Exploring the use of apps – a professional development bursary

I’m finding that I’ve got lots of possibilities and different directions that I could go in, therefore it’s useful to carry out some ‘user centered testing’ to help focus the development of an app, so I was pleased to be invited to show my drawing machine installation, ‘Retracing Your Steps’ in the exhibition ‘outLines’ at Heritage Courtyard Studios in Wells, Somerset where aspects of contemporary drawing practice were being investigated. This allowed me to work with volunteers to map the City of Wells with my usual method of working, asking them to go on walks carrying GPS handsets, whilst at the same time have discussions with them to investigate the possibility of using an app and what the difference to the outcome would be.  I asked them questions about how they might engage with an app and what would motivate them to use it.  We talked about the practicalities of what would their first contact be regarding the app and would they be prepared to download it before coming to the gallery?  It became clear that the process needed to be quick and easy, otherwise the frustrations of it would put people off entirely.  Some of the volunteers commented that they felt the GPS handsets made them feel as if they were involved more in the process and that if they were using their own mobile phones, they were more likely to get distracted by messages or emails and also have more practical worries such as battery life.  Others though, who wanted to be involved in the walking but couldn’t arrange to be at the venue when I was there, felt that it would have been advantageous to have been able to use their own phones with an app and walk whenever they were able to, uploading the data remotely.  I thought that there might be a distinct difference between those who were very familiar with using apps on their phones and those who were less confident, but it appeared that it was the physical act of being given a GPS handset, which immediately focused their minds on the task and invited them to interact with it.  This level of engagement is something that the user interface of an app is going to have to achieve to be in any way successful.  Also, there has to be additional functions that an app will provide over a simple GPS handset, to motivate the user to want to use it.  All of this information is invaluable in planning and writing the user specification for the app, which will help inform the functional specification.