Mobile Interfaces

“Mobile devices have become pervasive, with people increasingly using them in all aspects of their everyday and working lives” (Rogers, Sharp, & Preece, 2012, p. 188).

Reflections

I use my phone for both work and pleasure. At work I stay connected with my coworkers while we are on the go, texting and responding to emails that would have had to wait if not for mobile phones. At home I stay up to date on what my friends are doing through social networking. For quick meetings with close coworkers I will use my phone to take notes on my OneNote app, but for longer meetings with larger groups of people I will carry my laptop with me and use my app on it. I often find myself needing to share test scenarios in our health information system with coworkers. It is easier to have it up and ready on my laptop when I arrive to their department than it is to find a computer to take over and loading everything up when I get there.

Thoughts

Ease of mobility is an important feature to consider when developing mobile interfaces. I love that the size of my current laptop is the same as my old one, but that it weighs about half as much and is twice as thin as my old one. This lightens my load and makes it less bulky. I am now able to carry my laptop in a large leather tote back instead of a back pack or laptop back.

References

Rogers, Y., Sharp, H., & Preece, J. (2012). Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.



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