An assessment of the impact of human computer interface on Maltese mobile users

Abstract

Purpose: With the development of new and improved information and communication technologies, the issue of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) has taken centre stage. Moving away from command-line and graphical user interfaces and more towards perceptual user interfaces, customer experience has faced over recent years significant challenges, particularly in terms of adapting to various new functionalities. In view of this, this study sets out to critically assess the impact of human computer interaction on mobile phones amongst Maltese youth, given that this is the technology they often use to access the Web. In addition, the study seeks to determine characteristics and qualities that need to be present in website mobile-based interfaces that make them effective to mobile youth and consequently make recommendations to developers based on the results obtained. Design: In order to reach the objectives identified, an e-commerce interface was selected to be the basis of three main iterations of focus groups. In the first iteration, paper prototyping and user sketching were used to assess youth’s preferences amongst four primary designs developed by the researcher. A total of 18 participants from this target cohort took part at this stage. Based on the feedback obtained, a second iteration involving usability testing amongst 5 test subjects was conducted to iron out any issues that persisted. An e-commerce mobile website was then developed according to the preferences expressed during the previous two iterations. A further 40 participants then took part in focus group sessions in which they were asked to compare and contrast the interface developed by the researcher with that of a popular Maltese e-commerce website – Maltapark. Findings: From the three iterations of usability testing conducted, it was clearly observed that Maltese youth give considerable importance to user experience when using mobile websites on their mobile phones. In particular, certain characteristics emerged as being key in their decision as to whether a particular mobile website has an optimal user experience or otherwise. To this end, Maltese youth participating in the sessions preferred mobile websites that did not include an overflow of information on screen, that were customised to the size of their phones’ screen, that involved an easy and logical structure to navigate from one page to another and that were provided useful features such as real-time validation, progress bars and password strength indicators. Conclusion: The major conclusion drawn from this study is that a user-centric approach should be adopted for user interface design whereby end users are continuously engaged and asked for their feedback not after but during the development phase of a particular software. In addition, companies should not underestimate the significance attributed to user experience and should dedicate time and resources to ensure an optimal UX. Value: This study has shed light on the importance of UX for the popularity and success (or otherwise) of a particular website. As users increasingly use their mobile phones to access the Internet, enterprises should well consider adapting their websites to incorporate more mobile-friendly features.