Developing a user interface for a cross-platform web application

The purpose of this master thesis project was to investigate and analyse the main design and development approaches to creating a user interface of a cross-platform web application that is optimised for usage on both mobile and non-mobile devices. The additional goals were to analyse the main challenges in implementing such a user interface and find out whether it is feasible to achieve a consistent user experience both on mobile and desktop devices. The theoretical part of this paper analyses the main development approaches and design considerations for creating a user interface that works on mobile and non-mobile devices. For the practical part, a prototype user interface for a cross-platform book cataloguing web application has been built, tested on a number of mobile and non-mobile devices and evaluated in terms of performance and user experience. Also ideas for its further development are presented. As the result of this project, a semi-functional web application prototype has been built using Backbone.js and user interface has been created in HTML5 with CSS3. The application allows the user to organise his/her books and planned reads, leave reviews and view reviews from other readers. The application did not have all the functioning features and it still needs further work before actual usage. The biggest challenges were content planning, designing reusable UI components, finding a suitable framework for the application implementation and inconsistent CSS support across browsers. By planning the navigation and content early, testing the user interface on real devices, following the mobile first approach and progressively enhancing to a device’s capabilities, it is possible to create a consistent user experience across mobile and non-mobile devices in lightweight web applications

User interface for mobile learning / Syed Rahazuan Syed Deraman

This paper issues the user interface design for the new implementation of learning - through mobile devices. Mobile learning is now growing rapidly in today world and the presentation of learning content through mobile devices makes the developer surrounds with limitations. First, this paper will view project that had been and still develop in this area to absorb the problem that they faced. This paper will discuss the potential issues that arise when designing the user interface for a small scale device with limit screen display. The usage of mark-up languages for wireless devices is also viewed. At the end of this paper will focus on the implementing the user interface due to the problem that viewed. Finally, the snapshot of UiTM Mobile Learning prototype for the future work is viewed

User interface for mobile learning / Syed Rahazuan Syed Deraman

This paper issues the user interface design for the new implementation of learning - through mobile devices. Mobile learning is now growing rapidly in today world and the presentation of learning content through mobile devices makes the developer surrounds with limitations. First, this paper will view project that had been and still develop in this area to absorb the problem that they faced. This paper will discuss the potential issues that arise when designing the user interface for a small scale device with limit screen display. The usage of mark-up languages for wireless devices is also viewed. At the end of this paper will focus on the implementing the user interface due to the problem that viewed. Finally, the snapshot of UiTM Mobile Learning prototype for the future work is viewed

Analyzing User Acceptance of Mobile Technology in Clinical Settings through Point-of-Care Mobile Applications

The advent of mobile phones has led to global connectivity surpassing any global conversation previously known. However, despite having access to this global network through mobile devices and ever expanding internet access, many developing countries still lack basic medical technology. In many resource-poor medical settings, existing monitors used to process and display medical data received from various sensors (temperature, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, blood pressure, etc.) are either missing or unreliable. Furthermore, these devices are rarely designed with an interface appropriate for the needs of the end user. Additionally, the use of mobile apps for medical purposes is increasing in developing nations. However, very little structure exists to properly evaluate the usability and potential of specific medical apps. My project aims to provide an alternative to traditional monitoring systems by creating a mobile application for smartphones and tablets that serves to display patient vital signs through a modality that is easily learned and understood by the targeted end user. My project proposes to utilize current mobile phone technology available in rural, developing communities, as well as clinical settings in developed countries, to process and display patient vital signs for diagnostic and point of care purposes. The focus of this study was the experimental analysis of the mobile application user interfaces to promote widespread acceptance and continuous use of the technology for more consistent recording of patient vital signs. Three user interfaces were created for both smartphone and tablet devices and tested at two locations: Oaxaca, Mexico and Clemson, SC. These interfaces were systematically reviewed by measuring potential end users\u27 response to the technology following their direct interaction with the mobile applications. User experience was assessed using a survey that evaluated layout and function of the applications. Statistical analysis of the survey results revealed a variety of correlations between interface design and usability. It was also determined that the technology has the potential for widespread, global implementation. However, further studies integrating the mobile sensors into the interface design should be performed to determine the full potential of the technology

Safer User Interfaces: A Case Study in Improving Number Entry

Numbers are used in critical applications, including finance, healthcare, aviation, and of course in every aspect of computing. User interfaces for number entry in many devices (calculators, spreadsheets, infusion pumps, mobile phones, etc.) have bugs and design defects that induce unnecessary use errors that compromise their dependability. Focusing on Arabic key interfaces, which use digit keys 0-9-· usually augmented with correction keys, this paper introduces a method for formalising and managing design problems. Since number entry and devices such as calculators have been the subject of extensive user interface research since at least the 1980s, the diverse design defects uncovered imply that user evaluation methodologies are insufficient for critical applications. Likewise, formal methods are not being applied effectively. User interfaces are not trivial and more attention should be paid to their correct design and implementation. The paper includes many recommendations for designing safer number entry user interfaces

Using tablet devices to control complex home appliances

Internet of things has made connected devices and appliances widely available and tablet devices are common household items. This study focuses on technical user interface design challenges and requirements for user interface design of controlling complex home appliances with tablet devices. There is a literature review about available controlling technologies and usability heuristics related to tablet and mobile devices. An Android test application was created and tested with four test users to find out how well those heuristics work and are covered. That application was tested against the regular user interface of a dishwasher and task completion times and errors were noted down. Test users were asked to answer a questionnaire regarding the heuristics and how well the implementation performed. Tablet devices should be evaluated using regular usability heuristics, but besides them they require mobile specific heuristics, such as easy of input, screen readability and glancability, physical interaction and ergonomics and privacy and social convention taken into account. The results showed that a tablet user interface was able to outperform its regular counterpart in task completion times and in number of errors. The implementation also covered those heuristics in a more comprehensive way. But among test persons the most benefit was with users who were familiar with tablets and not with dishwashers. A test user who wasn t familiar with tablets but was with dishwashers performed tasks faster and with fewer errors with regular user interface. In conclusion a tablet user interface enabled users who were familiar with tablets to perform tasks faster and with less errors. Those users were also more satisfied with a tablet user interface than a regular one. On the other hand a test user with little experience of tablets and familiarity with dishwashers was able to perform tasks faster an with less errors with the regular user interface. A tablet user interface was able to offer extra benefits and efficiency to users, but regular user interface should be also available to satisfy users who are not familiar with mobile devices

Design and Implementation of an Improved Android Application for Bard Shuttle Services

With the growing population of Bard College, the need for the college’s shuttle system continues to grow. As a result, enabling the Bard community to quickly and easily access the shuttle schedules and times, has also become more important in the daily of life of Bard College\u27s inhabitants. Although Bard College has a mobile application for Android and iPhone mobile devices alike, there was a growing demand for a new improved shuttle application for Android mobile devices. This project seeks to improve the functionality, user friendliness, and availability of shuttle schedules to the Bard Community, in the form of a new mobile application. This project comprises of three parts: application design, implementation, and beta-testing. The application design consists of the design and structure of the user interface and backend database. The implementation consists of what tools were crucial to the development of the application, such as the type of database used to store shuttle information, the programming language used, and the development environment, just to name a few. Lastly, beta-testing consisted of a small group of Bard students that volunteered to use an early version of the application for a specified amount of time to provide feedback for possible changes and improvements

Audio microcontent and synchronous communication for mobile devices

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, February 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-93).Over the past decade, computationally powerful audio communication devices have become commonplace. Mobile devices have high storage capacity for digital audio, and smartphones or networked PDAs can be used to stream internet radio and download podcasts. However, applications that allow mobile devices to be used for synchronous communication (such as person-to-person audio interaction and listening to broadcast synchronous audio) are distinct from applications that allow stored audio playback. To demonstrate the benefits of more fluidity in mobile user interfaces between asynchronous audio and synchronous audio playback, I have implemented a new user interface approach - audio scanning - that merges these data types in a single user interface. A combined interface must solve two different research problems. Asynchronous messaging queues grow longer without constant user intervention. Synchronous audio, on the other hand, can be disruptive and transient. To address these problems, a timing heuristic is used in audio scanning to allow sporadic yet controlled delivery of organized audio bursts.(cont.) To lessen the burden of user interaction with a graphical user interface on a mobile device, a single-button user interface allows control of audio presentation. Two exploratory systems implementing an audio scanning interface are described, allowing comparison to alternate audio systems and approaches. The first implementation, Hearplay, demonstrates the utility of audio scanning in a social audio appliance, designed to be available as an always-on system. The second implementation, Hearwell, demonstrates a use of audio scanning on a mobile phone to help individuals achieve wellness goals. The design and utility of the scanning interface is critiqued for both implementations.by Patrick Sean Wheeler.S.M

Mobile Music Store M-Muze

The introduction of the mobile devices into the electronic commerce arena has allowed the user to go on the Web as well as shopping on the Web using their cell phones, Personals Digital Assistants (PDAs) or combo devices without needing a wired Internet connection and stationary desktop or a laptop computer. In order to give customer's convenience, service providers and also value-added services include easy, timely access to information in a way enable customer to make purchase from whenever they are whenever they are ready. The author here will develop an instant music CD purchasing via mobile phone application by using Wireless Markup Language (WML) as a programming tool. The technique that has been adopted is based on Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) as global standards for mobile solutions. The result of the study has proven that in order to captivate users' attention towards legal music CD purchasing through the web via mobile, design of the interface has given an impact towards the adaptation of content presentation by implementing HCI elements. Therefore, the design of the interface and content according to one's preference plays an important role in enhancing users' "browse and buy" experience at any desired time and needs. The study done towards the implementation of design guidelines for wireless application which is in general, interface design flaws are platform independent has also proven that the design best applied depends on the form factors of the wireless mobile phones. The system URL: http://www.ideashoppe.com I

Implementation of Wireless Connection between Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and Relational Database.

The significant number of mobile devices such as cellular phones, smart phones and PDA usages are increasing rapidly in recent year. Popularity of wireless connection along with the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA); Pocket PC, Palm and Windows CE have been growing significantly as well. Applications have been designed and developed for mobile devices base on the personal and business usage purposes. These applications can be define as mobile applications. Even though, the number Pocket PC, Palm or other handheld devices usage are growing, the design and implementation of mobile applications for these devices is still currently a novelty for most researchers, developers and programmers. In this project, I design, implement and develop a mobile application, which allows users to wirelessly connect SQL server on Pocket PC to SQL server on main database server and exchange data between them. The design of this application involves in the exploring the Pocket PC, which has limited memory, storage space, and no physical keyboard. The design also focuses on developing the user-friendly application interface and efficiently function to exchange data between Pocket PC and data server. The implementation is based on database synchronization technology called Remote Data Access (RDA). RDA allows mobile application to use SQL statement and Internet-based connectivity for transferring information between two SQL servers on different physical locations. The development of this mobile application used the combination of available technology and commercial products such as Microsoft .Net Technology, SQL database management server and Verizon wireless network infrastructure. This mobile application grants users the ability to communicate with database server remotely wherever within the Verizon Wireless network