Using Mobile for Your Message: A Process and a Strategy for Mobile Web Development

Using Mobile for Your Message: A Process and a Strategy for Mobile Web Development Evan Donovan

Focus of this Presentation Key question: “I already have a web site / web content, and want to make it mobile- friendly. How can I best do that?” ◦ More of a Web-centric perspective, rather than a device-centric perspective ◦ Both are valid for different use cases ◦ We are focusing here on ministries with media they wish to share Providing entry points for further study, and a conceptual framework to evaluate what you learn ◦ …not to provide one definitive answer Providing a broad strategy for how to view your project

Our Experience Existing websites: ◦ UrbanMinistry.org – over 100,000 items of audio, video, and text content  Site uses Drupal CMS (PHP-based, themeable) ◦ ChristianVolunteering.org – directory of over 10,000 volunteer & missions opportunities  Written in JSP, using Struts framework (Java, hard-coded templates) 2 years ago: Developed iPhone and Android native apps with two functions: ◦ Browsing UrbanMinistry.org content, via a native web view element that embedded a mobile theme of the site ◦ Searching ChristianVolunteering opportunities Now: Working on a hybrid app that will allow us to have one codebase for both platforms, presenting same content Separately, I have also worked on several responsive design projects

About You: Quick Survey How many are app developers? How many are missions workers who have hired developers or are considering hiring them? Of developers, how many have developed a mobile app before? How many targeted a specific device? How many used HTML5 to build a cross- device web app? How many used responsive design? How many people have a separate mobile site? These options will be defined & discussed further on.

Mobile Web Development: An 8-Step Process Evaluation Maintenance Planning Assessment Development Release Design Testing Note: Development, Design, and Testing should be an iterative process (going on concurrently prior to release), but are represented as sequential here for simplicity in presenting.

Mobile Web Development: An 8-Step Process Evaluation Maintenance Planning Assessment Development Release Design TestingEvaluation: Should we use mobile?• Technology & Market Trends• Opportunity for Economic Development• Opportunity for the Church• Challenges of Mobile

Mobile Web Development: An 8-Step Process Evaluation Maintenance Planning Assessment Development Release Design TestingPlanning: How Will We Use Mobile?• 4 Criteria for Choosing an Approach: Intent, Audience, Resources, Sustainability• Scope of This Comparison: What is Favored & Why• 4 Broad Approaches: Web Site, HTML5 Web App, Hybrid App, Native App

Mobile Web Development: An 8-Step Process Evaluation Maintenance Planning Assessment Development Release Design TestingDevelopment: Building Your Mobile App• Initial Definitions• 3 Architectures: 2 Hybrid & 1 Web Site-Based• Caveats

Mobile Web Development: An 8-Step Process Evaluation Maintenance Planning Assessment Development Release Design TestingDesign: Making an App that Delights Users• Focus on the User’s Goals• Simple Navigation• Essential Graphics Only• Use Phone’s Features

Mobile Web Development: An 8-Step Process Evaluation Maintenance Planning Assessment Development Release Design TestingTesting: Ensuring a consistent, pleasurable, and successfulexperience• Cross-Device Testing• Usability Testing

Mobile Web Development: An 8-Step Process Evaluation Maintenance Planning Assessment Development Release Design Testing• Release: Getting Your App Out There

Mobile Web Development: An 8-Step Process Evaluation Maintenance Planning Assessment Development Release Design Testing• Release: Getting Your App Out There• Assessment: Evaluating Your App’s Impact

Mobile Web Development: An 8-Step Process Evaluation Maintenance Planning Assessment Development Release Design Testing• Release: Getting Your App Out There• Assessment: Evaluating Your App’s Success• Maintenance and New Development: Keeping usable, relevant, and fresh

Technology & Market Trends 1 Evaluation “We are now in the 5th major technology cycle of the past half century” (Mary Meeker) ◦ Mainframe -> Mini -> PC -> desktop Internet -> mobile Projected 26x growth in mobile use over next 5 years Around 80% of world’s population currently has a mobile phone Japan’s leading social network had more mobile views than desktop views in 2007 (5 years ago) Mobile is spurring a reimagining of nearly everything (convergence of mobile-local- social)

Opportunity for Economic Development 1 Evaluation  The Internet and mobile technology may prove to be “the most transformative technology for economic development of our time” (Jeffrey Sachs)  Half of Africa’s 1 billion population has a mobile phone  Landlines surpassed by mobiles worldwide in 2002. 2/3rds world didn’t have old phone infrastructure to replace.  Twice as many phone users in Mozambique as people with access to electric grid.  In India, government subsidies are now provided by cell phone. Throughout Africa cell phones used for payment.  Cell phones used as e-readers in Kenya

Opportunity for the Church 1 Evaluation  Mobile could be greatest opportunity for Christian media since radio  People live in a world that is “always on”, always social. But negative effects of popular culture are ever-present. We need to make Word of God just as readily available.  Our vision: Many media, many devices, many languages, one message

Challenges of Mobile 1 Evaluation Rapid development and change Lack of established “best practices” Multiplicity of devices one could target But…in light of opportunity, and threat if we don’t pursue this, we have to occupy this space

4 Criteria for Choosing 2 Planningan Approach: Intent Is your app more content-driven or task- driven? Content-driven: Engagement over a longer period of time, people consuming audio, video, or text Task-driven: Short bursts of engagement as people get something done in the moment and move on ◦ Examples:  Social: social networks, location-based apps, activity trackers  Utilities: calculators, planners, etc.

4 Criteria for Choosing 2 Planningan Approach: Audience Who are you attempting to reach with this project? Based on demographics, what type of mobile devices is that audience likely to use? ◦ US ◦ Smart phones equal to feature phones for first time in Feb. 2012 ◦ Of those, Android is 48% and iOS 32% ◦ 2/3rds world ◦ China, India, Indonesia at <10% smart phone penetration in early 2012 ◦ In late 2011, global smart phone penetration at 27% Conclusions: ◦ iPhone-only development limits your audience ◦ May want to target feature phones also if intended for use in developing world

4 Criteria for Choosing 2 Planningan Approach: Resources What you have available now – upfront cost “Iron Triangle” of project management – Time, Budget, Features Human resources also key: ◦ Are you hiring consultants/a firm to develop or are you going to do it in house? ◦ Do you have more designers or developers? ◦ What skills do they have that could be transferred into mobile development:  HTML  CSS  JS  Specific programming languages (PHP, Ruby, Java, etc.)

4 Criteria for Choosing 2 Planningan Approach: Sustainability What you will have available in the future – maintenance cost How much are you willing to invest in future development to stay up to date? Reasons for future development: ◦ New OS versions for mobile devices ◦ New mobile devices to target ◦ New interaction patterns (like touch) ◦ App development framework version changes ◦ New mobile best practices (like responsive design) ◦ New web standards (HTML5) ◦ New branding / goals for your app (keeping fresh & relevant)

Scope of This Comparison: 2 PlanningAssumptions Intent: Wanting to communicate a message = a content-driven app. Resources: ◦ Limited, but with existing website and in-house or contracted developers ◦ Developers know HTML, CSS, JS, and a programming language Sustainability: ◦ Willing to keep up to date with a framework ◦ Want to make use of web standards where possible  Advantage of open standards vs. closed specs for devices This is TechMission’s situation. Many Christian ministries may be similar.

Scope of This Comparison: 2 PlanningExcluded Options Native App Development without Using Web APIs or Pages ◦ Good for games, but not for content-driven app Adobe/Apache Flex (i.e., Flash for Mobile) ◦ Adobe now backs PhoneGap instead, since many devices (including iPhone) don’t have Flash Java-Based Frameworks Like Google Web Toolkit (GWT) ◦ Google may be deprecating this

4 Broad Approaches 2 Planningto Mobile DevelopmentDesigner- Developer-Oriented Oriented Mobile HTML5 Hybrid Native Web Mobile App App Site App

4 Approaches: Mobile Web Site - I 2 Planning A dedicated mobile site, either with separate URL, or redirected via device targeting ◦ The old way of getting your content mobile while leveraging existing investments ◦ Still used effectively by some (m.facebook.com) ◦ Has many challenges due to the number and variety of devices ◦ If you wish to use this approach, consider using a tool like DeviceAtlas (http://deviceatlas.com/) or WURFL (http://wurfl.sourceforge.net/) for handling the device detection

4 Approaches: Mobile Web Site - II 2 Planning Responsive Design – site layout changes with screen size, other capabilities ◦ Newer (since 2010) alternative to a dedicated mobile site ◦ Feature targeting, not device targeting (can be more reliable) ◦ Caveats:  Dedicated site may be better for featurephones, if needed  Responsive Design doesn’t necessarily cut down on bandwidth (important factor for mobile)

4 Approaches: HTML5 Mobile App 2 Planning Use a JS framework to implement mobile interaction patterns and UI Main alternatives: ◦ jQuery Mobile: Cross-browser app solution using HTML5 & jQuery ◦ jQ Touch: Similar but less capabilities; seems less commonly used Comparison: http://jquerybyexample.blogspot.com/2012/02/jqtouch- vs-jquery-mobile.html

4 Approaches: Hybrid App 2 Planning Use a cross-device development framework, and, optionally, a UI framework for the display layer Development Frameworks: ◦ PhoneGap ◦ AppAccelerator Titanium ◦ Comparison: http://www.universalmind.com/mindshare/entry/mobile-html5- phonegap-vs-appcelerator-titanium UI Frameworks: ◦ AppAccelerator Titanium ◦ Sencha Touch ◦ jQuery Mobile ◦ Comparison: http://operationproject.com/2011/adventures-in- html5-part-one/#.UABoofV0bac

4 Approaches: Native App 2 Planning Develop for a native platform (iOS, Android, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, etc.) ◦ May need to create multiple versions of the app ◦ Potentially these could require different programming languages True native feel & performance, but most time- consuming and developer-centric approach Can use web APIs to pull in data via JSON or XML and then render using native UI elements However, can also embed web pages. This is quicker, but makes your app essentially a wrapper around mobile Safari or whatever the browser is for your device.

4 Approaches: More Info 2 Planning Definitions of approaches: http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/7832- the-fight-gets-technical-mobile-apps-vs- mobile-sites Comparison chart: http://www.markus- falk.com/mobile-frameworks-comparison- chart/ ◦ Especially helpful if your requirements are known upfront (such as what language you can develop in)

Building Your Mobile App: 3 DevelopmentInitial Definitions Anatomy of an Client HTTP Request 1. Client 2. Server makes returns request response (HTTP GET) (HTML + JS, CSS) Server

Building Your Mobile App: 3 DevelopmentInitial Definitions Model-View-1. HTTP GET Client Controller (MVC) request Architecture2. Request dispatched to 4. Data is Controller returned from3. Controller Database handles by 5. Data rendered requesting into View data from 6. View returned Database via to client as Model HTML Web Server Application Controller View Layer Server Model Database

Architecture 1: PhoneGap + Sencha Touch 3 Development  Advantages: ◦ More native app feel ◦ Yet don’t have to write code for specific devices ◦ Can leverage content of site (if site provides content via JSON API)  Disadvantages: ◦ Resources:  Need a developer familiar with Javascript  Initial learning curve of framework (more like Java than regular Javascript) ◦ Sustainability:  Lock-in to Sencha APIs  No direct use of HTML5

Architecture 1: PhoneGap + Sencha Touch 3 Development Phone1. Link/button Client PhoneGap JS 4. Sends JSON pressed, with response corresponding Sencha Touch JS 5. Sencha Touch (View) URL code in app2. HTTP request parses and from app renders into3. Server HTML receives, 6. HTML dispatches, displayed on queries device Web Server Controller Application Layer Server Model Database

Architecture 2:PhoneGap + jQuery Mobile from Site 3 Development  Advantages: ◦ Don’t have to write code for specific devices ◦ Can leverage content of site ◦ jQuery Mobile uses web standards (HTML, CSS, JS) as its base  Disadvantages:  A bit of a hybrid feel, as header/footer may look native, but elements embedded in middle of page may not look as native  May need some custom development in order to get site to serve HTML snippets that can be embedded in jQuery Mobile, or to have a jQuery Mobile theme (if using a CMS)

Architecture 2:PhoneGap + jQuery Mobile from Site 3 Development Phone1. Link/button Client PhoneGap JS 4. Sends HTML pressed, with snippet corresponding URL jQuery Mobile response Base (View)2. jQuery Mobile 5. jQuery Mobile intercepts to receives AJAX make it an AJAX response of request (no HTML snippet, page reload) replaces3. HTTP request contents of from app4. Server receives, main <div> dispatches, queries Web Server Controller HTML Snippet Controller Application (View) Layer Server Model Database

Architecture 3:Responsive Design Website 3 Development  Advantages: ◦ Don’t have to write code for specific devices ◦ Can leverage content of site ◦ Make use of web standards and common web development practices (with some modification) ◦ Redesigns are achievable more rapidly than with app development  Disadvantages: ◦ Will follow web conventions largely, so won’t look as much like ◦ HTML5 (and CSS3) is a standard in progress (so check what is supported) ◦ No app store to act as a distribution mechanism, will display in the browser ◦ May be some limitations to the site that would make some mobile viewers wish to be able to see the “full site”  This may be possible through a special link to it ◦ Sometimes laggy performance if hidden images, large images, etc. are downloaded

Architecture 3:Responsive Design Website 3 Development  How It Works: ◦ Standard HTTP request model (since it is a regular website) ◦ Add Media Queries to the theme/template for site to target specific devices based on screen width  Use flexible grid system in CSS to make adjusting layout easier  Targeting approaches: ◦ Original method: set defaults for large screens and then override for small ◦ Mobile-first: design first for small screens, then scale up ◦ Incorporate a means of making images scale dynamically ◦ Often use a JS library like Modernizer for feature detection ◦ Often use a dynamic stylesheet language like LESS to simplify writing CSS

4 Key Principles of Mobile UX Design 4 Design  Focus on User’s Goals  Simple Navigation  Essential Graphics Only  Use Phone’s Features

2 Types of Testing Needed 5 Testing  Cross-device Testing: to ensure sufficiently consistent experience ◦ Emulators ◦ Both Android & iPhone (if targeting them) ◦ Opera Mini  Usability Testing: to ensure successful & pleasurable experience for users ◦ Formal or informal, depending on budget ◦ Lab vs. field testing: main difficult is recording ◦ Task success rates: feature phones 38%, smartphones 55%, touch phones 75% (Jakob Nielsen, 2011)  Compare to 78% success rate for websites on desktop in 2010  Note: Automated checklists don’t give very accurate results

2 Alternatives for Releasing App 6 Release  Native App/Hybrid App: App Store or Marketplace ◦ Uses standard distribution mechanism for the device ◦ Advantages:  App store provides monetization, marketing channel  Will have icon for launching app ◦ Disadvantages:  Time to go through approval process  Need to comply with terms  Responsive Site/Mobile Site: No phone-integrated system ◦ Launch & market like a normal website ◦ Advantages:  Quicker release  No external constraints on development or content ◦ Disadvantages:  Don’t have app store for marketing channel  Monetization would have to be of website itself ◦ Note: Some devices allow users to create an icon for a website  But would users actually do that?

Evaluating Your App’s Success 7 Assessment  What to Assess ◦ Usefulness ◦ Appeal ◦ Reach ◦ Impact  How to Assess ◦ Analytics  Google Analytics  Flurry (part of app) ◦ Talking to People ◦ Other means?

Keeping Up with Change 8 Maintenance & New Development  Change is inevitable; expect to have to do new development eventually ◦ Timeframe may be dependent on your audience, chosen platform, and organizational priorities  Practice user-centered design: Listen & give your users what they want  The cycle begins again…

Appendix:Sources & Additional Information

Technology & Market Trends “5th major technology cycle”: Mary Meeker quoted in http://buytaert.net/files/state-of-drupal-march-2012.pdf 2010 inflection point - http://www.slideshare.net/kleinerperkins/kpcb-top-10-mobile- trends-feb-2011, slide 7 26x growth - http://www.slideshare.net/kleinerperkins/kpcb-top- 10-mobile-trends-feb-2011, slide 20 80% world’s population - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_mo bile_phones_in_use Japan’s social network > mobile than desktop - http://www.businessinsider.com/mary-meekers-web-2010-11, slide 11 Reimagination of nearly everything - http://www.slideshare.net/kleinerperkins/kpcb-internet-trends- 2012, slides 29 & following Demographics - http://www.icharts.net/chartchannel/chart/2011/well-defined- demographic-profile-apps-users

Opportunity for Economic Development “Most transformative technology” - http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2008/08/the-internet- ce.html Half of Africa’s population - http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jul/24/mobile-phones-africa- microfinance-farming map of mobile phones per 100 people, 2009 - http://lebanese-economy- forum.com/wdi-gdf-advanced-data-display/?curve=IT-CEL-SETS-P2 more recent stats at http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/med_mob_pho- media-mobile-phones Landlines surpassed by mobiles in 2002 - http://www.slideshare.net/kleinerperkins/kpcb-internet-trends-2012, slide 30 Number of phone users in Mozambique - http://www.audiencescapes.org/country-profiles/mozambique-who-and-what- mobile-phone-market-mozambique-mcel-vodacom-SMS-tariff-profile Government subsidies by cell phone - http://www.slideshare.net/kleinerperkins/kpcb-internet-trends-2012, slide 79 Used as e-readers in Kenya - http://www.t-g.com/story/1835756.html

Opportunity for the Church Mobile outreach strategies: http://www.internetevangelismday.com/mobi le-outreach.php Little Phone that Could (stories from Africa): http://www.ijfm.org/PDFs_IJFM/27_3_PDFs/ mobile_williams.pdf Mobile/local/social as part of “bridge strategy”: http://thegraymatrix.info/index.php?page=2 0 Lausanne report: http://www.lausanneworldpulse.com/worldreport s/735/06-2007

Challenges of Mobile Multiplicity of devices: ◦ Browser capability matrix: http://jquerymobile.com/gbs/ ◦ Comparison of capabilities: http://www.quirksmode.org/m/table.html ◦ List of user agent strings: http://www.useragentstring.com/pages/Mobile %20Browserlist/

Smartphone vs. Feature Phone Smartphones equal to feature phones in US - http://www.slashgear.com/nielsen-first-time-smartphone- and-feature-phone-usage-equal-30220760/ Penetration in developing countries - http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/01/facebooks-mobile- future-rests-on-todays-feature-phone-users/ Global smartphone penetration - http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/28/its-still-a-feature- phone-world-global-smartphone-penetration-at-27/ 5 year prediction for Africa - http://techcrunch.com/2012/06/09/feature-phones-are- not-the-future/ Opera developing for feature phones still - http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/smartphon es-proliferate-but-opera-browser-still-sees-opportunity-in- feature-phones.php

Comparisons of Sencha Touch & jQuery Mobile http://www.sencha.com/forum/showthrea d.php?197720-Sencha-Touch-2-vs.- jQuery-Mobile-PhoneGap http://jquerybyexample.blogspot.com/2 012/02/jqtouch-vs-sencha-touch-vs- jquery.html http://mhorner.blogspot.com/2012/02/s encha-touch-vs-jquery-mobile-high.html http://cfc.kizzx2.com/index.php/sencha- touch-vs-jquery-mobile-a-first-look/

Native App vs. Hybrid App http://www.worklight.com/assets/files/H TML5,%20Hybrid%20or%20Native%20 Mobile%20App%20Development.pdf http://buildmobile.com/native-hybrid-or- web-apps/

Responsive Design Starter for responsive design - Bootstrap.js (from Twitter): http://twitter.github.com/bootstrap/index.html Overview of responsive design: http://www.lullabot.com/articles/responsive-adaptive-web- design Original article introducing responsive design: http://www.alistapart.com/articles/responsive-web-design/ Critique of that article: http://blog.cloudfour.com/css-media- query-for-mobile-is-fools-gold/ (somewhat outdated now) Original article on mobile-first design: http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?933 Comparison between mobile-first and general responsive design: http://blog.cloudfour.com/where-are-the-mobile-first- responsive-web-designs/ Tutorial on mobile-first design: http://www.html5rocks.com/en/mobile/responsivedesign/ Gallery of sites using responsive design: http://mediaqueri.es/

Mobile UX Principles Mobile Design - Special UX Considerations: http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2 011/01/designing-for-the-mobile-web- special-considerations.php UX - 10 Ways Mobile Sites Differ From Traditional Websites - http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2 011/03/10-ways-mobile-sites-are- different-from-desktop-web-sites.php Design for Mobile Experience: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/forrester/wha t-design-for-mobile-first-really-means/867

Testing List of emulators - http://www.themobilewebdesignblog.com/20 11/11/26/best-mobile-emulators-responsivedesign-testing-tools/ Intro to mobile usability testing - http://www.slideshare.net/beleniq/diy- mobile-usability-testing-ia-summit-2011 More on mobile usability testing - http://www.slideshare.net/barbaraballard/mo bile-usability-testing Building a testing sled - http://shortboredsurfer.com/2011/09/making -a-mobile-usability-testing-sled-the- macgyver-way/

Mobile Analytics http://mobile.tutsplus.com/articles/marke ting/7-solutions-for-tracking-mobile- analytics/ https://developers.google.com/mobile/ articles/analytics_end_to_end

Technical Browser Issues Explanation of what is happening when you embed a browser inside your app & platform differences - http://www.mobilexweb.com/blog/axis-opera-mini- alternative-browsers-iphone-ipad Comparison of HTML5 support in Android & iOS browsers - http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/story/android-or- ios-which-platform-better-html5/2012-02-03 Issues with different versions of browser in Android - http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/03/android- fragmentation-also-a-challenge-for-web- developers/

For Further Reference Extensive list of resources on all things mobile development - http://learnthemobileweb.com/blog/resou rces/ Mobile Ministry Magazine (Antoine Wright) - http://mobileministrymagazine.com/

Using Mobile for Your Message: A Process and a Strategy for Mobile Web Development

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