Digital tools offer many advantages over traditional paper methods, but paper is generally preferred for its convenience. Apple’s iPad offers a form factor and interaction model which is more convenient than PCs for some tasks allowing it to challenge paper methods and realize the full benefits of digital tools. Since April of 2011 I have been substituting paper and PC tasks for iPad tools on many UX activities in my position as an Interaction Designer. I found that the iPad offers a viable alternative for many UX tasks and has become my preferred method for some. Other tasks are more effective using paper or software in a PC environment. This session will summarize these experiences, report survey results of iPad usage by UX professionals and compare the advantages and disadvantages of paper, PCs and the iPad.

1. Michael Ryan
ryaninteractive@gmail.com
@ryaninteractive
Rock! Paper! iPad!
Comparing UX Tools on the iPad to Traditional Methods

3. Benefits of Digital
• Editable
• Reusable elements
• Searchable
• Professional looking artifacts
• Compact
• Creates a record
• Expands your brain
• Easy to share
• Green

4. The Tasks
• Take notes
• Sketch
• Create prototypes
• Create flow diagrams
• Create affinity diagrams
• Read UX books and articles

5. Survey
• 44 UX Pros
• 36% have an iPad
• 5/2/11 - 5/6/11
• SurveyMonkey
• iPad only tablet studied
• Whiteboard = Paper

6. Rock! Paper! iPad!

7. 1. Take Notes
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Daily Weekly Rarely Never
Frequency

8. 1. Take Notes
Preferred Tools

9. Rock (PC): Word

10. Paper: Notebook
(Ealanta, 2011)

11. iPad: Evernote

12. 1. Take Notes
Preferred Medium
50%
38%
25%
13%
0%
Rock (PC) Paper iPad Other N/A

13. 2. Sketch
50%
38%
25%
13%
0%
Daily Weekly Rarely Never
Frequency

14. 2. Sketch
Preferred Tools

15. Rock (PC): Balsamiq Mockups
(Anderson, 2011)

16. Paper: Sketchbook
(Robb, 2011)

17. SketchyPad Ideas Sketchpad
Paper Desk iDraw Draft
SketchBook
PhotoShop Penultimate BoxWave
iPad: Many Apps

18. iPad: Penultimate

19. 2. Sketch
Preferred Medium
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Rock (PC) Paper iPad Other N/A

20. 3. Create Prototypes
50%
38%
25%
13%
0%
Daily Weekly Rarely Never
Frequency

21. 3. Create Prototypes
Preferred Tools

22. Rock (PC): Axure

23. Paper: Paper Prototyping
(Rivera, Lin, & Iki, 2011)

24. Omnigraffle iMockups
Keynote
iPad: Various
(Sharps, 2011)
(Seto, 2011)
(Villamor, 2011)

25. 3. Create Prototypes
Preferred Medium
90%
68%
45%
23%
0%
Rock (PC) Paper iPad Other N/A

26. 4. Create Flow Diagrams
60%
45%
30%
15%
0%
Daily Weekly Rarely Never
Frequency

27. 4. Create Flow Diagrams
Preferred Tools

28. Rock (PC): Visio

29. Paper: Flipchart/Whiteboard
(Gray, Brown, & Macanufo, 2011)

30. iPad: iThoughts

31. 4. Create Flow Diagrams
Preferred Medium
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Rock (PC) Paper iPad Other N/A

32. 5. Create Affinity Diagrams
60%
45%
30%
15%
0%
Daily Weekly Rarely Never
Frequency

33. 5. Create Affinity Diagrams
Preferred Tools

34. Rock (PC): Edistorm

35. Paper: Sticky Notes
(Glover, 2011)

36. iPad: Infinote

37. 5. Create Affinity Diagrams
Preferred Medium
50%
38%
25%
13%
0%
Rock (PC) Paper iPad Other N/A

38. 6. Read UX Books/Articles
70%
53%
35%
18%
0%
Daily Weekly Rarely Never
Frequency

39. 6. Read UX Books/Articles
Preferred Tools

40. Rock (PC): Google Reader

41. Paper: Books and Journals

42. iPad: Flipboard

43. 6. Read UX Books/Articles
Preferred Medium
50%
38%
25%
13%
0%
Rock (PC) Paper iPad Other N/A

44. The Winner

45. You!
Each medium has its own strengths.
Pick what works.

46. Rock (PC) is good for...
• "Note taking - quick typing"
• "Prototypes and flowcharts, as they are more complex
in nature and need complex software to support/
update"
• "Detail design work and complicated design. It is
easier to make changes and to keep the design clean"
• "Where you need to reuse elements a lot"
• "When I want to show my work to senior
management… share my work with remote teams"

47. Paper is good for...
• "Early diagrams and sketches... because they allow you to
create your concepts on the fly without having to struggle
with software"
• "Things that need to be fast, easily discardable /
changeable"
• "Flow diagrams, prototyping... general analysis. You can get
your ideas down much more quickly in a format that can be
viewed... by many - allows for better collaboration"
• "Anything collaborative... all participants can contribute on
equal ground"
• Reading long form text

48. iPad is good for...
• "Don't know"
• "Pretending that you are doing something profound when you
haven't a clue"
• Entertainment: Angry Birds, Netflix, Social Media
• "Sketching on site"
• "Note taking is great on iPad because it's always with me, and I
can transfer my notes to any computer"
• "Article reading... because I can squeeze it in while waiting for
meetings to start, on the couch, traveling, etc.
• "...a lot of potential on the research side of our work"

49. The iPad at 1...
(Paine, 2011)

50. Thank you.
Michael Ryan
ryaninteractive@gmail.com
@ryaninteractive

51. Appendix: References
• Anderson, R. (2011). Review: Balsamiq Mockups. Dreaming in Javascript. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://
dreaminginjavascript.wordpress.com/2008/12/14/review-balsamiq-mockups/
• Ealanta, C. (2011). UX Australia – Wee notepad. Rook in the Garret's Blog. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://
rookinthegarret.wordpress.com/
• Glover, B. (2011). Affinity Diagrams. Fluid. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://wiki.fluidproject.org/display/fluid/Affinity
+Diagrams
• Gray, D., Brown, S., & Macanufo, J. (2010).Gamestorming: A playbook for innovators, rulebreakers, and
changemakers. Beijing: O'Reilly
• Paine, S. (2011). Baby Sees The iPad Magic. Flickr. Retrieved May 21, 2009, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/
umpcportal/4581962986/
• Rivera, J., Lin, M., & Ikiz, B. (2011). Paper Prototyping. Team 4. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://www.uxbooth.com/
blog/tools-for-sketching-user-experiences/
• Robb, J. (2011). Tools for Sketching User Experiences. UX Booth. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://
www.uxbooth.com/blog/tools-for-sketching-user-experiences/
• Seto, K. (2011). Sneak peak at our awesome iMockups template for subscribers. Endloop Blog. Retrieved May 7,
2011, from http://blog.endloop.ca/blog
• Sharps, L. (2011). Using OmniGraffle for iPad as a wireframing tool. The Omni Mouth. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from
http://www.omnigroup.com/blog/entry/using_omnigraffle_for_ipad_as_a_wireframing_tool_new_video_posted/
• Villamor, C. (2011). How to Create iPad Prototypes Using Keynote for iPad. Cvil.ly. Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://
cvil.ly/2010/05/16/creating-ipad-prototypes-on-the-ipad/