Mobile Web Applications : Usability Factors

(part 2 continues…)

1. Make sure that basic controls are always available!
   Make sure you place basic controls to navigate on the site, such as “back to home, back to search results” & relevant ones.  Use contextual menus if required & only if they are assisting the user (preferably limited to 2-3 short links). In most of the cases, though devices / browsers has a ‘back’ button option, it is advisable to include a back button on every page.
   

   Usability for Mobile Web Applications

2. Environmental Factors:
   Imagine, using a website / application which has saturated or dark-colored interface in a bright light conditions! If you do, you will not be able to see the interface clearly & the application usefulness may reduce. So, you should know the users & their possible environment in which they may use this application and you have to design the site accordingly. Such factors like lighting conditions does affect the visual design affecting the usefulness of your application in such environments. Note: Compare the above screen shot with other examples shown in the presentation. Readability is higher in other screen shots.
   

   Usability for Mobile Web Applications

3. Mobile-device-friendly visual designs / layouts:
   Visual designs for mobile sites / apps, unlike for desktop browsers, are different in terms of layouts (no landscape preferably as most of the device will render the sites to suit to portrait form), usage of graphical elements (to be kept viable to optimize the download speed & to reduce the data usage for being cost-effective for the end-user). Precisely, you need a quite different & sensible visual design (keeping in mind the brand elements, etc.) for mobile applications as against the conventional desktop-based websites, to optimize the user experience.
   

   Usability for Mobile Web Applications

You can view this complete presentation on SlideShare.net at: http://www.slideshare.net/vishalvaidya/usability-factors-mobile-web-apps-usability-factors-0209

Please post your comments & suggestions! Thanks!!!

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