BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL MOBILE APP

BlackBerry 1o App (2014)

In 2013, Research in Motion introduced BlackBerry 10 (BB10), a new operating system designed to compete with iOS and Android via gesture-based interface. Showcased on the new z10 hardware, BB10 presented a unique O/S design with innovations like the BlackBerry Hub for centralized communication and Active Frames for real-time multitasking.

The Bloomberg Professional iOS and Android apps were providing users with seamless access to essential financial news, tools and data through ingeniously designed and intuitive mobile interfaces. Recognizing clients’ trust and reliance on BlackBerry for the platform’s robust security and enterprise features, the decision was made to port the Bloomberg Professional mobile experience to BB10.

With limited in-house bandwidth, the BB10 development project was outsourced to Toronto-based Pivotal Labs, where the app was designed and prototyped in code. As the Mobile team UX liaison for the project, I designed and conducted a usability test to assess the onboarding-friendliness and ease of use of the BB10 mobile app.

“Some of the things the Z10 can’t do, instead of all the things it can” — the theme of RIM’s Superbowl ad

Research Objectives

With an all-new O/S like BB10 (or a substantial redesign), even with great onboarding support it requires effort and patience for users to form a conceptual model of the system. In consultation with the team, I identified these goals:

  • Evaluating the clarity and effectiveness of the app onboarding process

  • Assessing the intuitiveness and efficiency of global and contextual navigation

  • Testing the customization features of the communication center

  • Measuring user satisfaction with data table customization, such as table size adjustments

Concurrently, a significant navigation overhaul for the Bloomberg iOS app was underway. Taking iOS as a point of departure, the Pivotal Labs team adapted the design to BB10. The test would provide an opportunity to collect feedback relevant to the iOS project, too!

Method

Taking advantage of a fully-equipped usability lab at Bloomberg’s New York headquarters, I designed a task-based usability walkthrough focused on qualitative feedback, rather than precise task timing.

The onboarding flow to guide users on BB10’s unique gestural UI, and introduce the iOS-inspired dual-level navigation. (click to view the complete test plan)

I coordinated with our mobile sales liaison to recruit half a dozen Bloomberg users with prior experience using BlackBerry devices. Participants were given a series of tasks designed to mimic their real-world interactions with the BB10 prototype. Each participant’s progress was recorded and interactions documented to identify pain points, inefficiencies, and successful elements of the user interface.

Throughout sessions over two days, participants were encouraged to think aloud, share thoughts and feedback in real time. The team debriefed after each session in the usability lab observation room.

Specific insights and takeaways for the visual and interaction design have, alas, been lost to the decade that has elapsed since the research took place in 2014. Yet this project had a profound impact on my appreciation of the power of user research to align teams around the HCI experience. The cross-functional team from Pivotal Labs that visited New York had conducted no prior testing with the new O/S; more than one aspect of the interaction design that had been assumed to be intuitive and straightforward proved elusive to an actual end user. It was a bit of an eye-opener for the team! And a most enjoyable project.