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The Many Faces of Mobile

The Many Faces of Mobile

CASE Indiana 2011

Erik Runyon

April 16, 2011
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  1. The Many Faces of Mobile Erik Runyon Web Developer University

    of Notre Dame CASE Indiana, April 15, 2011
  2. What we'll be covering • Styling for mobile (when “m.”

    is not an option) • Institution site • Mobile site • Native apps
  3. Keep Your Site small • Once upon a time we

    cared about download size • Mobile users will probably be downloading over a cellular network • Large images can scale down, but your users will pay for it
  4. Re-think Screen Size • Screens have been getting larger… until

    now • Mobile is more than just phones • Since the release of the iPad, tablets are a big deal
  5. Build a Strategy • Decide what you’re supporting, and to

    what extent • Gather a suite of test devices, emulators and users • Understand your sites won’t look perfect on every device. Focus instead on usability. • Continually adjust your strategy
  6. They serve different purposes People go to the website because

    they can't wait for the next alumni magazine, right? What do you mean, you want a campus map? One of our students made one as a CS class project back in '01! You can click to zoom and everything! Source: http://xkcd.com/773/
  7. They Serve Different Purposes • Information gatherers • Casual browsers

    • This is where the letter from the President belongs (if you must) Main Site Mobile Site • Looking for something specific • Task oriented • Keep content short
  8. The State of the Mobile Web in Higher Ed (April

    2011) • 37% of the survey respondents provide a solution (mobile website, accessible website, native mobile device applications etc.) targeting and serving owners of mobile devices. • 58% of the survey respondents with an existing solution have chosen to serve their mobile web users through a dedicated mobile website and only 22% with native applications for specific devices. http://media.higheredexperts.com.s3.amazonaws.com/hee_mobsurvey2011.pdf
  9. Redirecting Mobile Users • Provide links in both directions •

    Automatically redirect Homepage ONLY • Mobile user is most likely clicking a deep link for a reason
  10. Feeding the Beast • Data portability is your friend •

    Use feeds and APIs whenever possible • Don’t take over maintenance of something you can’t afford to maintain (aka “You touch it, you own it”)
  11. Mobile Web • No install required • Easy for users

    to find • Easier to support multiple platforms with a single code- base • Subject to connectivity issues • Not as responsive as native apps • Most users don’t understand they can “save” the site to their home-screen Pros Cons
  12. Native Apps • Can be more immersive (at the moment)

    • More responsive interface • Access to hardware • Requires install • Multiple apps for various platforms • Takes longer to deploy changes/updates Pros Cons
  13. Resources • My blog http://weedygarden.net • Dave Olsen - Mobile

    in Higher Ed Blog http://www.dmolsen.com/mobile-in-higher-ed/ • MIT Mobile Web https://github.com/MIT-Mobile/MIT-Mobile-Web • Mobile Web OSP http://mobilewebosp.pbworks.com/w/page/27923975/FrontPage • Modo Labs http://modolabs.com