SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY New Mobile Applications - A User-Centred Approach Marko Nieminen Professor of User Interfaces and Usability (acting) Software Business and Engineering Laboratory Helsinki University of Technology

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Structure of the Presentation 1. Intro: mobile applications 2. Quick basics about usability 3. Characteristics of mobile applications/mobility 4. Some methods for focusing to user-centred issues in the development of new applications

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Intro: example

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY HUT Library: New Mobile Applications (Maijala 2003)  HUT main library was the first library in Finland that has utilised mobile applications/services in library related activities: 95% of customers a own mobile phone.  Currently 8 SMS based applications and 1300 registered users  1) Due date reminder (250/week), 2) Renewal of borrowed books, 3) Book arrival notice, 4) Checking of (own) currently borrowed books, 5) Checking of availability of a book with ISBN number, 6) Feedback/question channel to library, 7) Announcement of the new Science Online journal, 8) Payment of fine of books that are late  In the future more interactivity with interactive GPRS/WAP  Utility: automated activity, little maintenance/support; users feel that they are served well  BUT: removal of unused services will eventually take place

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Problems/pitfalls?  Usability of mobile applications depends on several factors  Devices  input/output technology: non-standard keyboards, small and different displays  User Interface structure  somewhat device dependent  task/goal fit  Users’ Skills  ability to use both the device and the application/service

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Usability: A Quick Walkthrough of Basic Concepts

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Usability (Nielsen 1993) System Acceptability Social Acceptability Practical Acceptability Price Compatibility Reliability etc. Utility Functional and Organisational Utility Usability Learnability Effective to use Easy to remember Few Errors Subjectively pleasant

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Usability: ISO user task equipment environment product Context of use goals effectiveness efficiency satisfaction Usability measures Usability: extent to which goals are achieved with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction Outcome of interaction

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Structure of Interaction (see Norman 1986) Mental Models - Background knowledge - Experience Evaluation Goals Execution Physical system, state and environment Perception Interpretation Evaluation Intentions Action specification Execution of actions System Model - functionality Marko Nieminen Helsinki University of Technology

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Characteristics of Mobile Applications

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Mobile Contexts of Use - MOBIX  A currently ongoing research project at SoberIT/HUT  the topic appeared to be a very complex and many-sided  no finalised conclusions yet available; some initial, though  Focus in the development of  a framework for modelling mobile contexts of use  a conceptual model of important socio-spatial factors (”attributes”, ”parameters”) that need to be considered in the development of mobile applications  indexEN.html indexEN.html

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY We Need to Consider... (Dix & al. 1998)  Place/position vs. surroundings  Placement & motion of the objects*  Possibility for interaction/communication between objects  Awareness of other objects and their state *objects may be technical components (devices, applications) or human beings

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Mobility / Mobile Applications  Enable people to utilise (dynamic) information without the restriction of being in a specific location  Enable moving: No need for ”using while moving” but ”using in different places”; transitions between places are important  Applications enable the use of timely (”real-time”, ”awareness”) information; (instant/almost real-time) communication is important  Context, state & timeline (”process/activity path”) more important than with traditional applications Seem to require more thorough user/context/situation modelling than traditional work-related applications

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Communication/Collaboration Aspect  Mobile communication adds to the applications and services that provide collaborative functions  Web-based communities and collaboration environments may utilise the mobile aspect BUT not in all features:  Mobile services may be a subset or an extension to the base functionality in the web portal  Collaboration itself is a complex issue

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Supporting User-Centred Development Methodology

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Usability Engineering (Wixon & Wilson 1997) A process for defining, measuring and thereby improving the usability of products.

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Usability Design

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Detect the User! (and user groups/segments) If your application is supposed to be useful, somebody is going to use it! Detect, select and describe the users!

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Task Analysis (Booth 1989) For each important task: TASK INTRINSICS  Task identifier  Inputs and outputs  Transformational process  Operational procedures & patterns  Planning, decision points, problem solving  Terminology  Equipment TASK DEPENDENCY AND CRITICALITY  Dependency on other tasks & systems  Concurrent effects  Criticality of tasks (linked to dependency) CURRENT USER PROBLEMS PERFORMANCE CRITERIA  Speed, Accuracy, Quality TASK CRITERIA  Sequence, frequency & importance of actions  Functional relationships between actions  Availability of functions  Flexibility of operation USER DISCRETION  Can the user control or determine pace, priority & procedure? TASK DEMANDS  Physical, Perceptual, Cognitive, Environmental  Health and safety requirements GOALS Identify goals and list important supporting tasks

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Situational Analysis (see Booth 1989) EQUIPMENT (what equipment)  does not meet performance criteria  does not meet specification  fails SURROUNDINGS  Physical environment  Social environment  Changes in surroundings POLICY  Changing laws, rules, standards, guidelines AVAILABILITY  missing data  missing materials  missing personnel  missing support OVERLOADS  too many people/machines using resource  too much data, information, materials, etc. INTERRUPTIONS  process breakdown  things missed/forgotten  restart required

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Question Summary  Who are the users of the application?  What are the users’ positions/titles? What are the users’ names?  Where is the application used?  What/who is the the user or organisation? In what environment is the product being used?  What do users want/need to do and achieve?  What goals do the users have?  In what situation is the product used?  What happens in a typical use situation? How do things evolve? In what stages of the task is the product being used? What other steps (than using the product) take place in the use situation? What is the most common situation?  What information are needed when using the product?  Experience? Training? What information are NOT needed?  How should the product serve the user in the use situation?

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Usability Evaluation

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Usability testing  Observation test  Real  tasks  users  Real environment or laboratory  Method: Thinking aloud Videotaping Picture from: “Prosessinohjauksen uusien työkalujen käytettävyys ja käyttäjien osallistuminen suunnitteluun” (Paunonen 2000)

SoberIT Software Business and Engineering Institute HELSINKI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Feedback/Follow-up  On the responsibility of the developer/service provider  Process: how to manage  How to react?  How to improve?  Mobile / server based applications make it a bit easier to follow the utilisation of the features via e.g. statistics.