On a general level, quality assurance (QA) and user experience (UX) for mobile applications work toward the same objectives as when applied to any other software development cycle. QA identifies and addresses front-end design objectives and technical issues; UX focuses on general usability and user expectations. For mobile applications, UX and QA also need to consider a variety of additional considerations such a simpler user interface (UI), interruptible functionality, and a shifting marketplace.
In this context, QA and UX must never discount the limited space of the user's screen and inefficient data entry methods of most mobile devices. Users desire quick and efficient access to an app's most significant feature and will not tolerate being forced work through several menus or enter information to achieve a desired result. QA will define the app's feature and fix bugs; UX will work to make sure the UI streamlines the user experience into a positive one. The "80/20 rule" states that 80 percent of the app's users will use only 20 percent of its functionality. Examples of successful apps abiding by this strategy are Pandora, which allows users to resume the channel last viewed upon their last exit, and Google Reader, which immediately takes users to a directory showing all unviewed posts. In contrast, LinkedIn offers the user a menu with several options upon activation, passing up an opportunity to streamline its UI by picking one. In short, UX should push for an app to immediately take a user to its most compelling feature, not to make them hunt for it.
UX should also take a cue from Pandora and expect its users will frequently need to interrupt their experience. The very nature of mobile apps means users will be dividing their attention between using their app and interacting with their physical environment. Should they need to close it, a clean UI will allow users to quickly return to the task within the app. Furthermore, a simple UI will demand less of their attention, freeing users to multitask and making it less likely they will need to close the app at all.
After release, UX must dedicate itself to monitoring both its functionality and the ever-mutating demands of the marketplace. Even the most thorough QA will fail to eradicate every flaw; UX must interact with both the customer base and QA to address unforeseen obstacles. They are inevitable. In addition, as the mobile marketplace constantly innovates and evolves, so must the app. To accomplish this, UX should use data from analytics and user feedback, while QA may need to integrate new technology into the app as it becomes available.
Many of standard best practices with QA and UX can and should be applied to mobile app development. The main difference is the shifted emphasis on simplicity and an elegant UI. Like static software development, identifying the users' needs and expectations must be the first priority at the project's onset.
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