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Mobile Web Applications : Design Factors
Mobile websites designs has its own limitations & need to be designed based on some specifications / best practices.
Here, we will discuss something about the “design factors for mobile web applications”. As we have already discussed, there are several limitations. You can read more about limitations here!
Following are some of these guidelines which needs to be considered while designing mobile web applications, so that it can deliver its best on multiple platforms in almost same way it is intended to. Ultimately, mobile web apps are intended to deliver quickly , on-the-move!
Design Factors for Mobile Web Applications:
1. Semantic Markup:
The way we design our code for conventional desktop-based web is NOT the same when it comes to the “mobile web”. The capabilities of the devices and the browsers it contains, has major impacts on the way content gets displayed.
So, ideally, you should use a “clean & semantic” markup to make your site display in almost the same form on all the devices, without major difficulties for the end-user. If the code isn’t clean & semantic, the website may not look the same on all the target devices as it is expected to be & may create usability issues for the end-users, motivating them to leave the site as soon as they want.
Clean, semantic markup is a ‘foundation to the usable mobile website’.
2. Separate Content from Presentation factor:
Typical mobile web users are more keen on the information they like to see on the mobile websites, as their browsing behavior is mostly ‘information seeking behavior’. For such users, presentation is secondary, as compared to ‘content being primary reason’ behind the mobile web browsing.
Users are using web on their mobile devices, generally for their immediate needs, like locating the nearest café or a Bank ATM available in the closest proximity. For such users, functionality or the content is more important than anything else.
Considering this, along with a clean & semantic markup, a clear segregation of “Content” and “Presentation” is required. We can enable websites to reach users faster, with clean, valid markup and CSS for the presentation purpose.
3. Alternative Content – “ALT” tags:
With more of ‘information-seeking behavior’ along with ‘pay-for-bandwidth’ scenario, users may not prefer to download images on their mobile browsers, as it saves download time & money for them. Such factors makes us prefer to provide an alternative content for all the images used across the website.
Providing an “ALT” tag makes the application more useful for those who have disabled “load images”. In any case, for mobile web or desktop-based interfaces, you MUST provide the alternative content, to make your application “usable”.
4. Form Fields – Labels:
Filling up form fields in the mobile browser is bit tough as compared to conventional desktop-based website forms. Entering information in the form field without knowing what it should be filled with, is literally impossible for the end-user.
So to assist users, like ‘ALT’ tags for non-text content, form fields also needs to have “label”, that clearly defines the form field and instruct the users about the information required in the respective form field.
5. Navigation:
Unlike desktop web, navigation elements on the mobile web applications are generally an “adaptation”, that suits mobile web environment at its best. Navigation design for desktop web and mobile web has different design considerations.
Do not repeat the complete navigation on every page & reduce the links and keep only those which are relevant.Also, provide other ways to navigate the website, such as “Access Keys” and tap the hardware capabilities if you know the TG & their devices.
6. Use Heading tags – H1, H2, ….. :
Devices have their own browsers & they render the same sites differently. In such cases, styling given to the text / content on the pages may not actually display as you desire.
In such cases, heading tags like H1, H1, H3…..can help you to make the important headings, text to stand out & helps users to read the content effectively – as they tend to have a ‘scan-through’ behavior.
7. Environmental Factors & Color Contrasts:
Designing websites for mobile devices has several considerations, including the environmental factors, such as lighting conditions. When someone who is using the application the day-light, he may not be able to use the application effectively, if the right color contrast is not created in the application design.
Mobile Web Applications - Design Factors: Mr. Movie homepage
Mobile Web Applications - Design Factors: Bcwebwise mobile edition homepage
Note: Compare these two screen-shots. Readability is higher in the 2nd screen-shot of BC Web Wise – mobile web edition homepage.
You can view this complete presentation on SlideShare.net at: http://www.slideshare.net/vishalvaidya/mobile-web-application-design-factors
If you can bring in some more ideas here when it comes to mobile web application design & its usability, I would be really happy! Please post your comments / suggestions.
Mobile Web Applications : Usability Factors
(part 2 continues…)
- 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
- 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
- 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!!!
NOTE: All the mobile website screenshots shown are owned by bcwebwise. Copyright © 2009. Bcwebwise. All Rights Reserved with Bc Web Wise.
Mobile Web Applications : Usability Factors
Usability is a determining factor of success in the mobile internet application as well.
Though, it’s ‘always-with you’, ‘personalized’ way to access internet, it has several limitations. Let’s understand the limitations of the mobile web application environment:
Limitations:
- Screen ‘Real Estate’ issues: resolution limitations as compared to desktops / notebooks / netbooks.
- Browsers: Various browser renders site differently on different devices.
- Hardware limitations: Processor speed, RAM, ROM, Form factor
- Expensive Data Usage: Data usage charges may be heavy.
- Connectivity issues: Bandwidth, Network reach.
- Limited Interaction possibilities: Less-friendly pointing device.
We can ‘enhance’ the user experience of web on mobile, by following certain guidelines, to overcome limitations as much as possible.
While we design the site / applications that’s suits best to various mobile devices / browsers / connectivity aspects, we MUST consider several ‘factors’ that contributes to a better ‘mobile web user experience. Ideally, we should follow as much as of these guidelines, so that the site / applications designed for mobile-specific environment becomes more usable. Better the user experience, more the successful application would be!
Here we start…
- Address users’ requirements as ‘quickly’ as possible:
Generally, users are accessing the web on mobile for their immediate needs, for e.g. locating the nearest cafe or finding the closest Theater or for a short-spanned entertainment. In Such users, “quickness” makes a lot of difference, time being a ‘crucial’ factor. In such cases, understanding the users’ immediate requirements & assisting them to fulfill them quickly enhance the experience of your application. - DO NOT repeat the navigation on every page:
Screen “real estate” is very valuable & precious when it comes to mobile devices & so, needs to be used wisely. Mobile devices have varied screen sizes. For such various but limited screen sizes, what gets delivered upfront, “above the fold”, does make a difference. DO NOT repeat the main navigation on every page, as it pushes the content down, generally “below the fold” making it inaccessible for the user. Also, make sure you place it on the homepage as that being an entry point to the site.
Usability for Mobile Web Applications
- Make user inputs simpler:
Entering text on a mobile phone can be more painful than on a conventional desktop-based input mechanisms. Make sure your design allows the users to input the text in an easier way. Allow them to choose by selecting an item instead of manually entering the text (as it’s even more error-prone). Also, use the markup to assist certain features in the content. For example, a Telephone number displayed can be used to call the particular no right from there itself, instead of copying the phone number or manually entering it on the dial pad.
Usability for Mobile Web Applications
- Indicate clearly what is selected:
Mobile phones generally have lesser cursor control, as the pointing device is either joystick or the directive buttons on the phone. But, even these controls may not work as desired as sometimes choosing the selection can scroll down the page if the control is not selected properly. So, indicating what’s selected is another important factor so that user doesn’t get frustrated by selecting something wrong which he didn’t intend to. Show the selected link by highlighting it with different color or something similar & viable. Some browsers has built-in mechanisms that automatically indicates when a user is on a certain control or link in the page.Usability for Mobile Web Applications
- Inessential stuff to be kept out:
Provide only essential & relevant information on every page. User’s generally pay for all the content they see on their devices & so, for them, any inessential data downloaded is a pain, because THEY have to pay for the content they never wanted to see & gets frustrated. Reading habits would also vary from desktop to mobile device. Content designed for mobile web also needs to be crisp & to the point, as the users will not be interested in reading any typical junk on their devices which they are not interested in & have to pay for it.
Usability for Mobile Web Applications
There is more for this usability for mobile web applications. In the next post, I will explain some more points which are important for mobile web applications & its usability.
I would be happy if you can post your comments / suggestions which wil help us to enhance our approach to mobile web development. Kindly contribute!
Updates: read 2nd part of this post
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Vishal Vaidya
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