A DEMATEL method in identifying design requirements for mobile environments: students’ perspectives

Abstract

The understanding of the design of mobile phones is somewhat different from other devices and products. This is properly due to the limited design capacity of mobile phones which need to be maintained within a small screen. One aspect for consideration is the relationship between certain design elements and users’ usage behavior and perception of the device. This study examined the feasibility of multiple-criteria decision making, known as the decision-making trial evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), for identifying the key design patterns necessary for promoting users use of mobile devices. Precisely, we studied users’ direct, indirect, and interdependent behaviors in relation to seven mobile design patterns, including dealing with data, providing input, navigation, notification, personalization, screen interaction, and social activity. A DEMATEL model was generated for 75 students using these dimensions. The results showed that patterns corresponding to users’ interactions with the screen, dealing with data, and navigation were the core factors that can potentially aid the design of mobile environments. Our findings can be used by educational designers of mobile applications to form better design scenarios that are closely connected to a specific task and setting.