The Constraints of Mobile Browsing

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artefact supports Internet Explorer, Opera, Firefox and Netscape
to see my critique of mobile browsing and the constraints that it faces.

I produced my artefact on a PDA as this leant itself well to an ease of navigation as the user interacts with the device using an ‘anoto pen’ that works on a touch screen basis. The artefact starts with a movie clip of a user selecting the Internet on the small screen device. As soon as the Internet starts a costing bar is inserted at the top of the screen which goes up by ten pence every 5 seconds. This was to demonstrate how expensive mobile browsing can be and how this is what puts a lot of people off using it. The device then automatically loads a page called ‘text you can’t see’. This is based on a page I found from re-vision.com/hell called ‘big ugly banner’ which was designed to show the mistakes that web designers can make, however I adjusted this page to show how difficult it can be to view a page and all of the text on it from such a small screen. It included discrete banners that read ‘put your glasses’ on and ‘this is flat-out stupid’. The page purposely had very small text and lots of scroll bars to resemble how the user has to scroll on a small screen device if they want to see all of the information.

I produced a URL bar that was designed to show how difficult and time consuming it is just to enter a web address. I configured the URL bar so that it went to ebay.com by default. Once the address had been entered I created a loading bar that demonstrated how slow small devices can be to load simple pages. I inserted comments such as ‘bored yet?’ and ‘annoying eh’ to further demonstrate this point. Once the loading has completed the ‘overly simplified’ Ebay page is presented to the user. I came up with this idea to show how pages have to become extremely simplified in order for them to be viewed properly. I created this page so that it gave the user a very limited number of options. As soon as the user tried to interact with the page they are presented with a message that reads ‘this program has performed an illegal operation and will shut down’. This is to demonstrate how there are still many problems with these small devices and mobile browsing can often be interrupted. Once the device turns on and the Internet is once again selected the user is presented with a lastminute.com website which shows a selection of one hotel and then in the same format the remaining options read ‘there are loads and loads more hotels available, but they won’t fit. Sorry’ and ‘there is a free holiday available but you can’t see it because it is off the screen’. I wanted this to further emphasise how information has to be simplified in order for it to be viewed on the small screen and the user is often missing out on extra information etc.

From my research I considered how it might be commercial companies that are trying to stop progression towards mobile browsing, as there is little or no space for advertising. In order to resemble this I used a series of corrupt style images that flashed quickly on the device so to appear as if it was broken. This series then stops to read ‘you cannot use the Internet on your PDA as us companies are going to stop you as there is no room for advertising’ ‘got the message’. The screen then turns off once more and then when switched on again the ‘anoto pen’ selects the Internet. The user is then presented with a yahoo.com web page however they are quickly interrupted by a SMS message that reads ‘Jst thought I would txt you 2 interrupt ur browsing of the Internet. I thought that it would b real annoying. Is it? See u L8r M8’. This was created to demonstrate how easily mobile browsing can become interrupted as the devices does many more functions. The device reverts back to the yahoo.com page and now the user is given the chance to read the text on screen which is designed to show how long it can take to view a relatively small page by stating ‘if you want to see the whole page you will have to scroll up, down, left, right and diagonal and it will take you 1 hour just to view this page’.

I then wanted to show how difficult it can be to read text on screen due to glare, contrast, etc. I showed text on a background that competed with the colour of the text itself to demonstrate this point. I also created a page to follow this one to show how text is made up of pixels and how it is easier to read the more pixels that there are on screen as it becomes more defined. This is something that is somewhat of a challenge on a small screen as they have relatively low levels of dpi (dots per inch). I then wanted to show how it can be annoying for graphic designers to have there work viewed on a small screen as it cannot be fully appreciated so therefore I created a page with some graphic artwork on it along with some text from a graphic designer stating how the user cannot fully appreciate there work.

Finally I created a battery low warning. This was supposed to interrupt the user once they had got into the flow of using the Internet on this small screen. The device then runs out of battery to end the users browsing and complete the digital artefact.

Revised Idea - BFI London Film Festival

I have chosen to revise my idea that I had previously for the Cannes Film Festival and i have now changed it to the London Film Festival because after some research i discovered that it would be unlikely that the film corporations would allow the public to view the films before release, due to the fact that the Cannes Film Festival is designed for selling films.

Within the London Film Festival there are often many premiers of up and coming films, these may include independent dramatic films, documentary films, non-competitive showcase art films and Holly/Bollywood enforced films that will be shown worldwide. In order for the public to gain more interaction with this private event I have devised a way in which they can view the films immediately after the initial premiers.

The concept is as follows: there will be a large building containing many screens. This building will only hold screens, no kiosk, no pay desks, no nothing (maybe some toilets). The user will approach the doorway to any of these screens and will automatically be Bluetoothed a preview of the film being shown. The reason for this is because none of the general public will have seen any previews for the films as they will be in their infancy and will have only just presented their premiere. The user will then walk to any or all of the other screen entrances and, again, they will be sent a Bluetooth message containing a preview, this is so the user can choose which film to see.

Once the member has chosen which film they wish to view they will take a picture of a Semacode (a type of barcode that can be read using a photo from a camera phone) situated outside the entrance to the screen showing the required film. This Semacode will then be used to automatically deduct the cost of viewing the film from the users phone credit/balance. In response the user will receive an SMS message containing a code to enter at the entrance to the film.

Upon departure of the film the user may then deposit an SMS or Bluetooth message within a review pool located at a specified review hotspot. This review and many others written by the viewers can then be read by any potential future viewers. New customers would stand within range of the review pool and browse the comments left using their mobile web browsers. This will then aid their decision as to what film to watch along with the received previews. The reviews left by previous customers may also be automatically uploaded to an Internet site where people from all over the world will be able to see the comments.

I have also considered some other potential areas that could be incorporated into my idea. I realised the potential of targeting customers with similar interests as they leave the cinema at the end of the film using Bluetooth advertising. The cinema could send messages recommending other films that the viewers may consider watching. This would be successful as you will be able to stream influential messages to a group that have something in common (even if it is just the enjoyment of film). Therefore this is allowing the cinema to conduct specific advertising to a specific audience therefore possibly resulting in a higher success rate of the advertisements.


Do i know who my audience is?
The audience that I will be targeting will be those that enjoy cinema and film. This I realise, is a large audience, however as it is only limited to the event of the London Film Festival then it will be specifically targeted at those participating, visiting or surrounding the immediate event.

How do they consume media?
The audience will be consuming through cinema, but not only cinema, as in order to interact with the event they will be using their phones/PDAs as a platform to communicate and gain a richer experience from the event.

What do they enjoy doing?
Those participating within this area of the event are going to have an obvious interest in film and cinema. I should also consider that these people are going to be people that are interested in seeing films before anyone else and so therefore they are going to be the first group to advertise the film to. By targeting this enjoyment I can reach other potential customers through recommendation, either through word of mouth, PR or even the comments pools containing customer feedback.


Incorporated Technology

Bluetooth is an open specification for seamless short-range wireless data and voice communications between mobile and stationary devices. For instance, it specifies how mobile phones, computers and PDAs interconnect with each other, with computers, and with office or home phones. The first generation of Bluetooth permits the exchange of data up to a rate of 1mbps, even in areas with a great deal of electromagnetic disturbance. Bluetooth transmits and receives via a short-range radio link using a globally available frequency band (4.4Ghz ISM band).

I also considered using infrared technology to communicate with the user, however, this requires a direct line of site (up to 20 feet) between the two devices (comments pool and phone) and so therefore this would not be suitable if lots of people wanted to use the same technology at once.

WAP: Wireless Application Protocol is a secure specification that allows users to access information via hand-held wireless devices.

Roaming is the means by which a mobile phone links up to a different base station as they come within range.

SMS (Short Message Service) is a service available on most digital mobile phones (and other mobile devices, e.g. a Pocket PC, or occasionally even desktop computers) that permits the sending of short messages (also known as text messages) between mobile phones and other devices.

Semacode is the name for machine-readable ISO/IEC 16022 Data Matrix symbols which encode Internet URL’s. It is primarily aimed at being used with mobile phones which have built-in cameras. Using Semacode software, a URL can be converted into a type of barcode resembling a crossword puzzle, which is called a "tag". Tags can be quickly captured with a mobile phone's camera and decoded to obtain a Web site address.

The Creation of a Multimedia Guide to Marwell Zoo, Winchester, UK

Christian Langer, Lapavalley GmbH

“Multimedia guides for museums, exhibitions and similar venues were already a subject of discussion in 2002. So when we founded our company, we realised that we needed to set ourselves apart from potential competitors and find our own market niche. We developed the idea of producing mobile multimedia guides for zoos, animal perks and aquariums. To be as convincing in our acquisition of clients, we designed a realistic demonstration guide.

To make a name for ourselves, we sent a brochure describing the exact functions of our guide to almost all the zoos In the UK. We were fortunate to receive a positive response fairly quickly; Marwell Zoological Park in Winchester was interested.

In an Initial meeting we presented our demonstration guide to the zoo's Director, Deputy Director, Marketing and Promotion Officer and Head of Education, The reactions were very positive, but we were not able to remove all doubts about this new technology. Marwell was very interested, but the zoo was not keen to be the first zoo in the UK to bear thee full risk of funding such a project. However, we wanted to preserve our chance to implement the pilot project as far as possible.

After brief negotiations, the two parties came to the following agreement: Marwell was willing to fund the hardware, and we were willing to develop the software, free of charge, as our share of the risk, The potential revenue from hiring the device to visitors was then to be shared.

Marwell was very cooperative in the organisation of the content and the interface design. Of course the guide needed to fit in with the existing corporate design, but otherwise we largely had a free hand and were able to experiment with the system in the location until we, along with the voluntary testers and the responsible parties, were finally satisfied.

The picture material that Marwell sent to us in the form of a VHS video and some photo CDs proved to be almost redundant. There was obviously some confusion about the entertaining and instructive potential of our multimedia guides - alter all, a visitor does not want to see a video clip of a sleeping panther if he is standing in front of the enclosure in which the same panther is sleeping.

So we decided to produce the picture content ourselves. We went inside a number of animal enclosures, hid the feed of big cats inside jute sacks, stroked rhinos, tapirs, bird-eating spiders and more, and we recorded everything on video or by taking photographs, We also interviewed some keepers, and we accompanied the vet on his rounds. After a week we had collected enough material to fill the guide with exciting and informative content.

Initially we had problems with the hardware. The PDAs had to be enclosed in a waterproof covering so that they could survive both wet weather and accidental submersion in the penguin pool! However, the plastic waterproof bags with transparent windows, which were specially made for the device, had a detrimental effect on the contrast of the displays, and this effect was exacerbated in bright sunlight, After two weeks of conducting usability tests carried out with volunteers from all age groups, it was clear that the contrast of all graphics had to be enhanced in order to ensure their legibility.

In August 2003 we launched our first multimedia guide, almost 10 months after our first contract with Marwell. Now the devices have been in operation for more than two years, and all parties are more than satisfied with the results. The number of units hired out per quarter shows very clearly that our work was worthwhile and visitors to Marwell have enthusiastically received the guide.”

I think that this article helps to give a true insight into implementing a digital device for a particular purpose. It shows that when creating the device you need to work closely with the client to make sure that you are both working towards the same thing. Marwell zoo stated what their needs were and then the creators were then allowed to do what they wanted with these requirements as they had the knowledge as to how was going to be best to implement it.

The article also showed me that there can be many unforeseen problems that can hinder the project. The article states that the designers used usability testing and this helped to show the real problems with the device before it was launched. The results of the project show that the constant development and revisions can mean for a hugely successful result.

I will be considering these areas when designing my device, as I will need to conduct lots of research into how my device is going to be technologically feasible. I will need to realise the problems that it may encounter and work our ways in which i can prevent or overcome them.