Mobile ESPN: a step off the beaten path
[Publication: Mobile ESPN Usability Study]
We've just completed a usability study of the mobile sports content components of the Mobile ESPN service. The study was a small sample, qualitative usability test meant to explore this new MVNO. We have studied other MVNOs, Virgin Mobile in the Media Download Usability Benchmark and Amp’d is part of the ongoing Video + Music Usability Benchmark study. Since this ESPN study is independent of larger usability benchmarks, we were not restricted to studying the aspects it shared in common with the other services, and we were able to focus on ESPN's unique audience. We had tasks for accessing news and sports statistics as well as setting alerts and watching video clips. Our respondents were real sports fans. Despite the focus on the sporting content and the fan audience, the usability findings were of a wholly different nature and stemmed from the unique set of interactions introduced in this service.
Our prior mobile studies focused on interaction from the carrier portal to purchasing media. Interactions in that environment suffered for a number of different reasons, but mostly were apparent at the handoffs between the handset user interface, the carrier portal, and billing areas. This three-part UI is the subject of an upcoming presentation at MEM2006 by Scott Weiss. We were surprised to see that the common issues that arose in previous mobile tests were either not issues at all, or were handled so well that they were barely noticeable within Mobile ESPN. The issues we did discover were much different and were centered on navigation.
Typical distribution of mobile content is done through mobile web browsers, accessed via carrier portals. The Mobile ESPN handset does include a web browser, but the primary interaction is instead through a series of applications that draw content from the web. This major difference allows a lot of embellishment of the interaction through visually rich information displays, spruced up menus and the addition of a "Sideline" element. Wireless web menus and hyperlinks are still present, but the spruced up menu element takes on contextual properties and the "Sideline" element provides a top level navigation similar to global navigation bars that have been a staple of the desktop web.
These elements have a lot of potential for accessing and structuring information on small screens of mobile devices, but they were not without their problems. Despite the fact that all interviewed had experience with the mobile web on their handsets, the initial interactions with these elements were problematic. The major sticking points include the unfamiliar and shifting key mappings, poor indications of context, and interactive elements that were easily overlooked.
Despite the usability issues, the fresh UI design and the basic fact that Mobile ESPN is targeting a unique auidence unlike the typical, young and credit challenged group (See this list of MVNOs for more information), are steps in the right direction for mobile data services and we look forward to more changes of this ilk.
Contributed by Rich Martin.