| Developing user friendly mobile phones. | | | | phones. The phone they carry with them |
| Because of the variety of handheld devices to | | | | expresses their personality in a similar way as |
| choose from, usability can be a very powerful | | | | their car does. |
| distinguishing factor. Good designed mobile phones | | | | As you can see a lot is been undertaken to get |
| mean happy users, and satisfied customers | | | | the phone from the drawing board to the |
| become loyal customers. By understanding the | | | | consumer. |
| techniques of Handheld Usability you can give the | | | | Industrial design and functionality are the factors |
| consumers what they want and need, and get it | | | | that affect a purchasing decision the most, in |
| right the first time. | | | | addition to the price. |
| The main goal of usability professionals working on | | | | Adding your view on mobile phone design. |
| mobile phones is to develop devices from the | | | | Did you ever had an amazing idea on mobile |
| end-user needs’ perspective, and not only | | | | phone design? like you there are others that have |
| based on technical possibilities. The main task is to | | | | these visions in this evolving age of mobile phone |
| ensure that the target user group of each model | | | | design and the need to improve the old ways or |
| can operate the device fluently and with joy. | | | | to come up with a fresh new idea or stylish |
| Some examples of what should be taken in | | | | design. |
| considderation is presented below. | | | | Mobile phone producing companies are always |
| Input | | | | looking for new ideas, the next trends or hype if |
| Output | | | | you want to call it that. What if you can make an |
| Software | | | | effort to put something new out there? Would |
| Other | | | | you be interested? |
| - Ergonomics of keys & the whole device | | | | You don't have to be a professional industrial |
| - Key discovery | | | | designer or someone in that category if you want |
| - Text input | | | | to put your idea(s) out there. |
| - Touch screen input | | | | On these galleries [ you can place your design and |
| - Speech input | | | | ideas on mobile phone design either fully digitalized |
| - Motion gestures | | | | or as a scanned image of a paper drawing. It is all |
| - Display qualit | | | | about getting the idea out there since this is most |
| - Audio quality | | | | of the time the best way for things to get |
| - Haptic feedback | | | | started. |
| - User interface consistency | | | | Does the design need to be perfect you might |
| - Information visualization | | | | ask? No, your effort to put your idea out there is |
| - Usability within single applications | | | | enough and much appreciated by anyone affiliated |
| - Application interworking | | | | in the mobile phone producing markets. |
| - Mechanics (e.g. battery change) | | | | Of course you can leave some info about |
| - Cover material | | | | yourself to get noticed by others or hopefully if |
| - Graceful power saving | | | | you pursue a career in industrial design to be |
| - Accessories | | | | noticed by the big companies involved with mobile |
| Regarding handheld device functionality, a small | | | | phone design. |
| device does have its limitations, but being mobile | | | | The interface of the mobile phone is very |
| brings also huge benefits. In comparisement to | | | | important for the users of mobile phones and |
| stationary devices, a mobile device that users | | | | overall design combined with functionality is what |
| carry with them almost all the time gives new an | | | | is most appealing to the public for buying a mobile |
| innovating oppurtunities for applications and | | | | phone. Ever used a phone that had dial buttons so |
| features. | | | | small you would press other numbers by |
| Other then usability and marketing, there is also | | | | mistake? Well, i did and it can be very frustrating |
| emotions research, which is aimed at | | | | and if you have experienced a similar situation you |
| understanding what users feel and why when | | | | would likely feel the same. Therefor making a |
| interacting with the device, and what brings about | | | | serious professional design requires some if not a |
| a joyful user experience. People have an | | | | lot of research to make any mobile phone design |
| emotional relationship with their personal mobile | | | | attractive towards the public. |