The UNH Mobile App Development Team recently released UNH Mobile App Suite, which features 18 modules within a customizable homescreen enabling users to hide, show, and reorder icons to their preference. In this presentation, the UNH Mobile App Development Team elaborates on their experience building out the suite, which was a collaborative effort between the IT and New & Emerging Media departments.

1. Catalyst Seminar Series Presents:
Innovations in Mobile Applications
UNH Mobile Application
Development Team
February 21, 2013

2. Brief Introductions
• UNH’s Mobile Application Development
Team
• With us today: (*
presenting)
– Cynthia Cargill, Manager, Web Solutions
– Renee Cicerchi, Developer
– Patricia Estrada, Blackboard Administrator &
Developer
– *Neil Larson, Web Developer & UI Designer,
New and Emerging Media
– *Dmitry Sadykov, Senior Developer
– *Karen Tan, Portal Administration & Development
Manager & Mobile Application Development Team

3. UNH’s Mobile Suite for Android
•
•
•

4. UNH Mobile Development
History
• 2010: UNH has two available apps for iOS &
Android:
• Campus Map
• UNH Athletics (originally outsourced)
• 2011: License obtained for Bb Mobile Learn App
• ‘Blackboard Mobile Central’ offering led us down path of suite
exploration
• 2012: Build vs. buy analysis

5. In-House Development
Advantages
 Less overhead
 ease of updating
 greater control and ability to
customize
 reuse of framework & content
 Shared data & functionality
 Seamless inclusion of responsive
websites (optimized for mobile viewing)
 Potential commercialization benefits

6. Why a Suite?
• Streamline user experience
– One download, single access point
• Maintain competitive edge
– Many higher-ed institutions have their own
mobile offerings
• Push the growing web responsive design
trend

7. Identifying the Audience
• Students
– Enhance UNH experience by
identifying and facilitating elements of
daily life
• Maps, directories, dining menus, computer
labs, courses, Bb, event calendar, social
media, transit schedule
• Prospectives
– Selling point for UNH
– Supplement to campus visit
• Virtual tour, photos, videos, WUNH, Wildcat Link
– Integration of social media index
▶▶▶
• Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Instagram, UNH Tales

8. Identifying the Audience (cont.)
• Faculty / Staff / Alumni
– News, events, directory
– Remain informed of campus activities & events
• Parents
– Stay connected with children & have insight into their experiences
• General Community
– Enhance public safety & build campus familiarity with free offering
– Share news & public info into the rapidly growing mobile channel
– Experience aspects of UNH from anywhere in the world
• News feed, athletics, WUNH live stream, photo gallery, videos

9. Mobile Development Team
Assembly
• Representatives from:
• Academic Technology
• Enterprise Computing Group
• University Communications & Marketing (New and
Emerging Media)
• Web Solutions
• Guest Attendance:
– WUNH
– Dining
– Office of Research Partnerships & Communication
– Campus Planning
– University Transportation Services

10. Modules: Website or App?
• Web modules: deliver content to any device.
– HTML5 techniques allow for rich media display & ability to create
genuine mobile interface
– Enhanced search capabilities, SEO, online marketing & social
media integration
– Analytic capabilities allow for traffic reports & tracking of metrics
– Can modify without having to offer an app update
• App modules: greater interaction on native devices & OS
– GPS, camera, augmented reality, local file system
– Benefit of remaining self-contained; no reliance on web server
– Control of overall UI design scheme
– Ability to operate offline (to some degree)
10

11. Responsive Web Design
Responsive websites use the same
code and serve the same content as
their desktop counterparts.
A device-detection script determines
which stylesheet to pull, thus
optimizing the content layout.
Design and formatting schemes
were developed in conjunction with
those of the app modules to created
a unified look and feel.

12. Platform Considerations
• Market Research
– US Market share data shows iOS at 64%; Android at 33%.
Other platforms negligible, but with growth potential.
(http://clicky.com/marketshare/us/operating-systems/mobile/)
– Rapidly changing landscape as new devices emerge

13. Platform Considerations
UNH social media survey results
(March 2012)

14. Platforms We Chose and Why
• Blackboard Mobile Learn Analytics
• Drove home what was being used most here on
campus
• Data is current and consistent amongst faculty,
staff and students
• Mobile Learn Analysis Demo

15. Download and Use Statistics
(as of 2/21/2013)
Total downloads: 717
Top modules ▼ Map Stats ▼ Android
OS ▼
Learn
Transit
1127
1109
Campus Buildings
Search
705
151
Android 2.3.3 = 33.52%
Android 3.2 = .14%
Dining 1094 Building location 50 Android 4.0.3 – 4.0.4 = 30.95%
Map 861 Academic 45 Android 4.2 = 4.73%
Courses 613 Parking 41
News 576 Dining 35
Athletics 507 Student Services 26
Directory 373 Residence Halls 22

16. Resources for New App Ideas
• Feedback Channels
– Inclusion of information button with link to submit feedback ▶
– Webform via unh.edu/mobile ▶
– Feedback delivered by both
channels via email
– Student Communications Advisory Council formed by UCM.
Meets twice a semester to discuss UNH student experience,
with a focus on digital, web, mobile, and social media
– Ideas for the mobile app are added to central repository and
then vetted by the team

17. Getting the App in Google Play
• Create Google Developer account
• Compile the application APK file
• Compile graphical assets (icons,
screenshots)
• Create a new app entry in Google
Developer console, upload the APK,
images & written description
• PUBLISH!

18. Project Considerations (cont’d)
• ADA Compliance
– Audio-only prompts
– Text entry: Use selection-based UI
whenever possible.
– Inconsistency between focus (tab) order
and logical document content sequence

19. Project Considerations (cont’d)
• Security: Inclusion of security tips & mobile
best practices
• Accounting UI differences among display &
viewport size varieties
• Inclusion of non-Durham UNH locations
• Copyright & commercialization aspects
• Executive sponsorship = priority for UNH
• Effective promotion and marketing strategy
– Campus publications, web and print

20. Project Considerations (cont’d)
image source:
• Device evolution & lifecycles blog.lookout.com
– Most phones are kept for 1.5 years
– Feature compatibility with different devices

21. Questions?
Contact us @ mobile.apps@unh.edu
Thanks!