Many existing consumer wireless-applications were developed from the perspective of “it can be done” rather than “it needs to be done.
I can help you determine the difference.
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Wireless
Solutions
Issue addressed
“Is there sufficient perceived value in delivering this content for a WAP-enabled phone, given the way it would be delivered? How can we optimize the application to create a satisfying user experience?”
Your challenge: You want people to keep using your mobile application
The promise of wireless devices is that the user can receive and interact with information no matter where they are. On a typical mobile phone, the problems for the end-user are that:
- information latency and transmission is slow
- information must be crammed into an extremely small, monochromatic, low-resolution display area
- menus and information and must be navigated through a cumbersome input device.
However, technology does change rapidly, and the winners in the wireless game will be the ones who truly recognize that the value the wireless application promises must exceed the perceived cost and effort to the end user.
The most effective method for minimizing the risk of delivering a poor solution is not more opinions about design, but employing a fundamental User-Centered Design approach in your project that:
- determines the information and degree of interactivity users would find valuable within the restrictions of the available device and within the context of their usage in real world environments
- tests early designs and iterates the design if the usability and user-experience goals have not been met
- gathers key usability information from existing solutions to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
I provide user-centered requirements gathering and prioritization, usability lab testing, User-Centered Design reviews, field research, and User-Centered Design prototyping that can be tailored specifically for your wireless application project.
For more on usability in wireless applications, see the mbusinessdaily.com article
Testing the usability factor
Last update: May 07, 2002
(c) 2002 Don Hameluck Usability Consulting Inc.
