mobile app design and development best practices for senior demographics and global markets
DESCRIPTION
Updating the same presentation made at PodCampTO 2013, this slideshow discusses why your smartphone app needs to be accessible to meet the needs of older demographics and international markets. These markets drive smartphone market growth and will be the segments from which your app's newest users come.TRANSCRIPT
Mobile App Design and Functionality for Low Vision
Users
Penetrating International Markets and New
Demographics
Inclusive Design Meetup GroupWednesday, March 27, 2013
185 Frederick St.Devlin Digital
Raising AccessibilityStartup committed to breaking down barriers through technological solutions.
In November 2012 conducted a usability study observing how people who experience visual impairment use mobile devices and interact with apps.
Partnered with Devlin Digital and Good Wally, two pillars in the accessibility community.
Close connection with the Toronto Accessibility & Inclusive Design Meetup Group.
Sean PowerProject Lead on the Raising Accessibility low vision usability study.
Management Consultant for small- and medium-sized businesses with Bansal Power.
Sits on the Board of Directors and on the Accessibility Committee for a charity in Oshawa.
Hosted a panel discussion on disabilities in development with an international development charity.
Raising Accessibility Vision
Design and develop technology that re-thinks human communication.
Develop a set of tools that solve condition-specific problems for people with disabilities.
Make assistive technology an obsolete term.
Questions Answered
From which countries will your new users come in 2013 and on.
Among which demographics will your app become popular in 2013 and on.
How many of these new users experience a physical impairment.
Design and functionality recommendations for serving these disabled users.
Smartphone Adoption USA
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/smartphones-account-for-half-of-all-mobile-phones-dominate-new-phone-purchases-in-the-us/
Mobile Share of Global Web Traffic
http://impactofinformationsystemsonsociety.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/how-it-innovation-is-transforming-africa/mobile-share-of-web-traffic/
Reasons for Growth, Domestic and Int’l
Increased access to mobile broadband.
Price reduction for devices.
Increasingly robust app ecosystem.
Global Interest in Apps for Mobile
Regional Interest in Apps for Mobile
Questions Answered
From which countries will your new users come in 2013 and on.
Among which demographics will your app become popular in 2013 and on.
How many of these new users experience a physical impairment.
Design and functionality recommendations for serving these disabled users.
Smartphone Adoption by Demographic
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Smartphone-Update-2012/Findings.aspx
Population Pyramid USA 2010
http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/excellent-moving-graphic-showing-us-population-pyramid-1950-to-2010/
Questions Answered
From which countries will your new users come in 2013 and on.
Among which demographics will your app become popular in 2013 and on.
How many of these new users experience a physical impairment.
Design and functionality recommendations for serving these disabled users.
Physical Disability in Int’l MarketsSome challenges in measuring disability prevalence:
Countries define disability differently.
e.g. Canada/USA prevalence at 15%, India at 2% despite weaker health system.
Census/reporting data often incomplete.
Global Burden of Disease Survey estimates 15% of world’s population experiences disability.
World Health Organization’s World Health Survey estimates 10%.
Incomplete Data on Disability Prevalence
www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/chapter2.pdf
Impact Solution Can Make in Int’l Markets
Physical disabilities impact lives differently:
In North America, children with poor eye vision get glasses and stay in school.
In Brazil, many children with poor eye vision drop out due to lack of access to assistive devices.
Impact Solution Can Make in Int’l Markets
Rising Middle Class in Int’l Markets
www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/chapter2.pdf
Disability Among Seniors
Global Disability Prevalence, 45+ Years
www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/chapter2.pdf
Low Income Countries: High Disability Prevalence; High Interest in Mobile Apps
By Country, By Age
www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/chapter2.pdf
Questions Answered
From which countries will your new users come in 2013 and on.
Among which demographics will your app become popular in 2013 and on.
How many of these new users experience a physical impairment.
Design and functionality recommendations for serving these disabled users.
The Low Vision Usability Study
Audio of an Example of a Test
Methods Summary
Eight subjects, eight unique types of blindness.
Four tests managing controlled conditions.
Two variables: speed and accuracy during use.
Good Wally, accessibility consulting firm led by George Zamfir.
Devlin Digital Accessibility Lab.
Observe challenges, issues, surprises, or “duh” moments.
Recommendation 1
Make the most of audible and haptic (vibrating) alerts.
THREE OUT OF EIGHT LOW VISION SUBJECTS
WHO USED THE LOOP APP SUGGESTED THAT
AUDIBLE ALERTS WOULD BE ESPECIALLY
BENEFICIAL AND IMPROVE THEIR USER
EXPERIENCE (Power, 2013).
Recommendation 2
Use custom multi-touch gestures to improve navigation.
DURING OUR STUDY, SUBJECTS SOMETIMES
UNKNOWINGLY HELD THE PHONE UPSIDE
DOWN. ADJUSTING THE APP’S INTERFACE
ACCORDING TO THE PHONE’S POSITION
IMPROVES THE USER EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE
WITH LOW VISION (Power, 2013).
Recommendation 3
Use high contrast, large buttons.
CONSIDER ADDING THE ABILITY TO CHANGE
THE CONTRAST AND COLOUR OF BUTTONS IN
THE SETTINGS MENU. EVERYBODY’S EYES
WORK DIFFERENTLY (Power, 2013).
Recommendation 4
Think twice about how your app uses the camera.
SUBJECTS IN OUR FOCUS GROUP FOUND IT
DIFFICULT TO FIND THE OBJECT THEY HOPED
TO TARGET IN THE VIEWFINDER (Power,
2013).
Recommendation 5
Consider how spatial awareness might impact how users interact with your app.
SUBJECTS USING LOOP WERE UNSURE WHERE
TO HOLD THE DEVICE RELATIVE TO THEIR
FACE AND TO THE OBJECT BEING VIEWED.
MOST ENDED UP EXPERIMENTING WITH
DISTANCE UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OPTIMAL
LENGTH (Power, 2013).
Questions Answered
From which countries will your new users come in 2013 and on.
Among which demographics will your app become popular in 2013 and on.
How many of these new users experience a physical impairment.
Design and functionality recommendations for serving these disabled users.
Download the Whitepaper
http://www.raisingaccessibility.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Mobile-App-Design-and-Functionality-for-Low-Vision-Users.pdf
Sean Power @seanmpowerGeorge Batalinski @gbatalinski
Raising Accessibility @RaiseAccess facebook.com/RaisingAccessibilityhttp://raisingaccessibility.com