How to Achieve the ‘The Winning Touch’ – the UXalliance on Touchscreen Technology

Chicago, IL, February 28, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Although touchscreen devices have been in use since the eighties, there’s been a surge in the market since the birth of the iPhone in 2007. Touchscreen technology may appear to be a way of the future, but research by the UXalliance (www.UXalliance.com), an international network of user experience firms, reveals touchscreen technology has limitations. Despite increasing popularity and the promise of a more intuitive interface, touchscreen devices aren’t free of the usability issues typically presented by traditional keypads.

Creating a design solution that’s efficient, especially if the global market is considered, can be quite challenging. For instance, a design solution for a touchscreen device in the UK does not automatically work for users in Japan or Brazil. In some aspects, the users' needs differ from country to country. The UXalliance can identify cultural and linguistic challenges when it comes to designing intuitive touchscreen products in the global marketplace.

Research by UXalliance partners reveals that although touchscreen devices have strong emotional appeal among users and are often viewed as more attractive, a design challenge remains.

Usability experts at Serco Usability Services (www.serco.com/usability), the UK UXalliance partner, highlight that the virtual keyboard is one aspect where touchscreen devices often come under fire, typically amid concerns that the ‘keys’ are not adequately sized and spaced for accurate finger-selection. This presents a primary design challenge for touchscreen devices.

In the US, UXalliance partner, User Centric, Inc. (www.usercentric.com) reported that designers can reduce design challenges by testing products immediately rather than waiting until the software is operational on a device. Testing a realistically sized prototype interface on a touchscreen monitor is very effective and allows designers to make changes early in the design process.

User experience specialists at the UXalliance can advise businesses at any stage of product development, aiming to validate designs and improve usability flaws prior to product launch. With touchscreen in mind, the UXalliance can help companies work towards touchscreen products that match the needs of their customers - beyond all cultural and linguistic barriers.

About the UXalliance

Founded in 2005, the UXalliance is the international network for user experience. The UXalliance covers Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia; they are ideally placed to lead international user experience research. The UXalliance has over 220 professionals worldwide, manages over 40 testing facilities and has experience across a broad range of technologies and sectors. www.UXalliance.com.

The UXalliance consists of nine partner companies, Axance (France) www.axance.com, Serco Usability Services (United Kingdom) www.serco.com/usability, SirValUse (Germany) www.sirvaluse.de, UserCentric (United States) www.usercentric.com, User Experience (China) www.userexperience.cn, User Intelligence (Netherlands) www.userintelligence.com, Xperience Consulting (Spain) www.xperienceconsulting.com; UIDesign Group (Moscow) http://eng.uidesign.ru and Mitsue-Links (Japan) www.mitsue.co.jp/english/ and five associate partners, The Hiser Group (Australia) www.hiser.com.au, Mercedes Sanchez Usabilidade (Brazil) www.mercedessanchez.com.br, , Optimal Usability (New Zealand) www.optimalusability.com, Snitker & Co (Denmark) www.snitker.com and ThinkUser (South Korea) www.thinkuser.com.

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