Functional Requirements of Mobile Applications for Fishermen

Abstract

Unusable information technology products and its unacceptability have been traced to the inability of the tech products to meet the needs and desire of the users, for whom the products are provided. Malaysia government has also been recording same users’ neglect on information technological infrastructure provided despite huge amount of money invested on the ICT project, most especially for the rural dwellers. The major reason of this users’ unacceptability have been traced to lack of proactive users’ requirements gathering. To address this in the intending development of mobile application for fishermen; who are also members of the target group to be provided mobile technologies by the Malaysian government, this study aims to validate the functional requirements of mobile applications for fishermen using a Qualitative-based users’ participatory design methodology. The result of the study shows that fishermen’s ability to get weather updates, water safety information, track of storm and rain intensity, advertizing fish catch, real time market price and general fishing tips are functional requirements of a mobile application for fishermen.