This document discusses a Masters level study conducted at the MMU Usability Lab on developing a methodology for measuring intention on mobile devices. The study was supervised by David Edmundson-Bird and involved working with a mobile marketing professional, Paul McManus, from Win Technologies. Paul acted as a consultant on the project to understand the experience of creating a methodology. He developed an understanding of the lab's equipment and tools. His initial results showed limitations with the mobile eye-tracking software and calibration. Reflections on supervising a professional consultant compared to a student were discussed, as was the challenges remaining in measuring intention on mobile and limitations of current technology.

1. Running a Masters Level Study on
Usability at The MMU Usability Lab
David Edmundson-Bird
Principal Lecturer Digital Marketing
MMU Business School

2. Running a Masters Level Study on
Usability at The MMU Usability Lab
• Agenda
– A look at the project
• The development of a methodology for the measurement of
intention on mobile devices
– What’s it like to support a mobile marketing
professional?
• The Consultancy Dissertation
– What’s it like to conduct a study in our new lab?
• The experience of the lab
• Conducting ground-breaking research at an industrial
university
• Why is it okay not to get the answers you're looking for?

3. Who?
Paul McManus
Mobile Marketing Manager at Win Technologies
David Edmundson-Bird
Principal Lecturer Digital Marketing at MMU

4. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A
METHODOLOGY FOR THE
MEASUREMENT OF INTENTION ON
MOBILE DEVICES
The Project Title

5. Background
• Trying to understand “intention”
– Theory of Reason Action (Azjen & Fishbein, 1980)
• Affected by attitude, “norms”, how you feel about
behaviour
• Difference between goals and behaviour
• Alternatives
• Intention vs. estimation
• Accepting technology (Davis, 1989)

6. Background
• Multi-modal HCI
– Body, gesture, gaze, expression & audio emotion
• Problems with being given tasks
– Tasks given affect intention
• Intention Modelling (Spyrou & Darzentas
(1996)
– Series of rules have to be applied

7. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO SUPPORT A MOBILE
MARKETING PROFESSIONAL?
The Consultancy Dissertation

8. Supporting a Professional
• MMU/Econsultancy MSc Digital Marketing
Communications
• Dissertation styles
– Empirical study
– Market survey & business planning
– Consultancy Dissertation

9. CONDUCTING A STUDY IN THE
MMU UX LAB
Experience, Research and Professionalism

10. Paul’s Study
• Paul acted as my “Consultant”
• We wanted a methodology for measuring
intention on mobile devices
• Paul’s work is about the experience of creating
a methodology rather than to simply create a
methodology

11. Paul’s Plan
• Develop an understanding of the test
environment
– Data collection tools
• Mobile eye-trackers
• UX room cameras
• PC with cam
– There was a lot Paul didn’t know about the lab,
software, data relay etc.
– Inviting participants
• Qualifying to be a participant

12. Paul’s Results

13. Paul’s Results
• Self-calibration with mobile eye-tracker, target
focus and the software is impossible
• Mobile eye-tracking runs on 2 not 3
dimensions
• Other results

14. REFLECTIONS

15. Supervision
• Managing a professional (as opposed to a full-
time student)
• Consultant approach vs. Empirical Study vs.
“Inventing Something”

16. Methodology
• Intention measurement in mobile still has a
long way to go
• Current technology has certain limitations
• DIY workaround solution shows we can
manually deal with the problem
• Analysis incomplete as of 19/03/11 hence
“other results”