
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
35. CASE STUDY: Mobile Finance Lifestyle
Question. How do customers currently use their
phones in relation to financial tasks?
Who. Anyone with a bank account and a phone.
Method. Text and voicemail diary.
Outcome. Gained an understanding of when,
where, and how customers interact with financial
information on their phone.
Prototype Fidelity. In-market apps.
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
36. CASE STUDY: Mint for iPad
Question. How might customers interact with their
personal finances on a tablet and in a home
environment?
Who. Mint users.
Method. Analytics data and mobile diary study.
Outcome. Finance management is often a shared
activity done on the sofa, in front of the TV or in
bed at night. Team created an immersive iPad app
conducive to shared viewing and discussion.
Prototype Fidelity. Mint mobile, in-market app.
Katie Buettner & Julie GuinnMOB’d UP San Diego
38. SAMPLE CASE STUDY: PaperTrail Mobile
Question. How can we improve the app for the
next version? How are people actually using it?
Who. Small business owners who need to travel
frequently for their business .
Prototype Fidelity. In-market iPhone and Android
apps.
What. Quantitative feature usage data and
qualitative feedback. Need compelling quotes and
images to bring research findings to life for execs.
Product. Phone-based mileage tracking and
receipt capture and categorization.
MOB’d UP San Diego Katie Buettner & Julie Guinn