PRP - artifact #3 - a few words on the Josef Samuel mobile site

When considering the design for the modified photographer site, I thought it wise to look at what works, or what doesn't, in the current design. This can be viewed in regular browsers on the following link. Make sure to reduce the window of your browser to that roughly of a mobile screen.

The links are laid out in a now typical list form. I don't see what benefit is achieved through numbering the options, but the arrow at the other side of the page does help indicate some sort of navigation associated with the link.

Notably also, the whole bar within which sites the link name works as a link, not just the text. This is good for user interaction on touch screens - it limits the difficulty in activating the link. Furthermore, whereas hover is useful for desktop design, here, active link styles are worthwhile, this clearly showing that the desired link has been chosen, limiting any repeated pushes from the user and slowing down the transmission.

A back button is provided at the top of the screen, this is good because alongside the arrow shape dictating the direction the page will take the user, Back is also printed. You recognise its use much quicker than the browser's back button. In light of seeing this, the browser's back and forward buttons, tucked away or on show depending on the model, soon become forgotten, or redundant. Furthermore, the button is in the main viewable area that the user will look at. This was noted as an important feature in my last testing session, to aid efficiency and usability.

Unfortunately, the text is all bunched together, with little spacing and appears uninspiring to read. Simply breaking it up would easily remedy this or inserting subheadings, aiding and appeasing the typical scan reading of a web user.

For saying this acts as a photographers mobile site, the gallery option isn't the most user friendly in its use.

The whole screen is filled with the image, a good thing, in its really decent resolution for the page. It makes for a good impact on the user in light of the barren website experienced previously.

However, where one expects to swipe down, or perhaps across, to see more photos, nothing happens. Instead, a tiny arrow button has been included at the top of the page, alongside a homepage link. This proves fiddly to touch and activate.

Elsewhere, the contact details provide what is considered a real boon on a desktop site, but on a mobile site, something of a faux pas. The contact form below may concentrate what users send as an enquiry, but having to input data into each of the seperate boxes, on the keyboard will likely prove offputting to a fair amount of users.

Fortunately, the email and phone details are available below, but this data seems a tacked on decision. Importantly however, the phone number and email are links, so when viewing on a phone, the email should at least activate the device's email application, hopefully better in its setout and usability, or alternatively, place the call. The most fundamental reason for owning a mobile phone!

Useful pointers can be taken from this original design. Notably, active link styles, back buttons and spacing of content. Importantly again, images prove a real treat on the mobile screen. Their impact is easily recognisable in light of the much muted visuals elsewhere. A worthwhile thing to consider...

.....Now onto the improved design!

@