eReading Services

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- just in time

Helene Juhola, Director R&D

Viestinnän Keskusliitto (Finnmedia)

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2 25.1.2011 NEXT MEDIA - A TIVIT PROGRAMME

eReading project –why?

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Mobile communication and devices are changing the way people behave

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In 2011 half of the 2,1 billion internet users are using other devices than traditional computers (IDC)

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The most interesting future development will be the interactive component of traditional media –not so called new media

(Deloitte 2010)

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eReaders and tablet computers are potential mobile media devices

The objective is

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To accelerate the new emerging horizontal market for paid content services by involving most important players in the media sector

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To create a content and consumer driven model for distributing media content to different devices

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eReading Services project –how?

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By improving

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the understanding of users and customers –superior media and purchase experience

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By developing

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^new product concepts with value adding features and services

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new content based business

models and earning logics –new revenues

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advanced technological enablers, standards and transparent

horizontal user interfaces

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Trials, demos, user testing

Open platform tablet paper HBL + Mederra

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eReading Services business models

E-paper business mo dels

Scenario 3 Scenario 1

Application based e-reading business models

Scenario 2

E-convenience store business models

We b base d e-reading business models

Scenario 4

Stat ic s ervi ce c onte nt

Mod ular serv ice cont ent

Open (Multiple service formats and/or platforms) Closed (Specific service format and/or platform)

Internal factors

-Techno lo g ical inf astructure and kno wled ge

- Of f -line strategy - Avalaib le reso urces - Org anizatio nal culture

External factors

- Type o f industry - Market trends

- Inf luence of key p artners - Enviro nmental f actors

Aalto Econ

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Media Experience

eReader Devices, Software & eBooks

Insights:

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^Users: Large age group differences in coping with tasks

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^Device: Portability, Ease of Use, Price = Most Important Features

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^Software: Difficult Navigation, Fonts difficult to read

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^eBooks: Difficult Navigation, Variable Margins, Typeface &

Cover Icons difficult to read Typical Users:

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Mobile reader: reads when commuting, uses light e-Ink

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Literature enthusiast: reads at home/vacation, likes fast

& large screens, annotations

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Multimedia user: likes to read many things

simultaneously on LCD screens

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Improvements Needed:

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^Devices: Light-weight, few but clearly marked buttons, fast screen refresh

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^Software: Navigation &

Menu, Visual Bookshelf, Typeface

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^eBooks: Navigation, Cover Icons, Spacious Headlines

Aalto TAIK

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Media Experience

Content Types & Presentation Style

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Factual News

more interesting,

important for oneself, and trustworthy than entertainment news

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Entertainment news more pleasant and understandable than factual news

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Presentation: News with text & audio are more arousing than text only or audio only

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News with text & audio creates highest

satisfaction, only text or only audio less

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People who frequently read news on a

computer

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find news on eReaders more arousing than people who do not read news frequently on a computer

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find entertainment news more pleasant than

factual news

Aalto CSI, Econ/CKIR 7

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eBooks in the cloud

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eReading research platform

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Enables new concepts based on evolving future standards for

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content creation

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publishing and aggregating

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consuming and sharing

search

content repository HTML5

iApp indexer

server client

DRM ads

user stats access

control

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Reports: State-of the Art, Metadata models, Technology development –VTT and Metropolia

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HTML5-based reader for tablets

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Single source base for multiple device platforms

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Near native like functionality

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Search services

XML description Devices with html5-

compatible browser

Editorial system

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Other impacts

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Five master’s theses at Aalto University

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One doctoral thesis on user experience at Aalto SCI related to the project

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^A new doctoral thesis on readership development in magazine context will be started in March at Aalto TAIK

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Cources in graphic design and typograhy for tablets and eReaders available at Aalto TAIK

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Tailored training for companies

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^Visibility in media has been good and international interest growing

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Low prices, unprofitable revenue share

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Media content kiosk –Finnish model?

Benchmarked cases from abroad

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Next Issue Media (USA)

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MBL kiosk (Norway)

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Codex (Switzerland)

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Pubbles (Germany)

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eKiosk (France)

Libraries

Bookstores Books

Newspapers

Magazines

Other services TV

PC

TV MP3 PC

TV

Buying & Billing & Payment

DRM

Device management

Content hosting Authentication

Customer support

Learning ^Appsdevelopment

Etc.

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Usability of Reading Devices

Harri Heikkilä, Aalto Taik

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Harri Heikkilä eReading research

M.Soc.Sc., graphic designer Aalto University, School of Art and Design Project researcher

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Goals

•Identification of user needs and motivations

•List of good practices and a conceptual model of a

recommendable eBook, device and eReading program which utilizes those findings

•Conceptualization of e-Reading users, content, and their individual preferences.

•User-preferences in interfaces, devices and apps

•Develop a heuristic evaluation model suitable for new publishing

Research of eReading devices and applications

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eReaders in usability-testbench, methods

Method and field of research

Status

USER TESTIG

Probes Complited, writing

OOBE Complited

Questionnaires Complited

USER RESEARCH

Interviews Complited

Focusgroup interview

Future?

Personas Complited

Expert evaluation

Heuristic evaluation,

coqnitive walkthrough Complited

Over 100 interviews and OOBE-tests made with 15 persons age groups of 16–74. Gender and age were stabilized. Seven devices tested in randomized order: Amazon Kindle 2 and 3. • Apple iPad • BeBook Neo • Booken Opus • Sony 600 • Galaxy

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Probes

Example of a probe, user taken pictures and notes

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OOBE

Example of a task giving (Change a font size) and talking out loud -method

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Questionnaires

Two forms: before and after first test

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Calculating task times in spreadsheet

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Example: OOBE-listing for Cybook Opus

TASK Average

Time

Av.

Errors Av.

Complited

Av. comp. with help Av . not completed Seriousness of error

Open the device 18/60 4 14 1 1 1

Find the book you were reading 112/120 4 12 1 0 1

Find the chapter you were reading in

the paper version 22/ 120 13 12 1 0 2

Enlarge the text 92/180 26 13 0 0 3

TOTAL 244 47 51 3 1

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Previous research

FRAGMENTS Source

Extensive selection of books and easyness of reading are two most wished attributes Pietilä 2005

Unclear situation of DRM can be obstacle for diffusion Li 2008

Slow screenrefresh annoys readers Timmer 2007

Scannability/skimmability is an important variable Chong, Lim, and Ling 2009

Booring similarity and gaps are common design caveats Parker 2003

Portability, lightness but large screensize enough to read comfortably. Good ergonomics.

Wilson and Landoni 2002

Navigation, sense of place important Wilson and Landoni 2004

eReading devices and eBooks of acceptable quality are just one part of the ecosystem that has to be present before the eReading culture can grow and diffuse.

Abundance of content is the key.

IDPF 2010 seminar

The overall ease of use was associated with ease of navigation Chong, Lim, and Ling 2009

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Findings

PERSONAS. Conceptualization of e-Reading users Three readers, three devices, three needs?

SAMI 30 yrs Mobile reader.

Device type: eInk, like Booken

”I always read when commuting, this is better way”

LIISA 65 yrs

litterature orientated.

Device type: eInk, like Kindle, BeBook, Sony

”My digital library saves lots of space”

JUHA 50 yrs magazine subscriber Device type: hybrid, panel-device, like iPad, Galaxy

”I am not so interested on books, I want color and video”

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Results from OOBE

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eReaders in usability-testbench

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eReaders in usability-testbench

G1: AGE GROUP 17–18 YRS G1: AGE GROUP 29–30 YRS G1: AGE GROUP 48–53 YRS G1: AGE GROUP 68–72 YRS

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My findings

Divison of sources of

eReading UX to three levels

1. Device 2. Software 3. Publication

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My findings

General

Claim Source

Different functions in different interface layers are potentionally confusing when overlapping each other, lesser amount of functions in hardware and more in eReading software are beneficial.

OOBE, forms, interviews, probes

Navigation and skimmability are important part of UX. Older age group beneficts more from better UX.

There is much to improve: Progression bar (Navigation bar) is still generally poorly implemented, speed of eInk devices need improvement, user control is poor

Reader wants to be sure that his/hers investments for the electronic book and access for the book remains guaranteed on future. Few are willing to pay same price as for printed book

Time for completing tasks, coping and recovery strategies from errors differ greatly between age groups and gender. Gender differences are smaller in younger age groups.

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Recommendations

based on user research and heuristic evaluation.

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eReading device

Navigation

Less buttons and with appropriate size, self- evident functiona and clear markings.

Size & feel

Simple, friendly and minimalistic design Not bulky, nor heavy

Speed

Real-time screenrefresh

(user control and freedom)

Display

High contrast display with no glare. Ability read in different lightin conditions

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eReader software

User control

Most needed functions provided by menu bar.

Navigation

Page bar should be accessible with direct manipulation

Positioning within book by pagebar with page and chapter numbers

User freedom

Visual bookshelf, many (over six) fontsizes available, ability to change typeface and margins

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T413No good font size

eReader software

Recommendations

User control Font size should be adjustable with small increments

(user control and freedom)

System status and undo

eReader should tell user what is happening and be able to cancel and undo operations.

(Visibility of system status)

Design

eInk device should not use font face with highly contrasting stroke weights.

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eBook

Recommendations Headlines start from new page with generous white

spaceSubheads stand out clearly in body textSome white space is provided by design, not all eReaders provide easy ability to adjust itConsider using three centered dots or similar way to tell reader, that h/she has reaxhed end of some entity

Spacing and indentions of paragraphs are thoughtfully designed, aim is to provide coherent set of visual clues ands avoid clutter, feeling of mass of unformulated text.

Cover page has to work also as an tiny icon. Book has title page, copyright page and TOC page

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eBooks - challenges and achievements

Result Seminar 25.1.2011

Peter Bagge

Otava Publishing Company Ltd

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eBook challenges

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Questions conserning eBooks and Digital Rights

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What formats and to witch eReading device?

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How to produce an eBook?

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How to distribute and sell eBooks?

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The pricing and selection of eBooks

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The adoption of eReaders on the market

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eBooks and digital rights

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The writer contracts must also cover eBooks

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The illustrator- and compiler agreements of the works must also be respected

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eBooks are a new area for many parties

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Not well established practices

RESULTS:

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Discussions have been held between authors and publishers about eBooks and their possibilities

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New contracts have been signed to enable publishing of eBooks

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These activities will become an ongoing procedure

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What formats and to witch eReading device?

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The fileformat has to be chosen: ePub, Kindle azw, Apple, etc..

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What eReading devices will end users select?

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The eReading device must support the selected format.

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Should DigitalRightsManagment protection be used?

What level of DRM?

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The consumer perspective should be remembered and ease of use.

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Library and company perspective and DRM.

RESULTS:

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Based on the State of the art findings:

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Decision of fileformats: ePub, Apps

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Decision to utilize DRM

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How to produce an eBook?

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What existing materials can be used?

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What should the eBook look like, like a physical book?

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What tools should be used to produce an eBook?

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Who does and what?

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What product information should be delivered to the retailer?

RESULTS:

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New workflows for creating eBooks have been developed

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An own graphic design for eBooks has been created

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A Publications program for eBooks has been scheduled

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The quantity of product information has been enhanced

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Hundreds of finalized eBooks have been created

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How to distribute and sell eBooks?

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The distribution of eBooks requires updating of information systems

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The retailer network must be defined

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Pricing models for eBooks must be settled

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How to react on new actors that are not coming from the traditional publishing field

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The roles of different actors must be clarified

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The amount of backlist titles and timing of the eBook version vs paperback has to be addressed

RESULTS:

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Distributors and retailers have invested in information systems

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New retailer contracts have been negotiated

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Several eBookstores have been opened

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There are currently hundreds of eBooks available to end customers at several eBook stores

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Some opened eBookstores

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Open questions

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The quantity of eReaders among endcustomers is still low. What will be the role of tablet devices?

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Will the devices utilize customer friendly DRM to increase ease of use?

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Will there be more enhanced eBooks or Apps?

Coming activities

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Optimizing of the entire eBook process chain

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Find ways for activating the use of standardized product information and utilizing metadata

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Follow up of eReading devices and formats

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Content experience and media adoption