Mobile UIs

Lecture #14 – April 28th, 2009

213: User Interface Design and Development

Today’s Outline

1) The Future is Mobile

2) Trouble with Mobile UIs

3) History of Mobile UIs

4) Mobile Development Platforms

The Future is Mobile

> 1.5 billion mobile phones worldwide– ~500M PC’s

Exponential growth in China, India, AfricaFirst electronic technology to be more rapidly

adopted in developing worldIPhone has become the #1 mobile data client

on Google

Adapted from Maneesh Agarwala

The Trouble with Mobile UIs

User Interface– Adapted point-and-click-and-drag metaphor– Text entry is difficult– Limited attention

Programming Model– Proprietary APIs and programming environments– Web-based applications require online connection

History

Apple Newton

Introduced in 1993, discontinued in 1998Design issues:

– Text, shape recognition (error-prone)– Size (too large)– Connectivity (limited to synchronization,

messaging)

Adapted from Scott Klemmer

Source: The Simpsons, Lisa on Ice

Palm Pilot

Introduced in 1996Design solutions:

– Human-aided recognition (Graffiti)– Pocket-size (Wooden block experiment)– Easy to sync (Single button operation)

Adapted from Scott Klemmer

Nokia

Adapted from Scott Klemmer Source: Scott Jenson, The Simplicity Shift. Cambridge University Press, 2002.

Phone / Computer Convergence

Blackberry (“Crackberry”)

Introduced in 1999Design solutions:

– Full QWERTY Keyboard – Optimized for E-mail, Messaging– Dominance in the US business market

Adapted from Scott Klemmer

IPhone

Introduced in 2007Design solutions:

– Multi-touch screen (Zooming / Panning)– Soft keyboard (Predictive)– Dynamic layout (Portrait vs. Landscape)– Proximity sensor, Accelerometer– Integrate Mail, Music, Mobile Phone

Adapted from Scott Klemmer

Development PlaformsMany are proprietary, closed and/or require licensing

–Symbian

–BREW

–Python

–XHMTL

–WAP

–GSM

–NET

–J2ME

–Android

–Qt

–Linux

–IPhone

Text Input Methods

Multi-tapT9 (dictionary-based)PredictiveSoft keys

Adapted from Maneesh Agarwala

Adapted from Maneesh Agarwala

Adapted from Maneesh Agarwala

Adapted from Maneesh Agarwala

For Next Time

Final Project Presentations starting Thursday!

15 mins + 5 mins for questions