Home

Scenarios

Prototypes

Related Links

New Work

Bibliography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Displaying Web Pages on a Small Screen

 

 

People want to be able to access information on the go. And manufacturers of electronic devices are making smaller and smaller gadgets that allow us to get web content or other information directly to these small gadgets. Whether it is a cell phone with an internet browser built in or a Palm Pilot like PDA, electronic devices are faced with the problem of how to display information on small screens.

In this project we're developing innovative new display techniques for rendering web pages on very small screens.  We seek to be able to show any existing html page--we're not working on a restricted version of a mark-up language. The ultimate goal then is to be able to display existing web pages on small screens without the extra need of special formatting. The design principles that are applied will be able to exist on any platform ranging from Palms to WIndows, and from PDA's to Cell Phones.

Below, we show some sample scenarios in which a person may want to browse web pages over a PDA.  In the early stage of our research, we're identifying such situations and understanding what the viewer will truly want and need.
 

 

Scenario #1

 

  • You are away from the office but still want to check email
  • Want to check your office mail no matter what the morning might hold

Scenario #2

 

  • Out of town and lost
  • Want to be able to get directions to a restaurant you heard about
  • Mapquest.com?

 

 

Wouldn't it be nice if....

Imagine a small portable device (like a PDA or cell phone) which had a built in web browser. With this device you could wirelessly access the web from almost anywhere you find yourself. The good thing about this web browser would be that you could see any web page you wished from your brother's personal page to your fantasy football site. 

Of course displaying ordinary web information on a small screen has many difficulties. Images, tables, and forms all have to be handled. Not to mention that just reading ordinary text becomes more of a challenge when you are using a small screen. Here is a link to the initial report that details some of the thinking going into this project.

 

 

 

A Palm Pilot

Scenario #3

 

  • At a presentaion of your poster
  • Want to show some details to an interested party
  • Need to access your web page quickly

Scenario #4

 

  • Trade stocks from anywhere
  • Use any website you want