The document describes a prototype for a mobile app called Minibus Lite that helps users find bus routes and schedules in Hong Kong. The prototype walks through a scenario where a college student named Abby uses the app to find a bus from Tai Wo to her home in Tai Po. It provides feedback on the user interface and functionality to improve the usability and help users more easily accomplish their goals. Key recommendations include basing function design on usage scenarios, using descriptive labels, presenting information to support decision making, and providing errors to help users diagnose issues and try again.

1. Adapting For
Small Screen
January 28, 2010
Ada Yuen

2. Minibus Lite
• “[B]us Route Search Engine
covers over 800 bus route
information of [major Hong
Kong bus companies]...”
• “MAP” and “GPS information”
available on Minibus GPS
Hong Kong 3.0
2

3. Start with Scenario
3

4. Abby Au
College student, early 20’s
6-month experience in iPhone and iPhone apps
A*ernoon on Jan 24, Sunday
Bought a Macbook here
Take it home (Tai Wo in Tai Po)
Less walking preferably
4

5. Her home
She is here.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/
5
Hong_Kong_Tai_Po_District.svg/1000px-Hong_Kong_Tai_Po_District.svg.png

6. Let me use miniBus Lite to
find out:
• If a bus can take me to
Tai Po
• Bus number
• Bus stop location
6

7. Which function is right for
Abby?
Labels should:
• Be unambiguous
• Help users make selections.
7

8. 8

9. iPhone Human Interface
Guidelines:
• “Use a disclosure indicator in
a row when selecting the row
results in the display of
another list.”
Use checkmark.
9

10. 10

11. Good! I can take 373.
Where is the bus stop?
11

12. Where is the bus stop?
What do “Downwards” and
“Upwards” mean?
12

13. 13

14. Consider less noisy way to
present pricing information.
Unclear what “$-(-)” means
14

15. Today is Sunday.
No 373 today.
15

16. Utilize current time:
• Tell users that 373 is not
available on previous screen.
• Highlight “Monday to
Saturday” here.
16

17. Utilize user input:
• Display “From Sheung
Wan...” timetable first.
17

18. Enhance credibility:
• Check spelling
• Consistent language
18

19. ! 373 (KMB)
Sheung Wan Bus Terminus to
Sheung Shui Bus Terminus
Monday to Saturday
6:45am to 7:30am (4 times)
Bus Stops & Fares
Sheung Shui Bus Terminus to
Sheung Wan Bus Terminus
Monday to Saturday
6:45pm to 7:20pm (5 times)
Bus Stops & Fares
19

20. 111: Ping Shek to ...
Adult: 9.3; Child / Senior: $4.7
Adult: 5.7; Child / Senior: $2.9
20

21. Now what?
How to go home?
21

22. Recommend buses that go
to other Tai Po areas.
22

23. Enable users to be less
specific (i.e., choose the
whole district).
Group the bus results by
smaller areas.
23

24. Important is seeing
very precise results?
(Satisficing)
User Effort
to Input All Bus Details
Beneficial is seeing some results quickly?
(Instant gratification)
Quality of Search Results
24

25. 25

26. What are “keywords”?
Reduce trial and error:
• Use descriptive labels.
• Provide examples.
26

27. 27

28. How to try again?
Does not help users
diagnose:
• No bus from here to Tai Po?
• Wrong input?
28

29. Same as “Point to Point
(Easy)” function?
29

30. Buses do not go to Tai Po.
Functionality of “Point to
Point (Advanced)” is
unclear.
30

31. Not easy to discover
31

32. In what scenarios:
• Know the operator of a bus?
• Group buses by bus
operators?
32
30

33. Confusing icons
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/
a/a5/HK_MK_Mongkok_Market_KMB_Bus_Stop_03a.jpg
33
30

34. 34

35. Labels need to help users
make selections.
Provide examples.
35

36. 36

37. Users do not expect
✔ ✘ the second input
control to modify the
first one.
37

38. What does it mean by
“Central” and “Bus
Number”?
38

39. Does not help users
diagnose and try again.
39

40. 40

41. Valid scenarios:
• I think 101 or 102 to go to
Tai Po. Let me check.
• 101 and 102 stop here. May be
one of them go to Tai Po. Let
me check.
41

42. Combine “Bus Number” and
“All Bus Details.”
42

43. In what scenarios users
would want to know
what buses pass through
Central?
43

44. How is it different from
“Point to Point (Easy)”?
Combine with
“All Bus Details.”
Unclear scenarios
44

45. How is it different from
“Point to Point (Easy)”?
Combine with
“All Bus Details.”
Unclear scenarios
45

46. 46

47. Add indexed list and
“Bus Number” function to
speed up search.
47

48. Key Takeaways
48

49. Walkthrough your designs
49

50. Function design to base on
scenarios
50

51. Use descriptive labels
51

52. Presenting information to
support decision making
52

53. Presenting error to
support correction
53

54. Thank You
:
info@AddiThink.com
:
9426-9341, 9031-9443