Did you know that the UW has its own mobile website and apps?
In 2009, the UW launched the mobile website m.UW and mobile apps for iPhone and Blackberry to provide news, references, maps, events, and other campus information. I studied the University’s mobile strategy for my “Mobile Media and Communications” class, and talked to David Morton, Director of Mobile Communication Strategies at the UW. What I found was that the UW mobile services are gaining recognition among diverse academic community but rapid change of mobile technologies requires their constant improvement and adaptation to users’ demand.
Although iPhone dominates the smartphone usage in the University now, it’s expected that in 2011 and Android app will follow.
* Data from Freshly Mobile
The UW mobile app has important LBS (Location Based Service) feature, which lets you locate departments, centers, buildings on campus on the go. But the feature is not interactive enough. The “Maps” have limited capabilities with non-optimized results. For example, users can only find a spot on a static map but no routes of direction to guide them between different buildings in Campus. Users also complained that information is uncompleted. For instance, one user left a review at the Blackberry AppWorld (UW, 2009): “I go to the Tacoma campus and they offered no information about that campus.”
The user experiences of UW mobile site need to be improved as well, especially in using navigation and searching information on the go. If you open the “News” section and try to read full article, you will be redirected to the official UW website (PC version) which is not optimized for mobile phones. News is essential for many visitors of the mobile site as it is updated daily and attracts returning visitors.
The organizational structure of UW and diversity of its community make an integrated mobile plan difficult to execute. The decision-making process and development of mobile services are shared among UW Marketing, UW Information Technology, the Registrar’s Office, UW Athletics, UW libraries, and schools. One general mobile site may not be able to fulfill the diverse needs of such a huge university. Each school or administrated department should have its own mobile site and connect with the UW portal mobile site.
Another problem is the lack of feedback from users to developers. Based on interviews with UW mobile users, a critical step for m.UW is to start targeting mobile media to appropriate audiences: current students, visitors, educators, and measuring of their behavior and feedback.
LBS (location-based services) and searches are the two most valuable features of successful mobile media. Users need interactive map functions that assist common tasks like finding parking lots, on-campus shuttles, recreational facilities places, and ATMs on campus. It’s also crucial to include information about all campuses of the UW in databases to fulfill every student’s needs. Furthermore, mobile technologies are developing rapidly and always require the implementations for new different devices. The mobile strategy of UW should not only focus on feature phones and smart phones, but should plan to expand to tablets in near future.
Good analysis, Sam. We’re working on many of the shortcomings you discussed with an eye toward making a better overall user experience with several location aware improvements. It would be great to talk further about your research. Let’s chat when you get a chance.
Harry Hayward
MCDM ’10
The marketing for the UW Mobile apps could be improved. I wasn’t aware of the mobile application until I went out and looked for it. The homepage on the UW website could market the app by featuring it as a tab to “download UW mobile app” or create a feature tile with the cool info the app provides.
In addition, the “my uw” pages could feature it when users log in to their account on UW’s site. I would also like to see the app(s) featured this fall in the new student pamphlets that go out to Freshman and other new students to UW.
Without marketing, an app does nothing except sit there and wait for WOM (word of mouth) to drive downloads. At least the m.UW.edu site says “Looking for the iPhone App? Click here to download!” That is a very important piece of the marketing equation leveraging owned media to drive awareness and downloads.
I know the budget for marketing the app would be low, but other than owned media (such as the websites), UW could post fliers about the app and the m.UW.edu site, especially around new student orientation times.
Hopefully the apps will catch on but probably need a bit of help from marketing to do so and to then justify the necessity of an Android app as well.
Thank you, Harry!
Sure, I would love to talk about these improvements.
Melissa, you are totally right about promoting mobile apps.
I’ve discussed it with UW Marketing and currently they disseminate information mostly among freshmen in the beginning of school year.
Though sometimes it gets attention in campus newsletter and newspapers. However, the huge question is how to reach visitors who do not have access to campus media.
I agree with Melissa. Since many people check their email on their smart phones, emailing a link to the app would allow for easy downloading. And since there are multiple email listserves, you could reach a larger target then just students.
I do find it frustrating that the assumed user for the app is the undergraduate student. While I realize that they are the largest demographic, they are already the most served. There are so few resources provided for evening students. The only orientation information I received was through the MCDM and it didn’t include a lot of important information that I have had to piece together over the last two years. I would love to have an interactive map with summary of the building’s functions (Does it serve food? Are there study spaces? How can I reserve them? Is it open late? What about on the weekends), or maybe places to park if you don’t have a pass. It would be great if the map had both the official name and the colloquial term since, according to the UW map, the Communications Building doesn’t exist. Because most student service offices close by five, a digital media solution makes a lot of sense. Carolina? Ken? Anyone interested in making our own?
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