If you ask pretty much any South Alabama student if they wish there was an app for Sakai, they would say yes. I understand that you can log on to Sakai in the safari app on your phone but it takes far too long. I think an app that includes everything that is on your Sakai account would be extremely successful and useful. In one of the articles that we read a few weeks ago called, “7 tips to create awesome mobile app designs,” one of the first tips was to create a goal driven design. The goal of my app will be to make the process of viewing your Sakai from your phone easier and less lengthy. Another point that was made during our discussion in class as well as in one of the articles we read was, the amount of times a person has to click to get to where they want to go, the less user-friendly your site/app is. Life for all of us college students would be much easier if this app that can get you logged on to your account and viewing what you need to with just a few clicks was created.
Another tip that was included in the article mentioned above was to know your users. By creating this app as a student of the University of South Alabama, I’m pretty much creating this app for myself and my fellow students. I know what students would want and I will keep that in mind while designing my app.
From what I’ve gathered, the University of South Alabama mobile app is pretty well-made and easy to use. I examined that app and I liked how it had a vertical scrolling menu that enlarged one option when you selected it. I would like to use a similar design for my app. The menu however would just include the student’s courses they’re enrolled in. One of the tips included in one of the articles we read was to use animation and gestures to keep your users interacted while using your app. Also by using the design I mentioned above, the selection would be larger which would accommodate users with fat fingers.
I’m excited about this app and wish it was really and truly being created by someone now. I know as a student, it would make Sakai much easier to use from my phone.
Kaylee Henry 