Usability of iPads and Websites Case Study Questions And Sample Answers

Usability of iPads and Websites Case Study Questions

The following report must be used for reference to complete this assignment. The Nielsen Norman Group published a report titled, “Usability of iPads and Websites.” The report is a case study of the iPad usability and can be downloaded from .

Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you:

  1. Analyze the use of gestures in iPads. Address how users feel about gestures.
  2. Evaluate how users feel about the user input when it comes to filling out complicated forms on the iPad.
  3. Assess the usability of back buttons and thumbnails on the iPad.
  4. Evaluate the features end users liked and disliked, and speculate about the reasons for their responses.
  5. Provide your overall likes and dislikes of the iPad usability and its features.

Usability of iPads and Websites Case Study Questions Answered

Use of Gestures in iPads and How Users Feel about them

There are some iPad apps for instance Bing that employ swipe gesture to move backward and forward. This gesture contains comparatively low discoverability though users are more probable try it in some apps that include magazines that contain strong physical book resemblance. Bing gives tips dummy users to ensure that they realize the gesture. Swipe gesture in other application provides users with prompt that include arrows to show the navigation direction examples include wired and daily. A number of productive apps employ gestures to permit users to do various operations for instance adobe photo express. To ensure effective application of gesture, the designer gives users enough safe space to allow swiping on the vertical side. They also avoid casing the page with carousels as well as other design features. Gesture makes the use of iPad more exiting although they may be annoying before one get used to them and where they should be used and how (Budiu & Nielsen, n.d.).

Users’ Feeling while Filling in a Complicated Form

The application form in iPad is quite difficult mostly because though iPad has a bigger screen it is much smaller than a typical desktop screen. Moreover although screen touching is more simple, it is less precise as compared to clicking the mouse or the keypad buttons and thus, one may take longer to complete a complicated form using an iPad as compared to a computer. Some iPad also have smaller target area, which are much closer to each other. In this regard, it is always hard to feel in a complex form especially that demands more writing than selecting. The situation can be much annoying especially if the text boxes are much closer.

Usability of Back Buttons and Thumbnails on the iPad

The back button usability is a great pre-emptive measure in the accidental activation avoidance, though it has to be properly implemented. Back buttons are commonly used in iPads as alternatives to carousel. When carousel functions are used in an app, users are inclined into swiping from one page to another like in an actual book. This gives user a good flow. However, the swipe may not be enable in some section and thus, the user will need to get a way out of the situation. Back button will be very useful at this point. Flows in most parts of the iPads applications that allow swipe may push the users in needed in the real button to allow them to move back and maybe evaluate the problem or settings. The employment of thumbnails is highly preferred by many iPad users. It is a creative way of attracting users to other information, articles and/or pages. It is much suitable to use a back button when using a thumbnail so ensure that user is not stuck anywhere or to ensure the user does have an idea of how to go back to the home screen. Thus, back button assist in ensuring that users are not stuck in any application in iPad especially while using thumbnails (Budiu & Nielsen, n.d.).

Features Liked and Disliked by Users

With regard to websites and iPads usability, majority of users have demonstrated their disregard for asymmetry of read-tap. Users dislike the fact that text is so large to be accommodated by the widgets small size. The links are also said to be very small. Normally, users are involved in a lot of zooming in and zooming out to be able to complete reading website related material successfully. This makes it hard to collect enough material from websites to complete any task using iPads.  Nevertheless, there a number of features that makes most users to credit iPad. They include the ease of navigation by use of gestures and touch screen features. Gestures make it easy to move from one page together and thus, bringing in the actual situation on the ground and thus making this more enjoyable. With swipe, one can easily concentrate on a reading while using an iPad just it could have happened in a real situation. Thumbnail is another liked aspect since it easily allows the users to identify the most interesting news or information regarding a certain topic without much struggle. They ease the access and the identification of the right materials (Stanford, 2012).

Individual Overall Likes and Dislikes

In my opinion, iPad is an amazing gadget that makes our life more beautiful. The available operational features that include gestures and touch screen make it easy to operate and thus, it can easily be operated by anyone without employing much effort to learn. One of the feature that I like most is the use of gestures especially swipe and five finger pinch that allow one to move back to home screen swiftly without wasting time. However, I also have an issue in using the touch screen typing while filling any form in the iPad. Normally, this task requires a lot of concentration, failure to which wrong information may be entered. I always have to do a review of the written content to ensure that I did not type the wrong information since sometimes it may be hard to select the actual letter.

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