Digital tools offer many advantages over traditional paper methods, but paper is generally preferred for its convenience. Apple’s iPad offers a form factor and interaction model which is more convenient than PCs for some tasks allowing it to challenge paper methods and realize the full benefits of digital tools.
Since April of 2011 I have been substituting paper and PC tasks for iPad tools on many UX activities in my position as an Interaction Designer. I found that the iPad offers a viable alternative for many UX tasks and has become my preferred method for some. Other tasks are more effective using paper or software in a PC environment. This session will summarize these experiences, report survey results of iPad usage by UX professionals and compare the advantages and disadvantages of paper, PCs and the iPad.
3. Benefits of Digital
• Editable
• Reusable elements
• Searchable
• Professional looking artifacts
• Compact
• Creates a record
• Expands your brain
• Easy to share
• Green
4. The Tasks
• Take notes
• Sketch
• Create prototypes
• Create flow diagrams
• Create affinity diagrams
• Read UX books and articles
5. Survey
• 44 UX Pros
• 36% have an iPad
• 5/2/11 - 5/6/11
• SurveyMonkey
• iPad only tablet studied
• Whiteboard = Paper
46. Rock (PC) is good for...
• "Note taking - quick typing"
• "Prototypes and flowcharts, as they are more complex
in nature and need complex software to support/
update"
• "Detail design work and complicated design. It is
easier to make changes and to keep the design clean"
• "Where you need to reuse elements a lot"
• "When I want to show my work to senior
management… share my work with remote teams"
47. Paper is good for...
• "Early diagrams and sketches... because they allow you to
create your concepts on the fly without having to struggle
with software"
• "Things that need to be fast, easily discardable /
changeable"
• "Flow diagrams, prototyping... general analysis. You can get
your ideas down much more quickly in a format that can be
viewed... by many - allows for better collaboration"
• "Anything collaborative... all participants can contribute on
equal ground"
• Reading long form text
48. iPad is good for...
• "Don't know"
• "Pretending that you are doing something profound when you
haven't a clue"
• Entertainment: Angry Birds, Netflix, Social Media
• "Sketching on site"
• "Note taking is great on iPad because it's always with me, and I
can transfer my notes to any computer"
• "Article reading... because I can squeeze it in while waiting for
meetings to start, on the couch, traveling, etc.
• "...a lot of potential on the research side of our work"
50. Thank you.
Michael Ryan
ryaninteractive@gmail.com
@ryaninteractive
51. Appendix: References
• Anderson, R. (2011). Review: Balsamiq Mockups. Dreaming in Javascript. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://
dreaminginjavascript.wordpress.com/2008/12/14/review-balsamiq-mockups/
• Ealanta, C. (2011). UX Australia – Wee notepad. Rook in the Garret's Blog. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://
rookinthegarret.wordpress.com/
• Glover, B. (2011). Affinity Diagrams. Fluid. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://wiki.fluidproject.org/display/fluid/Affinity
+Diagrams
• Gray, D., Brown, S., & Macanufo, J. (2010).Gamestorming: A playbook for innovators, rulebreakers, and
changemakers. Beijing: O'Reilly
• Paine, S. (2011). Baby Sees The iPad Magic. Flickr. Retrieved May 21, 2009, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/
umpcportal/4581962986/
• Rivera, J., Lin, M., & Ikiz, B. (2011). Paper Prototyping. Team 4. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://www.uxbooth.com/
blog/tools-for-sketching-user-experiences/
• Robb, J. (2011). Tools for Sketching User Experiences. UX Booth. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://
www.uxbooth.com/blog/tools-for-sketching-user-experiences/
• Seto, K. (2011). Sneak peak at our awesome iMockups template for subscribers. Endloop Blog. Retrieved May 7,
2011, from http://blog.endloop.ca/blog
• Sharps, L. (2011). Using OmniGraffle for iPad as a wireframing tool. The Omni Mouth. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from
http://www.omnigroup.com/blog/entry/using_omnigraffle_for_ipad_as_a_wireframing_tool_new_video_posted/
• Villamor, C. (2011). How to Create iPad Prototypes Using Keynote for iPad. Cvil.ly. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://
cvil.ly/2010/05/16/creating-ipad-prototypes-on-the-ipad/