Usability of iPad Apps and Websites

As new forms of technology are continuously created and enhanced comes new ways of doing activities. Whether it's taking pictures and videos, playing video games, or searching the web, these are all acts one can do on the newer devices, such as an iPad. Although there are many great improvements in these technological discoveries, problems are also inevitable.

Two methods, usability testing and expert reviews, were used to test users interaction with the iPad

As research study was done to assess the state of iPad application design and understand where the user interaction pain points are. Questions asked were: "Are there any common design mistakes that affect the users?", "What is easy and what is hard for users of iPad applications and websites?", and lastly, "After one year of using the iPad, do we know how to design more usable apps?". To answer these questions, two tests were done. The first test was usability testing which had 16 iPad users come into a lab and perform various tasks on their iPad, participate in an interview, and show some of the apps they already installed on their device. The second test was expert reviews which included observations and recommendations from conducting addition interfaces.

iPad's are used mainly for media consumption and are shared between families.

Upon conducting the usability test, it was discovered the the iPad was used mainly for media consumption. Participants said they used their iPad to play games, check emails and social media, watch movies and videos, and read the news. However, most users said they had not used their iPad for e-commerce. Another finding in this study was that those who owned an iPad and did not live alone, shared the device with their family. There were apps on users iPad that were used by one member of the family and other apps used by other members. The iPad was seen as less personal than a cell phone. Lastly, some users said they take their iPad with them wherever they go while others said they only leave it at home.

Applications are less successful than websites because they contained less content, the design was confusing  or the app made the user work more.

When a study was conducted last year on the iPad, the findings noted were the same as the new study. Full websites designed for desktop computers were readable on iPad's and users can do a variety of consumption related tasks easily. Also, the read-tap asymmetry still holds true for most websites: the content is readable but the widgets are too small to tap. When testing whether to use the web or an application, the web always was successful, but the applications failed a third of the time. Two reasons the applications were less successful when compared to the web were that the apps contained less content than the webs and the app design was confusing or the app made the user work more.

Not every company needs an app, but if a company does decide to create one, there are several things they must do to make it successful. 

Many companies are now asking the question of whether or not they should have an iPad app and the answer is no. Not everyone will use an app even if they download it and most people still search the web. However, if a company does in fact create an app, there are several things to it must do. First, it needs to be designed for repeat users. Research shows apps work best when customers are already fans of the brand and engage with it on a regular basis. Second, the app should have a secret weapon compared to it's website. The app needs to deliver extra value compared to the website. Third, do not make users work more on the iPad app than on the website. Fourth, do not design the iPad app as if it were an iPhone app. The iPad has a much bigger screen than the iPhone and the context of use is much different.

Issues such as target size, placement, affordance, and padding are all areas in which companies must perfect in order for users to be satisfied. 

Not every company needs an app or can afford one. However, there are certain things one can do to make their website look decent on an iPad. First, a company should test their site on the iPad and see what needs to be fixed. Fixes will also improve the overall usability on desktops as well. Changing the target size is very important because many small targets are too hard to accurately touch. Research has shown that the best target size for widgets is 1cm x 1cm for touch devices. Also, when targets are placed too close to each other, users can easily hit the wrong one so it's important not to crowd the targets. One way to help fix the issue of target size and placement is padding. Padding is when there is some invisible space surrounding the visible target so when people do not hit the target accurately, their tap will still count. Research with touch devices indicates that users expect padding in tubular views. Another issue is affordance  Users do not know that something is touchable unless it looks so. Also, most people do not enjoy typing on their iPad. Users must split their visual attention between finding keys and reading what they typed. Also, the keys offer no tactile feedback.

It is very important to recognize whether your brand needs an app, and then to fix the problems that may arise. If users are unsatisfied, they will not use the app and the brand will not be as successful as it could be. Customer satisfaction is one of the most important aspects for a company so perfecting it and meeting expectations is a must. To read more about the study, click this link.