'Net Features : web app

Build a Prototype, Test it with Solidify

Allison Howen — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:00:00 GMT

Testing is probably the most important aspect of website development, because it provides developers and site owners with evidence of how user-friendly specific design elements are.

However, sometimes the testing process can prove to be time consuming. The developers at Zurb had this issue in mind when they built a new Web application that allows users to quickly assemble interactive prototypes for user testing across all devices.

The application, called Solidify, allows users to build a clickable prototype with sketches, wireframes or mock-ups by uploading screens and then using hotspots to link them together. Then, users can decide to receive general feedback for specific tasks, on individual pages or the entire prototype.

After the prototype has been created, the developer can share the test with Zurb’s network of testers as well as through email and social media via a secure URL. After the test has been administered, Zurb provides its clients with detailed result reports, which can include tester comments. The results can also be sorted by demographic information, so that it is easy to view how a target audience interacts with the prototype. Then, the result reports can be used to analyze tester behaviors and make data-based decisions for optimizing website performance.

Solidify starts at a price point of $19 a month, however, the company is currently also offering a 30-day free trial.

Quickly Test Mobile Design Elements with Plunk

Allison Howen — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 19:20:00 GMT

Usability is everything – especially when it comes to mobile.

But creating a design that is truly user friendly requires an abundance of testing. This is where Plunk comes in handy. Plunk is a free Web app from ZURB that enables users to create click tests for design elements of a mobile app or website.

These tests reveal a lot about the usability of your mobile design, because they show where an audience clicks in response to a direct request. For instance, one Plunk example from Foursquare asks its audience to check into their current location. Once an audience member starts the test, they are presented with Foursquare’s app and have the opportunity to quickly click the requested call-to-action button.

In order to start testing with Plunk, users must visit plunkapp.com and upload a screen of a mobile Web page or application. Then, the test administrator can drag and drop a hot spot over the target that will be tested. After setup is complete, administrators can share the test, which is available for 48 hours, via email and social media in order to gather results. Then, test administrators can visit their reports page to view how many testers clicked the right location, which can help them decide if their site or mobile app’s design needs to be modified.

Firefox and Chrome Team Up for Web App Compatibility

Michael Garrity — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 07:00:00 GMT

If only the rest of the world could be this peaceful.

Late last week the news broke that the developers at Mozilla and Google were going to work together on a framework called Web Intents, which is designed to allow Web apps to easily become compatible with both Firefox and Chrome, each company's respective brower. Web Intents was initially conceived by Google developer Paul Kinlan.

The basis of Web Intents comes from an already existing capability in Google's Android mobile operating system. What it will do is provide Web apps with the opportunity to express a simple call for an action, such as 'share' or 'edit,' and all receiving apps will be designed to use these. To make things easier for developers, these apps will not need any specific knowledge of the APIs of the other browser. So now, there will no longer be a need to code for each specific app that one might want to access, as developers can just use these simple requests that Web Intents provides, and they are already going to be built into the browser.

The Chrome and Firefox teams are each working on integrating this functionality into their own browser while also combining their designs to use just one API for Web app developers to be able to reach both platforms.

According to Kinlan, the goal with Web Intents is "to allow developers to build applications and services that could work with each other, but not need to explicity know about each other."

Google has succeeded with similar technology in the past, as Android has utilized comparable capabilites for some time to help make life a little easier for mobile app developers. Since the company is looking to advance its Chrome browser, including attempting to bolster its Web app store, Web Intents will be coming around at a great time.

This sort of broad capability among two of the most popular browsers in the world could mean big things for the Web application development community, as it will severely diminish the time it will take to create an app and get it online and in the hands of millions of users around the world.