is mobile really necessary?

Is mobile really necessary?Aaron Tay & Tiffini Travis

#mbusability and #wlic2011

Trends in mobileTrendspotting

One billion smartphone users by 201365% of teen mobile users access the internet

40% watching videos on their phone

87% of blacks and Hispanics own a cell phone

Pew Research, 2010

“they take advantage of a much wider array of their phones’ data functions

compared to white cell phone owners”

The question is not is it necessary

Dean groom "Romantic Dinner"

What's the best way to

design it

Dean groom no cell phones

Usability testing is a tool to discover if users are using the

site as it was intended or if they use it in unanticipated ways

Danielle BeckerOnline June/July 2011

mobile usabilityPast findings

Mobile activity is secondary

Users consult sites for quick information

Reading comprehension is diminished in mobile format

Make an app instead of a mobile friendly site

Kreueger, M. Clickz.com

mobile usability problems Past findings

Making it difficult to touch and manipulate

Trying to do too much

When it comes to copy, short is too long.

Kreueger, M. Clickz.com

mobile library usersPast findings

55% were in favour of being able to use the catalogue with their mobile phones (Mills,

2009)

University of Edinburgh survey of users search library catalogue was reported by users

as the 2nd most popular activity on their mobile phones next to check library opening

hours (Paterson, 2010).

users are likely to use their mobile phones to get “quick hits of data” only 10% were

reading academic content on their mobile (CDL 2010).

53% said they would like to search mobile databases from their mobile either “frequently”

or “occasionally” (CDL 2010)

3Heuristic evaluationPaper testsTask oriented usability testing with users

Types usability testing

Heuristic evaluation is a good method for finding both major and minor problems in a user interface.

the probability for finding a given major usability problem at 42 percent on the average for single evaluators in six case studies (Nielsen 1992).

The corresponding probability for finding a given minor problem was only 32 percent.

Heuristic evaluation

ResearchQuestionResearch

QuestionResearch

Question

RESARCHQUESTION

RESEARCH

RQ1: What are the most popular features included in mobile databases?

RQ2: How well do students navigate mobile databases to find information?

RQ3: What are student attitudes towards using mobile library websites and databases?

Methodology Develop a heuristic checklist for mobile library site usability

Develop modified heuristic for library databases- mainly context/scope

Conduct usability testing of two library sites and two database sites

Methodology Examined 13 mobile and app data bases for interface design

Examined 40 library mobile sites

Extensive literature review of library and mobile usability

3Interface designUser characteristicsContent/purpose

Heuristic Categories

64% success rate when specifically designed for

mobile devices Neilsen Mobile Usability

53% success rate for mobile use of sites

Interface Design:the basic characteristics needed for users to navigate the site, formatted for major mobile devices, load time, designed consistently and easily learned so it is familiar upon many visits. For libraries, which are notorious for horrible site design, the lack of physical space on a mobile interface is a blessing. Very few pages we examined had too many links or text to space ratio.

81% Browse the Internet

77% Search the Internet

88% Take action within a day

95% Look for local information

User Characteristics

Another element of design is making sure your users can use the site. intuitive labeling of links, learnability, predictability, uses clear and concise language and minimize the user error. The error rate of formal usability testing with users is a key indicator of the need to revise site design.

"There is no future for providing

mobile access on smart phones to

traditional library content in digital

form: electronic articles and ebooks"

Kosternetworkedblogs.com 2011

Content/ Purpose

This last element is extremely important for libraries as it directly relates to what we do: provide content. As mobile learning is increasingly the buzz in higher education, the library needs to be ready and able to provide access to all the content that can be converted to mobile format.

Part one results Interface design


Linked from home page?

Fits multiple formats?

Visual display?

Navigation?

Part one results User characteristics

Part one results User characteristics

Jargon free?

Users needs?

User feedback?

Task difficulty?

User attitudes

Part one results Content/scope


Sufficient help?

Contact info?

Basic info?

Variety of links to mobile friendly

content?


Full citation on first page ?

Links to articles are mobile friendly

Help screens/feedback?

Easily sent to PC?

Heuristic results

All had Basic services100% displayed on avg screen size 50% link from home page30% had auto-direct 50% link to full site 90% linked to library catalog30% offer option for feedback from users

Implications

• Mobile library sites are including access to additional content beyond basic services

• Most prevalent interface includes icons and labelled links

• Research indicates there is a wide variance on user preference for content on mobile library sites

Next steps

• Task-based usability testing with undergraduate students

• Compare heuristic analysis with actual results

Selected referencesBecker, D. (2011)Test-driving your website. Online, 38-41.

Griggs, K., Bridges, L.M., Rempel, H.G. (2009). library/mobile: Tips on designing and developing mobile web sites. Code4Li Journal

Heo, J., Ham, D., Park, S., Song, C., & Yoon, W. (2009). A framework for evaluating the usability of mobile phones based on multi-level, hierarchical model of usability factors. Interacting with Computers, 21(4), 263-275. doi:10.1016/j.intcom.2009.05.006

Ji, Y., Park, J., Lee, C., & Yun, M. (2006). A Usability Checklist for the Usability Evaluation of Mobile Phone User Interface. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 20(3), 207-231. doi:10.1207/s15327590ijhc2003_3

Kreuger, M. (august 2011) Jakob Neilsen on usability for mobile sites and apps. Retrieved from clickz.com

Mills, K. (2009) M-Libraries: information use on the move. Available: http://arcadiaproject.lib.cam.ac.uk/docs/M-Libraries_report.pdf

Selected referencesNielsen, J. (2005). Ten Usability Heuristics. Retrieved Aug 1, 2011, from http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html

Nielsen, J. (2009). Mobile Usability. Retrieved Aug 1, 2001, from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/mobile-usability.html

Paterson, L. & Low, B. (2011) "Student attitudes towards mobile library services for Smartphones", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 29

Pew Research. (2010). Mobile Acess 2010. Retrieved Aug 1, 2011, from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Mobile-Access-2010/Summary-of-Findings.aspx

Tay, C. H. A. (2010). What are mobile friendly library sites offering? A survey. Musings about Librarianship Retrieved Aug 1, 2011, from http://musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com/2010/04/comparison-of-40-mobile-library-sites.html

Travis, T. & Elaina Norlin (2002). Testing the competition: Usability of commercial information sites with academic library websites. College & Research Libraries 433-448.

Tiffini Travis [email protected]

Twitter: @Mojo_GirlInfo: www.csulb.edu/~ttravis

Aaron Tay [email protected]: @aarontayBlog:musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com

Paper: Iflatravis.blogspot.com

is mobile really necessary?

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