Recent mobile device application
Recent usability studies of Nielsen Norman Group with touch phone users from US, UK, Australia, Netherlands, etc., revealed 38% average failure rate of mobile sites and 26% failure for mobile apps. It is twice as hard to understand content on small devices as it is on desktop screens.
The problems faced by mobile users is related to the following factors:
- Limited screen size
- Navigation and data entry restrictions
- Slow download time: getting to the next screen takes long time even with a 3G service, and
- Mis-designed sites and applications: they are optimized for desktop and not for mobile usability.
The challenge was how to present iFollow on small display because iFollow comprises dashboard that requires large display.
The user interface design process involves cognitive task analysis, usability tests of existing mobile application (for example, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. ) sketches of iFollow mobile user interface, and iterative testing.
The main challenges that have been taken into consideration by it’s usability team are:
- Small screen means less information can be display
- It takes longer time to enter text because of data entry is done without a physical keyboard.
Thus, the mobile UI design is based on task analysis, iterative approach, best practices, and usability guidelines for mobile applications.
The main screen displays the information important for user to know the situation. User can see the list of tasks, their statuses, assigned people, last activities for the tasks, and the number of past due tasks.
Task details are displayed on the secondary screen. In this screen user can also edit the task. In the main screen user can select the button “More” and do other activities, such as filtering the task by statuses or by assigned people.