i know it’s here somewhere: finding content on mobile devices

I Know It’s Here Somewhere: Finding Content on Mobile Devices

Cheryl LandesChief Findability Strategist, Tabby Cat Communications

Charles CooperVice President, The Rockley Group

@Cooper_42 cooper@rockley.com ©201

@landescclandes@tabbycatco.com

Agenda

• Overview of findability• What it is, how you do it, how

not to do it

• Demos from the electronic petting zoo• Examples of the above

Today’s word: Findability

• Findability is the ability to actually discover and retrieve the information you’re seeking.

• Findability = Navigation + Search

What is navigation?

• Navigation is how you move around in content.• To navigate, you use:• Buttons• Tabs• Tables of contents• Menus• Links• Indexes

Navigational control considerations

• Are controls intuitive? • refresh button on Kindle Reader• tabs on Adobe Digital Editions• Where did the controls go anyway?

• Do controls follow the familiar UI standards?• Do you know to where the controls will lead?• Can you return to where you were?• Can you retrace your virtual steps, if needed?

What is search?

• Search is the act of looking for specific content by entering a query in a search engine.

• Queries consist of keywords, or search terms, that displays the information the search engine finds.

• The search engine displays the results of the query from most to least relevant.

Search considerations

• Is the search interface intuitive?• Do you really know where you’re searching?• Can you get useful, relevant results when you enter

a search term?

Start at the beginning - Indexing

Rahel Anne Bailie:

The reason people hire content strategists is that people can’t find anything.

- from Rahel’s “Content Strategy in a Day” workshop in San Jose, January 23, 2013

Why are Indexes Important?

• Indexes point users exactly to the information they’re seeking.

• Indexes also provide alternate points of entry for the same terms (synonyms).

• Indexes also lump together important topics in the book so that the user can find all of the information organized in one place. Not always obvious in table of contents.

Indexes vs Tables of Contents

• A table of contents is simply a list of headings in the content. These headings usually do not contain the terms that people are seeking, and if they do, the information may be more general.

• An index contains specific terms pulled from the discussions in the content the leads readers directly to that information.

Considerations for Indexing Intelligent Content

• Who is your audience?• What are your audience’s needs?• Which devices are your readers using?• What are the interface limitations of the devices?• What types of content will your readers want to

find?• How many terms can you include to help your

readers find the same content? (language background, cultural differences)

The Basics

• Ecosystems• Readers and reader apps• EPUB• Apple (EPUB’ish)• Kindle (mobi and KF8)• Barnes and Noble Nook (EPUB’ish)• Kobo (EPUB’ish)

Ecosystem

Tablets vs eReaders

Ecosystems and Apps

• Computers can support multiple ecosystems

• Windows• Kindle Desktop• Kobo Desktop• Sony Reader Library• NOOK for PC• Adobe Digital

Editions• Blio

• Apple• iBooks• Kindle Desktop• Kobo Desktop• Sony Reader Library• NOOK for Mac• Adobe Digital

Editions• Blio

Updates – EPUB 3

• Not HTML based, XHTML based• In general, the enhancements include:• Improved language and typography support• Greater accessibility options and increased

multimedia support• Better layout• Enhanced metadata• MathML support• Enhanced SVG support• Can do fixed layout

Updates – Apple EPUB

• Goin’ their own way…• Fixed layout based on EPUB 3• Each page is treated like a custom sized book,

and ‘bound’ together• Text is not reflowable• Multiple font sizes are not supported, readers

can only zoom in and out• PNG or JPEG images are supported• Graphics can be used as page backgrounds• Text positioning is done by the CSS stylesheet

and placement can be done line-by-line or in chunks

Updates – KF8 (Kindle)

• Goin’ their own (different) way…• Based on Mobi, with HTML5 and CSS3 (like

EPUB3)

• Can do fixed format (Print replica content)• “Text pop ups’ expand and highlight text• ‘Kindle Panel view’ does the same for graphic

novels

• Does not support embedded, synchronised video or audio

Updates – Nook

• Nook is only available in the USA, will be available in the UK this spring.

• That’s a lot of places where your content won’t be seen.

Updates – Kobo

• Everywhere but the USA, until this spring.

• Reads EPUB, both with and without DRM.

Problems and Challenges

Buttons

• Back buttons in Kindle Reader• Mouse location dependent

• Unfamiliar buttons, or buttons that look like something else• What does that refresh button do?

• Where did the buttons go?• Various devices

• Location of menus• Kindle Reader

• Help can be confusing

• Chapter location, rather than page location?• Where am I?• Various devices

Designing for Paper, but Online

• Blank Pages• Footnotes that aren’t

Getting Carried Away

• Pillars of the Earth • Application vs Ebook

• Footnotes• What happens if your scroll off the page?

• Links to external articles

Table of Contents

• Pillars of the Earth• Chapter info only

Table of Contents

• Conversation and Community

Tables

• Tables are always an issue on mobile. Some options include:• Tables where screen real estate permits• Image of the table• Modularized table• Fixed first column, scrolling remainder• Cascading list• Drill down • Link to offsite table

• Tables are inherently structured, you just need to map your table structure to desired output

• Tables were designed for paper – is there a better way online?

Tables

• 500 Low Glycemic Index Recipes

• Cloud Computing

Tables

• 500 Low Glycemic Index Recipes

• Cloud Computing

• MS Style Guide

Lack of an Index

• What Index?

Search

• Lack of speed if not indexed• Does the platform even do search?

Let’s end on a high note

Supporting multiple devices?

• Don’t assume that the same content on one device should look or be accessed in the same way on different devices

Intelligent Life – The Economist

App vs Web app

• Web app, notice the little connection icon

• Local app Downloads once and does not access web

Summary

• Well-designed wayfinding helps you find the content you need, and you’ll remember where to find it when you need it again.

• Poorly designed wayfinding hinders your ability to find content, resulting in wasted time and frustration.

Contact information

• Cheryl Landesclandes@tabbycatco.comwww.tabbycatco.com

• Charles Coopercooper@rockley.comwww.rockley.com

i know it’s here somewhere: finding content on mobile devices

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