Usability of mobile applications: literature review and rationale for a new usability model

Harrison, Rachel; Flood, Derek; Duce, David · 2013 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1186/2194-0827-1-1

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Summary

This paper addresses the inadequacy of existing usability models for evaluating mobile applications, which often overlook critical factors specific to mobile contexts, such as cognitive load. The authors argue that while traditional models like Nielsen’s and the ISO standard focus on effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction, they fail to account for the unique challenges of mobile use, including small screen sizes, limited connectivity, and the user’s mobility. To remedy this, the authors introduce the PACMAD (People At the Centre of Mobile Application Development) usability model. PACMAD integrates attributes from existing models and adds cognitive load as a key metric, aiming to provide a more comprehensive framework for assessing mobile application usability. The study employs a systematic literature review to validate the PACMAD model and analyze current research trends. The authors searched databases including ACM Digital Library, IEEE Digital Library, and Google Scholar for papers published between 2008 and 2010. They identified relevant sources such as MobileHCI, TOCHI, and IJHCS, initially collecting 940 publications. After applying strict inclusion criteria—focusing on full or short research papers that evaluated mobile applications with software components—they narrowed the dataset to 131 relevant studies. Two authors independently reviewed the abstracts and detailed content of these papers to identify the usability attributes measured, the factors considered (user, task, context), and the research methodologies employed. The findings reveal that the most commonly measured usability attributes in existing literature are effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction, aligning with the ISO standard. These attributes are prevalent because they are directly related to technical capabilities and are relatively easy to measure. In contrast, learnability and memorability were rarely assessed, often due to the logistical difficulties of longitudinal studies. Crucially, only about 26% of the reviewed studies considered cognitive load, despite its significant impact on users performing secondary tasks like walking or driving while using an application. The review also highlighted that while the "context of use" is recognized as a factor, it is not consistently integrated into usability metrics. The most common research methodologies included controlled studies and field studies. The significance of this work lies in the formalization of the PACMAD model, which advocates for a more holistic evaluation of mobile applications. By explicitly including cognitive load, learnability, memorability, and errors alongside traditional metrics, PACMAD addresses the gaps in current usability assessments. The authors conclude that ignoring these attributes leads to incomplete evaluations, particularly in mobile contexts where users are often distracted or multitasking. This model provides a structured rationale for researchers and designers to consider the full spectrum of usability factors, ensuring that mobile applications are evaluated not just for their functional performance but for their impact on the user’s overall cognitive and physical experience.

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• mobile phones