Start with where and how people use it
We look at what someone needs to do on their device and what might interrupt them. Checking a booking on the move and recording a job on site call for different screens, information and ways to pick up where they left off.
- Choosing which devices to support
- We start with the devices people already use and the features the application needs. That helps us decide whether to release on iOS, Android or both, and what it will take to test and maintain each version.
- Making everyday tasks easy to resume
- Someone recording a job may lose their connection halfway through. We decide what they can still see or edit, what the device should keep and how the application shows whether a change is waiting to be sent or has reached the service.
- Using device features where they help
- If someone needs to attach a photo, we work out when to ask for camera access and what they can still do if they decline. We make similar decisions about when a notification is useful and what someone should see when they open it.
- Connecting to the rest of the service
- When an application and a website share accounts or records, we work out how changes made in one appear in the other. If we update an existing application, we also check what happens while people are still using earlier versions.
Before a new build or a change
We use these questions to decide what belongs in the next release and how people will get it on their devices.
What needs to work on the move?
Pick the tasks people need to complete on their devices. Check where those tasks happen, what information people need with them and which steps must work with a poor connection.
What needs to carry over?
Work out which accounts, records and services the application needs to use. For an update, check that people can still sign in and get to the information they already have.
Who will test and look after it?
Agree who will try the release on real devices, who will manage the store accounts and who will handle feedback and updates once it is available.
Journal entries
Notes on building and maintaining mobile applications, including what we learn from testing on devices and connecting them to existing services.
No journal entries have been published on this topic yet.