Illusionmedia.com
Mobile devices are continually becoming more popular in
both work and educational settings. When designing images for mobile devices,
it is important to remember that your mobile design should revolve around the
user. It is essential to condense the information you want to incorporate so that
it includes only the main points so that you can create a user-friendly image
that isn’t overwhelming or crowded with information. A problem that arises when
creating images for mobile devices is that they all vary in screen size. When
creating images, it is important to figure out if you are designing for a
wide-range of devices, or just a specific device (such as an iPhone).
Some things to make sure of when designing for mobile
devices:
·
The site logo should be clear
·
Headers should stretch to 100% of the screen
width
·
Content images should be no larger than 80% of
the screen width
·
Content images should be automatically scaled
and optimized to screen width
This is a great video/presentation
about designing for mobile devices (with the focus being in an educational
setting). I
love that the speaker says that mobile devices are convenient, they lighten our
load. Mobile devices are extremely popular so it is important that we know how
to design content for them.
I have never designed an image for a mobile device, so I
found these 2 articles helpful:
*Here are some helpful tools to create images for mobile devices:
Questions:
1) Have
any of you ever had to design an image for mobile devices? How did you do this?
2) Are
mobile devices used in your workplace? If so, how are they being used?
3) How
could you implement mobile devices into your workplace? What kind of content
would you design?
Cerejo, L. (2011). A user-centered approach to
web design for mobile devices. Retrieved from http://mobile.smashingmagazine.com/2011/05/02/a-user-centered-approach-to-mobile-design/
Rieger, B. (2009). Effective design for multiple
screen sizes. Retrieved from
http://mobiforge.com/designing/story/effective-design-multiple-screen-sizes
Question 1: I am currently enrolled in the Video/Audio production class with Dr. Ingram and our current projects involve creating ebooks with iBooks Author which will be Apple-device compatible. We have talked as a class about what goes into ensuring images and websites are compatible across devices and operating systems, but I have yet to experience this myself. From my limited knowledge, I believe iBooks Author will automatically format appropriately. However, other applications such as Wix (website developer) provide a separate builder specifically for mobile phones. I am eager to build out the ebooks and gain experience with the multi-platform adaptation process.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: The only job I currently hold that utilizes mobile devices is my retail job in the mall. We have a store iPad which is used on the floor to place orders for products which we do not carry in-store. There has been great feedback from customers and it generates significantly more business for the company. The iPad is ałso used for training updates and new launches (anything beyond initial on board training. In addition, the company also developed several apps and social media sites which provide marketing, coupons, giveaways, games, and build a "relationship" with the customer (a trend with businesses and social media, taking mobile devices to another realm outside of the possibilities for mobile training).
I have to say that the apps that have been created by that company are very useful! Having used them before myself, it brought me into the store a couple more times than I would have because they informed me of sales/specials going on. Very effective! And very cool that they use the iPad for actual training purposes.
DeleteQuestion 1: No I have never had to design an image or material for a mobile device. I do however, appreciate the people that do because it seems though there is a lot of thought and planning that goes into that material. It seems especially challenging to create an image or some sort of other material that will be used across different types of mobile devices. Not only do you have to ensure it fits to the appropriate screen size, but you also have to think about whether or not material that looks okay on a bigger device (i.e. iPad) will be readable on a device with a much smaller screen (i.e. iPhone).
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: Mobile devices are used where a work, but rarely. For example, I recently attended the Student Teacher Career Fair in Festival before spring break. My job was to do brief interviews with each of the visiting school representatives to get a feel for what is about our JMU student teachers that makes them appealing as new hires. Instead of carrying around a pencil and paper or even my 13' laptop, I used an iPad. I was able to logon to the Qualtrics survey that was created and start a new survey for each representative I interviewed with. This made it much easier to calculate the responses and to analyze the data. I also received many comments from various representatives in that I looked very professional walking around with an iPad (for whatever that is worth!). Other than this instance, my bosses nor I use mobile devices for our daily work. Other employees around me, though, often do.
Question 3: I am not really sure how I would implement mobile devices into my job specifically. My boss does do various interviews with faculty and attends many meetings. Here again she could use an iPad. However, I cannot think of a way that mobile devices could be used for learning in my job.
Thanks, Katie, I really enjoyed the articles you offered us! Very insightful.
ReplyDeleteNo, I have not yet had to design for mobile devices, but as Caitlin mentioned, mobile design is a hot topic within our video production class with Dr. Ingram. He stresses that it is always critical to be aware, even before you begin shooting video or recording audio, of your project’s technological constraints. These constraints can affect so much, and I find myself now thinking about how audio and video will sound/look once it is compressed as well how graphics will appear on different sized screens and with different resolutions. What I found really fascinating in the article you provided, Katie, from Smashing Magazine, was how much content must be adapted to fit not just the technological needs of audiences using mobile devices, but also to fit the CONTEXT in which these users will be working and accessing the information. Content must be succinct, with no frills, to meet the needs of on-the-go, busy users. It makes sense that these folks need readily available and easy-to-use navigation within the site/module because they likely are in a hurry. It also makes sense that content within the module must be displayed into a list of links, chunking content into prioritized sections based on pre-identified user needs. I’ll admit, I am one of the few in the world that still does not yet own a smartphone, but when I am using my friend’s smartphones, I often get frustrated when I cannot find the link that allows me to view the “full website,” in its original, non-modified, non-mobile form. Some websites almost “hide” this full-feature link, and I find myself wasting time just to find where that link is located. Does anyone else find this to be true?? While chunking content into buttons or links on the main page of a website or module is a great way to accommodate on-the-go users, I think it is also important that the option to view the site/module in its full form is just as readily accessible, for those that may need the extra options or links not found in the mobile version. Even if the full-version site appears a bit distorted on a mobile device, it’s still useful to offer that as a viewing option if it can help users access information in the ways they’re used to.
While I in no way feel comfortable effectively designing media for mobile devices yet, I think much more now thinking about each design decision I make, regarding its impact on users accessing instruction on mobile devices. Knowing how to design for mobile devices is a critical skill that I need to hone.
This was an interesting topic, especially since mobile devices and apps are so frequently used. I feel like I take advantage of the simplicity afforded in my life by these products, yet never think about what it takes to create them.
ReplyDelete1. I have never created anything for mobile devices. I think this could be tricky because you are trying to convey the right information on the proper platform. You have to think about whether an app or the web would be most beneficial.
2.In my school, which is a K-2 school, we are lucky to have two iPads per classroom. In my classroom we only utilize apps, which for kindergarten students is an awesome way for them to be independent with this technology. If these students had to get onto the Internet and type a URL it would be nearly impossible for them to do this. The students are able to listen to books read aloud, as well as play math and reading games.
3. The perfect way for me to implement mobile devices is by having a product such as the iPad. This gives students a device that they can use no matter the age. Having apps has made this possible. If I was designing content I would stick would educational apps. I feel like I would be able to combine the material the students need to learn while providing them a fun experience.
I think the topic of mobile devices for learning is very interesting. Both of these articles were interesting and very informative.
ReplyDelete1. I have never created anything for a mobile device. But, I have noticed that some content creation software are now including options such as iPod, iPad, etc. on their export options.
2. At my work, I believe the full time employees are issued iPad's. They use these for taking notes in meeting or keep calendar's etc. We also have and ipad and ipod touch that we will check out to faculty.
3. I work at the CIT and we help instructional faculty with to develop their technology skills or answer questions they have about the technology. One of the things I would like to see is the CIT support and encourage more integration of mobile devices into the classroom. Here is an example of the CIT at DUKE and what they did with ipods.
http://cit.duke.edu/pdf/reports/ipod_initiative_04_05.pdf