CAM - Mobile Tour Basics and Best Practices

Just a Touch AwayMobile Tour Basics and Best Practices

California Association of MuseumsJust a Touch AwayChris Alexander - Program Director at Toura

Saturday, March 6, 2010

About MeWas at the

San Jose Museum of ArtManager of Interactive Technology

Active with mobile

Blogged about on my websitewww.chris-alexander.com

CEO of Toura discovered my work via siteConsulting led to full-time workNow Program Director at Toura




Things I’ll “touch” on:

What is an App?•App as the New Website•Web App vs. Native App

Best Practices•WiFi as Necessity•App Size •Common User Interface•Baby Step•Sustainable Technology



What is an App?



The App as the New Website

2000ish Now



The App as the New Website

• App market right now is similar to the website rush of the late 90’s - early 2000.• Like a website, the App is becoming a new way to

define ourselves, our companies, and our products.• Applications are a way of extending your presence

into another market.• Does having an App make you relevant? Of course

not, but the perception seems to be taking hold.



Web Apps vs. Native AppsWhat are they?



Web App like the highway - All information must travel to web browser



Native App like a warehouse - info is stored on the device



Hybrid combines the two - code and info live on device, but app can pull information when updates are available



Web

App

Nat

ive

App

HTMLCSS

JavaScript

Objective C

Code• All code resides on a web server.• Limited amount of storage thru HTML5• App is viewed thru a web browser.• Limited functionality

• no access to camera• no access to GPS• no access to accelerometer• can deliver A/V

• Needs a constant connection to wireless.

• All code resides on the device• App takes over screen/no web browser• All functionality

• Camera• GPS• Accelerometer• A/V

• No need for a wireless connection

Features



Web

App

Nat

ive

App

HTMLCSS

JavaScript

Objective C

Code

• Code is updated in one place• All devices update at once• Can be made to act like a native app• Can potentially be cross-platform

• Easy access to locally stored info makes for quick loading of content

• More cumbersome to make updates to.

Benefits



Hybrid Apps

Code

Objective CHTML

CSSJavaScript

• Best of both worlds• Content can live local or externally• New content is searched out and

updated in the App accordingly• Access to all functionality (camera,

GPS, Accelerometer)• Could function without wireless,

but cannot update without it

Benefits



Best Practices (or Random Ramblings?)


• Many factors for deploying a mobile tour depend on easy access to WiFi.

• Whether you decide to allow visitors to download a tour or o!er a tour with streaming audio and video you will need WiFi.

• Video delivery via streaming can take a lot of bandwidth.

• Downloading a mobile tour with audio and video to local storage can be cumbersome. 100mb+.

• Allow your visitors to connect with you whether it is via mobile, laptop in the café or tablet device.

• Some museums face issues with WiFi because of thick walls and old buildings.

• Great partnering opportunities with ISPs and Telecom companies.


WiFi as Necessity


• Closely tied to WiFi

• Museum should want to make it as easy as possible for the visitor to use their own device.

• App sizes of 50mb+ can be a time consuming download

• Rather than download all the content, visitor can pick and choose what they want to view or hear by streaming through the museum’s WiFi.

• Make sure there is something for the visitor to see or read in the initial download

• Images and text take up very little space in an App.


Keep it Small


• Think about the visitor’s experience with other mobile tours or apps.

• There should be consistency among the tours to prevent visitor frustrations.

• iPhone has championed this with its suggested interactions documentation and UI guidelines available via developer.apple.com.

• Because of iPhone and other devices users are used to seeing choices in certain areas.

• O!er as many ways as possible to access information. Di!erent strokes for di!erent folks.


Common UI


• Start out small

• Don’t throw too much at the visitor initially.

• Iterative process.

• Train visitors on the basic functionality of the app before adding more

• New features keep the tour App fresh and exciting.

• Sink your money into e!ectiveness, not into something visitors won’t use

• Great example of iterative development is a game called Doodle Jump for iPhone.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65-lopbdySY


Baby Steps


• Museums need to consider whether they want to spend money to build one o! apps or use a sustainable system.

• Sustainable meaning able to publish updates or create new apps easily and e!ectively.

• Museum should not have to resubmit an App to correct a grammatical error in the tour.

• Museums need a system that changes with the times and adds new functionalities as they become available and accepted.


Sustainable


•Android

•Nokia

•Microsoft

•Palm

•Blackberry

•They’re all still there competing with iPhone.

•Number of handsets utilizing Android expected to surpass iPhone by 2012


It’s not all about iPhone


Chris AlexanderProgram Director

[email protected]

Twitter: @cmalexanderTwitter: @touramobile

Slides: www.slideshare.net/cmalexander

www.toura.com(coming soon)

www.chris-alexander



http://www.toura.com

http://www.toura.com