Usability Comparison: Desktop vs.

Mobile

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Table of Contents

Introduction 3
Methodology 3

Technology 3

Likert Scale 3

Metrics 4

Tasks 4

Results

Task 1 5

Task 2 8

Task 3 11

Task 4 14

Task 5 18

Task 6 19

Task 7 21

Task 8 23

Task 9 25

Task 10 26

Overview 29

First Choice 29

Second Choice 29

Bibliography 30

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Introduction

Idaho Fish and Game is a website where hunters and anglers go to look up licenses, tags, and

rules. The website is supposed to be very user friendly because most outdoorsmen and women

are not technology friendly. Since most the population have a mobile computer at their

fingertips the Idaho Fish and Game website have two versions of their website. The first version

is desktop, which is accessed on the computer and is known to be more user friendly. The

second version is the mobile version, which is more convenient, but less user friendly. In either

version, the user, which we are assuming has minimal knowledge about the website, should

have no problem accessing the information they desire.

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Methodology

Technology and Atmosphere

For this usability test I will be using the internet browser Microsoft Edge and am conducting the

test on a 2014 Toshiba Satellite. When we conduct the mobile version of this test we are using

Safari 10.2.1 on an iPhone 6s.

Since most hunters and anglers would be attempting to use their home computer to find out

any information about the current season, this test will be conducted in a home environment

for the desktop portion. A mobile device would be used when the user is not home and does

not have access to a computer, so the mobile version will be conducted in a more public

environment.

Likert Scale

Strongly Agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly Disagree

5 4 3 2 1

Metrics

Effective: Goal was achieved

Efficient: Accomplished in decent time with less clicks

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Engaging: Website was appealing and easy to navigate

Error Tolerant: There wasnt much room for error

Easy to learn: Site was extremely user friendly

Tasks

1. Order licenses

2. Access Fish and Game news

3. Report a dead animal

4. Hunters education classes

5. Hunting Reports

6. Fishing Reports

7. Diseases

8. State Records

9. Become a volunteer

10. Become an employee

Results

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Task 1

The first task is one of the

most important because it is

required to have a license to

hunt in Idaho. On the

homepage, there is a tab that

is labeled licenses, which is

handy considering hunters and anglers dont have the patience to look through multiple tabs to

find one thing.

After clicking on the licenses dropdown the first option is online. When you click on the online

option the sceen above pops up. Here you have the option to buy any license, tag, or permit.

This section also gives the user the opportunity to buy tags, licenses, and permits for their

family or friends.

When you click on the Buy Licenses, Tags, and Permits tab it takes you to a login or create an

account screen. For the purpose of usability and information the user is creating an account.

When you click on the

checkmark it will bring

you to a new page where

you can create a new

account. It is required to have an account before you are able to buy a license, tag or permit.

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After entering your information the website will ask for a username and password that will

create the account for you and bring you to the page with the option to purchase the materials

you need to legally hunt. The screenshot to the left

allows you to see the screen that would pop up after

entering all of your information.

Next we will be doing the same thing, but instead of

doing it on a desktop we are going to be using a mobile

device.

First we go to the fish and game website, which doesnt

pop up with all the pictures and menu bars. The mobile

version of the website pulls up a list of options and you

can click on one, but it takes you through the same steps

as on the desktop. The mobile version requires double the number of clicks because it takes

you to multiple pages instead of having the dropdown menu like the desktop version does.

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 This task was much easier
Buying a License Mobile vs. Desktop
5
when done on a desktop

4 because it required less

Likert Scale

3
clicks to get to where the
2

1 user wanted to go, and

0
Effect Efficiency Engagement Error Ease of Use was more user friendly.
Tolerance
Metrics The mobile version
Desktop Mobile
seemed to have more

glitches and it was less straight forward. I compared these two versions on a likert scale with

the metrics used. Overall the desktop version was much easier, so if the user was planning on

buying a license online it would be easier to order it on a desktop than a mobile device.

Task 2

In task 2 we will be going over how to look up Fish and Game news on the website. This allows

the user to be educated on an area before they are going to hunt. Accessing the news on the

Idaho Fish and Game website also allows the user understand where they need to be for a

more successful hunt and the conditions they will most likely be hunting in. It is smart to know

the conditions of an area before going in, so you dont end up going in blind. Fish and Game

monitor the animals, but they manage the people. The hunter is going into a territory that is

not his own, so looking up the news puts him on equal grounds.

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Since April 15 is the opening day for turkey season it is only fair to research what to expect or

what to look out for when going out. Turkey season is a more relaxed form of hunting, so

theres more children in the field, which means more safety precautions are in place.

When looking up the news on the website the first thing you do is go to the homepage and

along the menu bar there will be a dropdown that says media.

When the cursor is hovering over the media tab it will have a dropdown list and the first option

is press releases. When you click on press releases it will take you to the most recent news page

that has opening day announcements, hunting/fishing conditions, and more. We are going to

look at the safety first section for turkey hunting this year.

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The youth hunt begins a week earlier than the general adult season, so its important to keep

the kids safe by making them wear orange and having a very clear visual before pulling the

trigger. There are many different articles that go along with turkey hunting, but this is one of

the most important ones, because when you are hunting it is important to know your

surroundings. Most folks believe this is common sense, but there are several cases that

someone is shot while hunting each year. Fish and Game is trying to decrease the risk of

shooting accidents by publishing articles that make

hunters think before going out.

Next we are going to look up the same thing on our

mobile device to see if there are any major differences

in use. First we are going to go to our Fish and Game

homepage like we did before. You can see from the

photo to the left

that this is not the

most appealing

home screen, and

there is no drop-

down list when the user hovers over the media tab. We

are then going to click on the media tab to get our drop-

down menu options, which is shown in the screenshot to

the right. The user then clicks on press releases to get

the news articles about opening day of turkey season. The

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 article was published on April 3, 2017, so the user should scroll down to the article, which is

about safety during the turkey season. Although these steps seem like the desktop version,

there are many more clicks and it is not the same layout.

After clicking on the article title it will take you to the

same place as the desktop version, its just not as quick.

Accessing News Mobile vs. Desktop

5
4
Likert Scale

3
2
1
0
Effect Efficiency Engagement Error Ease of Use
Tolerance
Metrics

Desktop Mobile

Although accessing the article was successful of both the desktop and the mobile device, it was

much easier working with the desktop because there were less clicks and it was more straight

forward. The layout is not the exact same, so the mobile device might be more convenient, but

it is not the easiest way to access your information.

Task 3

Have you ever come across a dead animal and wonder how it died? Idaho Fish and Game has a

law enforcement branch specifically for those instances. Most people will call into the office to

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report the animal, but there are other ways to accomplish the report, so we are going to test

how easy it is to report a dead animal online.

The first step is to go to the homepage, which is somewhere youve already been multiple

times. Once you get to the homepage there is more than one way to get to the screen you

desire. For the sake of usability, we are going to attempt the easiest way with the least number

of clicks. Instead of accessing this through the menu bar, the user needs to scroll down to the

bottom of the page. There are two different options that are very similar, so we are going to

explain those before we go any further. The first option is to Report Roadkill, and this is only

if you have found the animal near the road. Most folks think this should be on a main road, but

that is not the case. This could be near a dirt road, an ATV trail, or a main road. If you are

unsure you can explain that in the report, but it saves the officer more time if the information is

already there. The other option is Report Poaching, and this option is if youve found a dead

animal anywhere else. There is going to be an investigation on the animal no matter what.

You can click on the option that feels most appropriate to you, but we are going to go through a

Report Poaching report.

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 After clicking on the Report Poaching tab this

screen popped up. There is not much required to

the form, and you can remain completely

anonymous. There is an option for you to put your

information at the bottom, but that is not required

information.

This is a straight forward and very easy process that

requires very little time.

Next, we are going to do the same thing on our

mobile device. The process is almost the exact same

for this process, except it isnt quite as easy to find.

On the desktop, the option to report the poaching

has pictures and its hard to miss, but on a mobile

device there are no pictures, but its still in the same place.

The photo on the right are how the

options are displayed on an iPhone

6s. They are not as appealing to look

at but they lead you to the same

place.

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 Report a Poaching Mobile vs. Desktop
5

4
Likert Scale
3

0
Effect Efficiency Engagement Error Tolerance Ease of Use
Metrics

Desktop Mobile

It is easy to report a poaching, because if Idaho Fish and Game made it more difficult then they

would have less people reporting the incident. The process for filling out a report on the

website is almost the same on a desktop and a mobile device. There is less engagement on the

mobile device, and there are more chances for error and glitches on a mobile device, because it

is smaller and there isnt a full keyboard helping the user, but the errors are easily fixable. Both

were easy to use and got the job done.

Task 4

Before hunting there is one very important class that is required to take before becoming an

outdoorsmen/woman. A hunters education class teaches the future hunter about the rules and

regulations of hunting, the correct gun to use on the game, what game is which, and more. The

class is not long, but there is a test at the end which requires a 70% or better before a hunting

license can be issued. These classes are easy to register for online and the first step is the same

as before, it all starts on the homepage. Scroll down to the bottom of the homepage and click

on Hunters Education.

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Above there is a screenshot of what the icon for Hunters Education looks like. There are a few

different ways to sign up or learn more about the courses, but this is the easiest way with the

least number of clicks. Next we are going to click on

that icon, which brings us to the Hunters Education

page. Kids are cute. This Hunter Education page is

quite engaging. On this screen, there is the option

to sign up for courses, this option is in blue, so it is

hard to miss. Next we are going to sign up for

courses and see how easy this is online. There are

many different options for courses, but since a

hunters education course is better in person we

are going to sign up for the instructor led course.

This course will inform the student about anything they could possibly know about hunting, but

there is also a field day required for this course, which shows the student how to shoot a gun,

hold a gun, and which positions to use for both. Since there are so many shooting accidents

when it comes to hunting, this is the most important section of the class to pass. When hunting,

everyone needs to be safe, especially when there are guns around.

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 On the left, there is a

photo of what the

courses look like on the

website. The first one

we are going to look at

is the actual course.

Click view upcoming

events to see when the

next class is going to

start. Remember to look at the location of the class, we are going to look at the registration for

the class in Lewiston, ID, because it is the class that is closest to us.

This course is taught in Lewiston and starts on April 17, but it looks like the class is completely

full with a wait list. Since the class is already full, the registration has closed. Although it is full

we are still going to see how hard/easy it is to sign up.

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 After clicking on the

registration this is the

screen that was

brought up.

Registering for the

class is simple, but it

would be easier if the

class was open. There

is a charge of $9.75 for

the class, but that includes all the study materials needed for the class.

Next we are going to look at the same thing on a mobile device. The process is very like the

desktop version and other things we have already done. Once you get to the homepage, you

scroll all the way down to

Hunter Ed Course Mobile vs. Desktop
5 the bottom of the page
4
where you get a list of
Likert Scale

2 options, although it is not

1

0
the same looking list, it is
Effect Efficiency Engagement Error Ease of Use
Tolerance worded the exact same.
Metrics
When you click on the
Desktop Mobile

hunter education tab the

picture of the kid holding his license pops up. You follow the same steps, but there are a few

more clicks involved because you are on a mobile device instead of a desktop.

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Task 5

Our next task is to find the hunting reports on the website, so we can decide where we would

like to hunt and the success rates of the hunts that have already happened. On our homepage,

we scroll down to the bottom. The Hunt Planner icon is next to the hunter education courses,

so next we click on the Hunt Planner. It brings us to a

screen of options, because the Filterable Grid is new and

the first option, we are going to select that. After selecting

that it will take us to our hunting reports. We are only looking at one option, keep in mind that

there are many to choose from. Most hunters will plan everything out and they usually have

their own special

map or guide that

they look at.

Everything is based

on preference in

the hunting world.

The filterable guide

looks like the photo

on the left and

clears up any confusion that a hunter may have. Although this all looks very confusing and it

wasnt the easiest to come across, it is one of the top sources a hunter will use. Our mobile

version is a little different. Lets take a look.

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 The hunt planner on the mobile version is different

because there isnt enough room on the screen. Instead of

having the filters on the side, there is a separate button

you must push if you wanted to filter out the animal, gun,

and location you want. Its not as easy as the desktop, but

the information is there, its just the process of finding it.

Since the information is harder to find on the mobile

version, the desktop version wins over ease of use.

Hunt Planner Mobile vs. Desktop

5
Likert Scale

4
The graph shows that although
3
2
each task was achieved, the 1
0
desktop was the easiest and best Effect Efficiency Engagement Error Ease of Use
Tolerance
Metrics
bet for an outdoorsmen/woman to
Desktop Mobile
access their hunting reports. The

mobile version was a little more complicated and the screen wasnt as big so there was a lot of

scrolling over to see the unit and scrolling back to see the animal. The mobile device is not

meant for hunting reports.

Task 6

Fishing reports are our next step in figuring out the Idaho Fish and Game website and it is at the

bottom of the homepage.

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 The fishing planner is next to the hunter education on the

right side. When clicking on the fishing planner it brings you

to a search bar that allows you to search for the body of

water in Idaho. When you search for a body of water, which in this case we searched for Island

Park Reservoir, this tells you recommended fish,

average size of the fish, and fish limits. Through this

search you can also filter anything out and search for a

specific fish or fish size. This is a great way to plan your

fishing trip because you know what you are most likely

to catch, but you can also see what others have caught

in the past. There are options on the side for filtering

out the options you dont want. We will now be

comparing the desktop to the mobile device to see how

similar or different they are. When you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will see the

Fishing Reports tab, when you click on that it will take you to the search bar where you can

search for a body of water.

When you search for a body of water the page comes up but its super complicated and you

should scroll side to side to get the information you want. The mobile version also did not have

a filtering option, which was kind of disappointing.

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 Although our goal was
Fish Planner Mobile vs. Desktop
5 reached the user didnt get
4
Likert Scale

3
as much information
2
through the mobile version
1

0 as they did through the

Effect Efficiency Engagement Error Ease of Use
Tolerance
desktop version, which was
Metrics
disappointing.
Desktop Mobile

Task 7

Before going hunting it is important to know the diseases that have been found in animals

during that season. On the homepage, there is a tab labeled Wildlife, when you hover over

the tab it has a drop-down list and the ninth option down is a tab labeled Wildlife Diseases.

When you click on

that theres a list

of diseases found

in wildlife this

season.

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The list also includes the animals the disease is found in and the mortality.

After having the list, you can click on any option and it will tell you where the disease was first

found and how fatal the disease is. This is important information to know because if harvest an

animal with a disease, then there is a good chance that animal would have to be turned over to

fish and game for an analysis. The mobile version of

this was quite complicated because the options

werent set out as tabs like the drop-down menu in

the desktop. It is part of a paragraph instead of

being one of the options. After clicking on the

wildlife diseases option we get the same list of

diseases, but it was a little more difficult to find.

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 Although we did get the same result it was a little bit

harder to find. It is important to know the diseases and

know where to find them even though it is not the easiest

thing to find on the website. The desktop version was

much easier to navigate than the mobile version because

there was an actual drop-down menu unlike the mobile

version.

Wildlife Diseases Mobile vs. Desktop

5
4
Likert Scale

3
2
1
0
Effect Efficiency Engagement Error Ease of Use
Tolerance
Metrics

Desktop Mobile

Task 8

One of a hunters greatest pride moments is beating a state record, and to compare how close

you have gotten to the state record you can check the Idaho Fish and Game website. On the

homepage menu bar, you go to the hunting tab and hover over it. Close to the bottom under

Big Game Hunting menu there is an option called, Big Game Records. You can choose which

animal you want to look up state records for, but because the default goes to elk, we are going

to look at the state record for elk.

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The largest nontypical elk was taken here in Latah County in 1970. This was super easy to

access on a desktop because it is one click away from the homepage.

The mobile version is completely different because

it does not have the option to click on big game

records like it does on the desktop version. The

only way to access the big game records result is to

go to the search bar and type in big game

records, and it is the first option that pops up

after the search. The desktop was much easier and

way faster than the mobile version because you

didnt have to search for the information, it was one click away from the home screen.

Big Game Records Mobile vs. Desktop

5
4
Likert Scale

3
2
1
0
Effect Efficiency Engagement Error Ease of Use
Tolerance
Metrics

Desktop Mobile

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Task 9
Idaho Fish and Game values their volunteers, so it is important to help them out and donate

your time. To become a volunteer there are many ways to do this, but the easiest way is to

scroll down to the bottom of the homepage and click on the Volunteer! icon.

When you click on the volunteer option then it takes you to the volunteer coordinators for each

region and to the volunteer application.

The desktop version is very straight forward and gives you the application without any

problems. Luckily he mobile version is almost identical, so it would be just as easy to find phone

numbers, but unless you had a wireless printer it would be easier to open it on a desktop and

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 print the application straight
Becoming a Volunteer Mobile vs. Desktop
5 from the computer. The only
4
Likert Scale

3 reason why they arent

2
1 equal on the ease of use is
0
Effect Efficiency Engagement Error Ease of Use because it would be easier
Tolerance
Metrics to print the application from

Desktop Mobile a computer instead of

printing it from a phone.

Task 10

Outdoorsmen and women dream of working for an agency like Fish and Game, and for those

who qualify the application process is easy. The employment option is at the bottom of Idaho

Fish and Games homepage, and is a very straight forward process for both mobile and desktop,

although it is much easier to apply on a desktop.

The employment option is the same in both the

mobile and desktop version. After clicking on the

employment tab, a list of temporary and permanent

jobs pop up from all over Idaho. Since the mobile and desktop versions are identical for this

task I will explain the process thoroughly.

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 The jobs

are easily

accessible

give a full

description

when the

link is

clicked on.

For this example, we are going to look at the Wildlife Technician position in Boise, ID. The link

shows a complete job description as well as what is preferred over the other. The contact

information is sent directly to the biologist hiring, which increases the chance of getting hired.

The application requires

a cover letter, resume,

and a temporary

application for

employment.

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 The only reason the
Becoming an Employee Mobile vs. Desktop
5 desktop is easier to access
4
Likert Scale

3 is because printing is easier

2
1 and sending the application
0
Effect Efficiency Engagement Error Ease of Use is easier on a desktop.
Tolerance
Metrics

Desktop Mobile

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Overview

Cumulative Data
60

50

40
Ratings

30

20

10

0
Effect Efficiency Engagement Error Tolerance Ease of Use
Metrics

Desktop Mobile

The first choice would be to use a desktop when doing anything on the fish and game website,

because it is more user friendly and quicker.

The second choice would be to use a mobile device to access the fish and game website,

because it is more convenient, but it is not easier.

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Bibliography

https://idfg.idaho.gov/

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