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Tutorial #20: Handheld Usability: Designing, Prototyping, and Usability Testing Applications for Pagers, PDAs, and Mobile PhonesTuesday, July 9th, 8:30 AM - 5:00PMAudience:Intermediate, Manager/AdvocateAbstract:This tutorial presents UI design for handheld devices. It discusses how information architecture, paper prototyping, and usability testing are adapted for pagers, PDAs, and mobile phones. Attendees will work in teams to redesign, prototype, and test the usability of applications for a telephony-enabled Palm OS communicator.Product CategoryProduct Focus: Emerging InterfacesTopic CategoryUsability method implementation or adaptationTopic FocusInteraction design for handheld devices, Paper prototyping, Usability (lab) testingDurationFull DayLearning Objectives:The goal is to present challenges and strategies for designing user interfaces for handheld devices. A brief introduction to handheld device types and operating environments will set the stage for a more in-depth discussion and hands-on learning activities. Team activities center around UI design, information architecture, paper prototyping, and user testing. These exercises will focus on applying the skills and strategies learned to redesign applications for a Palm OS-enabled mobile telephone handset. WAP, i-mode, RIM OS, Motorola Wisdom, Windows CE/Pocket PC, and Symbian OS will also be introduced.Detailed Description and ScheduleWhile desktop computer user interfaces are well addressed in the press and literature, little attention has been given to handheld devices. Handheld devices include email pagers, PDAs, and mobile telephone handsets. This tutorial provides experienced user interface designers and usability specialists with the information resources and training needed to design, prototype, and test usability of applications that accommodate mobile users.Background of the Handheld Device Platform (90 minutes)The day begins by providing attendees with a fundamental understanding of handheld device user interface issues covering the following topics:
Mid-morning breakInformation Architecture in the Handheld Medium (90 minutes)After the midmorning break we spend some time discussing how generally used IA processes can be applied to the small display. Audience definition, task analysis, and information architecture will be presented. Site/Application structures will then be discussed, along with methods of documenting, issues of nomenclature, and navigation structures. The integration of voice communication (telephony) into a Palm OS device will be analyzed in an exercise using specific implementations as examples. Participants will map one of the telephony-enabled applications.LunchOnline and Paper Prototyping (approx. 90 minutes)This section will start with a discussion detailing major considerations of prototyping a handheld application including device differences, a survey of software tools available, and the pros and cons of different strategies. Based on the application map developed in the previous section, participants will again work together to redesign the UI and build a paper prototype. These exercises will build skill and confidence in paper prototyping, and provide material to be used in the final section of the tutorial.Mid-afternoon breakUser Testing of Handheld Devices (remainder of the day)Usability evaluation of handheld devices is presented in this section. A user testing lab setup for handheld devices is discussed, including issues related to developing a participant screener, tasks, data recording, and room/equipment setup. Variations of this structure are explored. The team will participate in developing and conducting a quick usability study of one of the team prototypes built in the previous section. The exercise will demonstrate handheld device paper prototype usability interview strategies. A group discussion will complete the tutorial.Description of Materials (Handouts)
Number of Participants40 maximumTutorial HistoryThis tutorial was previously given at UPA 2001 in Las Vegas. Significant modifications to this tutorial have been made based on attendee feedback and the presenters' further learning:
BACKGROUND OF PRESENTERSScott WeissPrincipal Usable Products Company Voice: 212.929.8599, ext. 11 Fax: 212.243.5703 Email: sweiss@usableproducts.com Scott Weiss, Principal and Founder of Usable Products Company, is an Information Architect. He worked in the software industry from 1989 to 1996 designing software and managing software projects. His former employers include Microsoft, Apple, Sybase, and Autodesk. Scott founded the Wireless Roundtable, an ad hoc group focused on usability guidelines for the wireless platform, www.wirelessroundtable.org. He is the Chair of the New York New Media Association's Special Interest Group on Design. Scott is currently finishing his first book, "Handheld Usability," to be published by John Wiley & Sons this Spring. Richard Martin Analyst Usable Products Company Voice: 212.929.8599, ext. 12 Fax: 212.243.5703 Email: rmartin@usableproducts.com Richard Martin is an Analyst with Usable Products Company. His responsibilities include usability analysis, video production, and information architecture. Richard was lead analyst for the Sprint PCS Wireless Web Usability Study (Fall 2000) and authored the Wireless Lexicon, a dictionary of user-oriented terms for the wireless platform. He joined Usable Products after completing coursework in Human Computer Interaction, Human Factors, Statistics, Cognitive Science, and Research Methodology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. |
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