1 / 28

Evaluating Mobile Phone Interfaces: A Study of the Kyocera 2235 User Experience

In this study, we evaluate the interface of the Kyocera 2235 cell phone, focusing on user interaction with various tasks such as making calls and number lookup. Utilizing simulation techniques in web-based markup languages, we create a flexible environment for rapid testing of different interface configurations. The project involved participants of varying ages and experiences, aiming to ascertain the intuitiveness of the interface across a diverse user base. Our findings suggest that while common tasks are intuitive for experienced users, challenges arise for those unfamiliar with the device.

alan-schroeder
Télécharger la présentation

Evaluating Mobile Phone Interfaces: A Study of the Kyocera 2235 User Experience

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Interface Simulation and Analysis Evaluating a cell phone interface Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  2. Interface Simulation • Flexible, versatile, extensible • Ability to implement in common web-based markup/programming languages • HTML, JavaScript, CSS • Easier and less expensive than physical mockup • Allows rapid testing of many different configurations Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  3. Simulation in Alpha • Four-Function Calculator • Kyocera 2235 Cell Phone Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  4. Interface Simulation • Challenges and complications • Coding device functionality is not difficult • Representing gfx/text interface is difficult • Representing complicated menu structure can be difficult • Comm 540 is not a programming course  • Interesting and informative experience, but … • Need for evaluation Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  5. Interface Evaluation • A look at existing technology • How well-designed is the interface? • How does it hold up under different tasks and different users? • How logical is the internal structure of the interface? Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  6. Interface Evaluation • Cell phones as an ideal technology for evaluation • Young technology • Rapidly developing technology • Overwhelmingly popular technology • Many different implementations of same basic functionality Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  7. Kyocera 2235 • Introducing … the Kyocera 2235! • The phone with the cool blue glow • One of Verizon’s popular models over the past year • Fairly representative of mid-range cell phone design • Kyocera web site provides some interesting online resources • http://www.kyocera-wireless.com/2200_phone/2235_know.htm Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  8. Research Methodology • Determine representative users • Determine representative tasks • Evaluate users on tasks • Evaluate phone’s menu structure Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  9. Participants • Participant 1 (me, baseline?) • 23 years old, user of this phone • Participant 2 • 19 years old, college freshman, user of almost identical phone • Participant 3 • 21 years old, college junior, user of same brand/similar phone • Participant 4 • 44 years old, college senior, user of very different phone • Participant 5 • 70 years old, worked in business, never used a cell phone Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  10. Tasks • Make a call • One of the most fundamental tasks on a cell phone • Look up a specific number • Also a very common task • Identify number types (cell, home, work) • Organizational functionality • Calculate 3217 x 4193 • Access non-phone-related tools • Non-mental math Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  11. Number Types • Cell Work Home Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  12. Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  13. Task Analysis • How many steps does each task require? • How long did it take each person to perform each task (or with what accuracy)? • What kinds of results should we expect? Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  14. What is a Task Step? • 1 step = progression through 1 level of the interface hierarchy • Keying in “607-592-1234” is 1 step, not 10 • Keying in “607-592-1234” + “Send” is 2 steps, not 11 Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  15. Task Steps • Make Call: 2 steps • Number Lookup: 4 steps (or 2 steps *) • Number Type ID: 1 step (n/a) • Calculate: 3 steps Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  16. Task Results Summary Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  17. Task Results Implications • Routine tasks (make call, number lookup) seem intuitive to users of other phones • Non-phone-specific task (calculator) may be difficult for users of non-Kyocera phones • Operation of cell phone largely unclear to non-cell-user • Number type iconography for “cell” and “home” are clear to all; “work” unclear to non-Kyocera users • Results suggestive, but not generalizable Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  18. Hierarchy Analysis – Card Sort! • Index cards to represent each menu item … • … randomized • Asked participants to do 4 things: • Group cards into categories • Prioritize within categories • Prioritize among categories • Name groups/categories Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  19. Card Sort Results - Summary Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  20. Things to Watch Out For • Some names modified to make purpose clearer • “Display” -> “Display Settings” • “Add New” -> “Add New Contact” • “Mystic | Ching” -> “Mystic | Ching Game” • Potential ambiguity • Some items used as category names • “Network Settings” etc. (usually settings) Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  21. More Things to Watch Out For Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  22. Kermit Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  23. Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  24. Card Sort Results –Analogous Category Names Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  25. Interesting Results • Tendency to separate “add” from “view” functions • “Add New Contact” vs. “View All Contacts” • Tendency to categorize contact list/messaging functions together • Tools and Games often separated • Unlike phone, “Personal Contacts” always before “Business Contacts” • Contacts, Messages categories invariably precede Settings, Tools/Games Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  26. Potential Problems? • Non-Kyocera users confused about “Countdown” • Everybody confused by presence of both “Message Settings” and “Messaging Settings” – peculiar redundancy in phone Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  27. Further Exploration • Classic complaint: power on/off button • Text input: order of punctuation? • . & @ , -’ : ; ? / ” ” ( ) _ • Why is comma not second? (Do we really need commas for phone text-messaging?) • Why is question mark so deep? (Aren’t questions the essence of many text messages?) Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

  28. In Conclusion • And don’t forget, more importantly than anything else, cell phones should never have subliminal messages. Communication 540 – Spring 2003 – Mike Webb

More Related