Mobilize:Make Good Things Come in Small Packages

Copyright 2012 MathWorks, Inc.

Lissa Story & Claudia Wey

The Move to Mobile

Source: International Data Corporation and Canalys 2

Smart phones PCs0

20,000,000

40,000,000

60,000,000

80,000,000

100,000,000

120,000,000

2011 Sales

Agenda• Our Product & User

• Phone Design

• Activity

• Tablet Design

• Cloud Connection Challenges

• Lessons Learned

• Questions

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What: MATLAB in 1982

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What: MATLAB in 1982

What: MATLAB in 2011

What: MATLAB in 2011

Who: Our iPhone User

Photo by Robert Scoble

Users’ NeedsiPhone’s Sweet Spot

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Who: Our iPhone User

Photo by Robert Scoble

Users’ Needs iPhone’s Sweet Spot

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Intersection

What was needed for the tasks?

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Figure

Command History

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Command

History

Figures

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Command

core of MATLAB

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Command

improve typing

Lesson  Learned:Balance between showing content & making interaction easier

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Command

improve typing

Lesson  Learned:Following OS standards doesn’t automatically produce a design that works for your user.

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Command

review results

Lesson  Learned:Provide a glimpse of essential information in context whenever possible.

History

reduce typing

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Figures

review all results

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Figures

look more in depth

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Figures

get the data

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Figures

look more in depth

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Figures

look more in depth

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Figures

data is everything

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Move Data Cursor

Can tap anywhere to move crosshair so you don’tcover selection

Lesson  Learned:When a user needs to select a specific location, find a way to keep fingers from blocking it.

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• Form small groups

• List what features you would include for MS Project on a smartphone

• Why?

Activity:

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Activity: MS Project

List what features you would include for MS Project on a smartphone.

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• View tasks & timeline separately

• Check task dates & status

• See how changing a task date affects project end date

• See what’s due now

• See what’s overdue

• Add a task from a template26

Some Ideas:

Who: Our iPad User

Users’ Needs iPad’s Real Estate

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further improve typingreduce screen switching

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reduce screen switching

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review all your results

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work using the history

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look more in depth

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User expectations:

• Local app

• Snappy performance

Local App vs. Cloud Connection

Lesson  Learned:Show feedback so users know what’s happening while the app completes a command.

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Zoom

Pixel zoom while fetching the new image

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Show Data Cursor

Display a message while retrieving data

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Handling loss of connectivity :

• History stored on the device

• Status preserved on the server

Local App vs. Cloud Connection

Lesson  Learned:Make dropped network connections invisible to users by saving session info and data on the device and in the cloud.

Lessons LearnedMobile

• Balance using real estate to show content & to make interaction easier

• Check that OS standards are right for your users

• Provide a glimpse of essential information in context whenever possible.

• Use the extra space of a tablet to address the pains of the small phone screen

Lessons LearnedMobile

• Know that fingers are fatter than mice

• Users tap - lots

Cloud

• Provide feedback and approximations

• Plan for dropped connections

Questions?

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