Web Page Transformation When Switching Devices

With network and small screen device improvements, such as wireless abilities, increased memory and CPU speeds, users are no longer limited by location when accessing on-line information. We are interested in studying the effect of users switching from a large screen device, such as a desktop or laptop to use the same web page on a small device, in this case a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). We discuss three common transformation approaches for display of web pages on the small screen: Direct Migration, Linear and Overview. We introduce a new Overview method, called the Gateway, for use on the small screen that exploits a user’s familiarity of a web page. The users in an initial study prefer using the Gateway and Direct Migration approach for web pages previously used on the large screen, despite the common Linear approach used by many web sites.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2004
• Where: MHCI
• Authors: Bonnie MacKay, Carolyn R. Watters, Jack Duffy
• Keywords: Human Computer Interaction, MHCI 2004, Screen Device, Small Screen, Web Pages