By Rustam Iskandarov, SoftServe, Inc.

Considering that Mobility has become a popular trend in business software, the specifics of Mobile UX Design are rapidly gaining interest of industry thought-leaders and decision-makers. Apart from the common User Experience activities that have been performed in Web/Desktop software design, there are some specific aspects inherently critical for Mobile UX. It is these aspects, alongside with the design problems and solutions that will be discussed in this blog.

Think Twice - Act Once

It goes without saying that before any development process could be initiated, careful analysis of what is done, for whom and with what purpose is required. This is a common and obligatory pattern, equally concerning IT, constructing, finance – or pretty much anything. The same is true for UX Design, which also starts with analysis from the following high-level perspectives:

The business perspective gives understanding of business goals and the strategy (e.g. how to improve customers’ satisfaction or be more competitive), while project perspective specifies development details (e.g. fast time-to-market, scrum-based development, budgets, etc.) which should be considered and might affect the UX strategy.

But let’s focus on the analysis from the end-user perspective. To start with, a designer needs to answer the following questions:

  • Who are the users?
  • Why do they use this product?
  • How do they use it?

Who are the users & why do they use this product? – Nothing new here: you certainly have to consider your target audience, their needs and goals (for example, you are not likely to sell a sports car to a family, since they are most probably looking for a roomy and economical vehicle).

How do they use it? – Unlike the PC, a tablet or smart phone could be used in a variety of different ways: while users are walking, running or even bungee-jumping! Let us consider the following user situations:

  • A nurse needs to fill in a patient`s chart on an iPad during or after their physical examination was conducted;
  • A sales representative will use a mobile app on their Android to obtain customer’s information while standing on the doorstep and presenting a product catalog in the other hand;
  • A delivery man updates the job status on their iPhone app after offloading the cargo.

Mobile devices are usually used by people on the move. That is why it is extremely important for mobile designers to understand exactly how people will use their device. It is not surprising then that context & conditions become the key areas for the research. But before addressing conditions, context and user behavior, let’s look at the major mobile experience issues designers face.

Mobile Experience Challenges

  • Small screens

    Web or desktop apps are usually full of features (customers pay for features) and include large amounts of data – which may result in complex navigation and overloaded UI that does not fit well into a small mobile screen.

  • Awkward input

    Mobile typing is usually slow, and not even mini-keyboards will save you from numerous typos in the process.

  • Connection issues

    Despite all the modern wireless technologies, developers also have to consider an offline mode for their mobile apps.

Design Considerations

Once again, what’s the big deal about context and conditions of usage? Is it that important for UX design? The answer is absolutely “Yes.” Usage conditions could influence Mobile App design considerably, starting with what information to include in the app, how detailed it should be and even the color system choice. Here are some tips for the high-quality Mobile UX design with user-perspective in mind:

  • All the great things are simple

    Presenting a product to their client, a sales representative may want to take some discreet notes on their mobile phone, without interrupting the conversation. For such a case it’s better to minimize the input and simplify the UI, giving a few options of predefined notes (making a choice from 4 or 5 ready-made options is easier and quicker than typing) or allowing audio record with a single tap.

  • Quality over quantity

    When a mobile app is designed as an addition to the core product, there is no need to duplicate all the core product features – it is highly unlikely that you will be able to fit all the elements from Web/Desktop interface on a small mobile screen. Moreover, the awkward input and other mobile limitations make a mobile device unusable for more complex tasks. Solving the overload UI problem requires detailed analysis and prioritization of features (80/20 principle). Choose the most important features, which are used often and could be effectively used on the go.

  • Try it yourself

    Imagine yourself designing a mobile product for manual workers. How do you consider the context and user conditions then? Start with trying about ten push-ups and test your design in an “emulated-world”. Will the prospective user be able to target small buttons with overstrained shaking hands, having just delivered twenty air conditioners? In this case micro-tasking is preferred (1 screen – 1 task – 1 big button). Even though the number of screens and clicks is increased, this type of design is much better for the overall user experience.

Conclusions

In conclusion, it is obvious that design decisions are largely dependent on all the issues mentioned above. When product owners and designers want to ensure an excellent mobile experience for their customers, it is necessary to take into account the following useful tips:

  • Design the device for customers – try to discover what exactly they want in a final product and involve them in a discussion;
  • Always consider mobile experience challenges and how they can affect the design concept or features you want to include;
  • Focus on context, conditions and users’ behavior;
  • Do not neglect details;
  • Remember that the quality of features goes over quantity;
  • The Golden Rule is that simple design works better – especially on the go.

About the Author

Rustam Iskandarov is UX Consultant at SoftServe, Inc., a leading global provider of proven high quality software development, testing and consulting services.