A new usability evaluation approach for touch screen mobile devices

Abstract

Satisfaction of new expectations such as product usability and customer feelings are increasing the value of mobile electronic devices. In this study, cell phones, which are widely used among all touch screen mobile devices, are selected and various features which affect the usability of these products are researched in analytical network process (ANP)-technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution-based (TOPSIS) Taguchi method. With the participation of fifteen subjects, usability tests are performed for four equivalent brands of touch screen phones. The relationships and interactions between the criteria affecting the usability of the touch screen phones and the results of the questionnaires are evaluated by ANP. Also, ANP is combined into TOPSIS-based Taguchi method and the most usable touch screen mobile phones with respect to optimal criteria levels are determined with a proposed integrated approach. This study helps the touch screen mobile phone designers focus on the usability that contribute most to the desirable product options. The proposed ANP-TOPSIS-based Taguchi method provides an effective way for facilitating the consumer oriented touch screen mobile phone design process.