ProactiveTasks: the short of mobile device use sessions

Abstract

Mobile devices have become powerful ultra-portable personal computers supporting not only communication but also running a variety of complex, interactive applications. Because of the unique characteristics of mobile interaction, a better understanding of the time duration and context of mobile device uses could help to improve and streamline the user experience. In this paper, we first explore the anatomy of mobile device use and propose a classification of use based on duration and interaction type: glance, review, and engage. We then focus our investigation on short review interactions and identify opportunities for streamlining these mobile device uses through proactively suggesting short tasks to the user that go beyond simple application notifications. We evaluate the concept through a user evaluation of an interactive lock screen prototype, called ProactiveTasks. We use the findings from our study to create and explore the design space for proactively presenting tasks to the users. Our findings underline the need for a more nuanced set of interactions that support short mobile device uses, in particular review sessions.