Research Techniques for Mobile Design

MOB’d UUUP KATIE BUETTNER & JULIE GUINN

MOBILE DESIGN: USEFUL USABLE & USED

Katie Buettner & Julie Guinn @ktrex @julieaguinn

WHAT ARE WE DOING TODAY?

HANDS-ON ACTIVITY CASE STUDIES PRESENTATION

Katie Buettner & Julie Guinn MOB’d UP San Diego

PLANNING MOBILE RESEARCH

BEGIN WITH YOUR QUESTION


BEGIN WITH YOUR QUESTION

USEFUL?

USABLE?

USED?

Is my design

Is my design

How is my design


CONSIDER YOUR CONSTRAINTS


CONSIDER YOUR CONSTRAINTS

WHO WHAT

HOW WHERE

are your "participants?

should the study take place?

should participants interact with the design?

data do you need to capture?


MOBILE RESEARCH METHODS

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?


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



Mobile Device Sled!What It Is!

Camera that attaches to mobile device. Examples: Noldus

Best For!

Where to Use!

digital phone

in the lab



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



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



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


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.


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.


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?


CONTEXT & MOBILE DESIGN

TABLET USAGE SMARTPHONE USAGE

Google, The New Multiscreen World, 2012 Katie Buettner & Julie Guinn MOB’d UP San Diego

FROM MOBILE CONTEXT TO MULTI-CONTEXT

DEVICE

ENVIRONMENT

TIME

ACTIVITY

INDIVIDUAL

LOCATION

SOCIAL Cennydd Bowles, Designing with Context



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



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



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



Wearable Cameras !What It Is!

Hands-free, wearable camera that streams live video. Example: Looxcie

Best For!

Where to Use!

phone tablet

remote

digital



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 fieldKatie Buettner & Julie Guinn MOB’d UP San Diego


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


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.


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.


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?



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



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



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



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


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.


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.


ACTIVITY!

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

THANK YOU! KATIE BUETTNER & JULIE GUINN