Mobile devices harbor more germs than a men's room flush handle according to a study. The document discusses guidelines and best practices for testing the usability of mobile applications and websites. It recommends conducting testing on actual devices using techniques like observing users in a lab or field setting in order to find problems that may not be identified through desktop testing or heuristic evaluation. Field testing can identify issues with interaction styles and cognitive load not seen in a lab.

1. Jeff Wisniewski
Web Services Librarian
University of Pittsburgh
facebook.com/wisniewski.jeff

2. Mobile Devices Harbor More Germs Than A
Men's Room Flush Handle
-
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/14/3103164
/talk-about-going-viral-touch-screen.html

3. The study of the relative ease with which a
user can complete a given task

4. Guidelines
Manufacturer
W3C

5.  Mobile space is not a minified desktop
 Less immersive than desktop
 Context critical
 Microinteractions versus tasks

9. Wide
Deep
Complex
Infrequent use
Stable
mouse, keyboard, display 800x600 or better

10. Simple
Slim
Deep, drill down
VERY infrequent use
Device proliferation

11. It should be difficult or impossible to get lost
lost on a mobile site or in an app

12. Card sort?

13. Functional testing critical
Task testing important
User satisfaction

14. Duh!

15. Immediate need for information

17. Desktop:
 Search for flights
 Search for hotel
 Book
Mobile:
 Itinerary
 Flight status
 Confirmation

18. Then mobile usability testing needs to be
different too

19. Hardware
Software
UI

20. Input mechanisms
physical keyboard
virtual keyboard
touch
voice
Scrolling/navigation
touch
trackball/pad
keys

21. Device OS
Device browser

22.  Touch-Screen Mobile Phones (Apple
iPhones, HTC Nexus One, HTC EVO, etc.)
 Non Touch-Screen Mobile Phones (RIM
Blackberry Bold, Motorola Droid 2, etc.)
 Quick Messaging Devices (LG Xenon,
Samsung Intensity, etc.)
 Tablets (Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Dell
Streak, etc.)

23.  Heuristic evaluation
 Paper
 Simulators/emulators/ desktop
 On device
 Field
 Lab…sleds and cameras and capture, oh my!

24. Method Time Cost ROI
Paper moderate minimal high
Desktop/emulat
or/simulator
moderate minimal high
Lab high varies high
Field high minimal unclear,
probably high

25.  Paper prototypes
 http://interactivelogic.net/wp/2009/09/iphone-
wireframe-templates/
 http://gliderguns.files.wordpress.com/2010/0
1/android_wireframe_templates3.pdf

28.  Desktop
 Mobile device

29.  Firefox user agent switcher
 https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59/
 Opera Mini
 http://www.opera.com/mobile/demo/
 Blackberry
 http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/resources/simulators.jsp
 iOS SDK
 http://developer.apple.com/devcenter/ios/index.action
 Android SDK
 http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
 Fennec emulator
 http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/mobile/download/

30. Caveat: The platform affects the usability

31. “Results indicate that conducting a time-
consuming field test may not be worthwhile
when searching user interface flaws to
improve user interaction”
-Anne Kaikkonen, Aki Kekäläinen, Mihael Cankar, Titti Kallio, and
Anu Kankainen
Journal of Usability Studies, Issue 1, Volume 1

32. “In the field-based evaluation we identified
significantly more usability problems and this
setting revealed problems with interaction
style and cognitive load that were not
identified in the laboratory.”
It’s Worth the Hassle! The Added Value of Evaluating the Usability
of Mobile Systems in the Field -Christian Monrad Nielsen, Nordic
Conference on Human-Computer Interaction; Vol. 189

33. I’m guessing many of your colleagues and
friends have smartphones….test with them
first!
Especially useful for basic functional testing

34.  Mobile OK Checker
http://validator.w3.org/mobile/
 MobiReady
http://ready.mobi/launch.jsp?locale=en_EN

35. Simulated
Actual device(s)

36.  Cam
 Sled ?
Plusses and minuses

40.  Browsercam
http://www.browsercam.com/Default2.aspx
 Deviceanywhere
http://www.deviceanywhere.com/mobile-
application-testing-web.html

41.  User satisfaction

42. THANK YOU

43.  A Guide to Usability Testing an iPhone app
http://www.usabilitynews.com/news/article64
96.asp
 10 Excellent Tools for Testing Your Site on
Mobile Devices
http://sixrevisions.com/tools/10-excellent-
tools-for-testing-your-site-on-mobile-
devices/#more-4121

44.  UI guidelines
 iPhone
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/user
experience/conceptual/mobilehig/Introduction/Introduction.
html
 iPad
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/gen
eral/conceptual/ipadhig/Introduction/Introduction.html
 Android
http://developer.android.com/guide/practices/ui_guidelines/
index.html
 Blackberry
http://docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/179
65/index.jsp?name=UI+Guidelines+-
+BlackBerry+Smartphones6.0&language=English&userTy
pe=21&category=Java+Development+Guidelines&subCat
egory=

45.  Emulators/simulators
 Firefox user agent switcher
 https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59/
 Opera Mini
 http://www.opera.com/mobile/demo/
 Blackberry
 http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/resources/simulators.jsp
 iOS SDK
 http://developer.apple.com/devcenter/ios/index.action
 Android SDK
 http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
 Fennec emulator
 http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/mobile/download/

46.  Automated testing tools
 Browsercam
http://www.browsercam.com/Default2.aspx
 Deviceanywhere
http://www.deviceanywhere.com/mobile-
application-testing-web.html