Table 2.
Key features of an ideal mobile application.
| Features | Experts * | Users | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Content | |||
| Granularity of the information | X | Precise, clear and detailed content (e.g., product and paying terminal disposal, floor surface and unevenness, accessibility of fitting rooms) | |
| X | Description of available products and their location in the store, sales and general information (e.g., address, phone number) | ||
| X | Identification of facilitators, environment’s technical support and barriers to properly represent a location’s accessibility | ||
| Information contextualization | X | Information on atmosphere, level of client traffic and quality of service | |
| X | X | Pictures and additionnal comments to ensure conformity between a place’s description and reality | |
| X | Concrete evaluation criteria | ||
| Usability | |||
| Place finding | X | Geolocation in addition to a variety of research modes (keyboard input, map navigation) | |
| X | Research based on a personalized profile of wanted facilitators and barriers to avoid | ||
| Rating system | X | Result presentation in the form of a universally recognized rating (five stars) | |
| X | Dichotomous scale evaluation grid to do an inventory for all EBF | ||
| X | Precise, clear and objective rating system to describe a place’s physical accessibility | ||
| Presentation of results | X | Evaluation ratings represented by an average | |
| X | Results classified by alphabetical order or by type of place | ||
| X | Content presented according to the types of disabilities (mobility, vision, hearing and cognition) | ||
| X | Map maker locates a place and establishes a route | ||
| Usability | |||
| Compatibility with targeted clientele | X | X | Available in French and English |
| X | Vocabulary easily understandable | ||
| User-friendliness | X | Easy to learn | |
| X | Short and simply formulated items of the evaluation grid | ||
| X | X | Easy to manipulate (e.g., fewer steps to get the information, navigation simplified on one page; pictures uploadable in one step) | |
| X | Brief evaluation grid to fill | ||
| X | Word prediction when searching for a place | ||
| Aesthetics | X | X | Content and icons in large format |
| Credibility | X | Identification of the status of the user who filled in the evaluation grid (e.g., date and user’s profile) | |
| X | Validation by a webmaster (but avoid delays) | ||
| Connectivity or interactiveness | X | Linked to social network | |
| X | Associated with a website (consumers’ opinion) | ||
| X | Possibility to judge an evaluation (helpful or not) |
Notes: * Includes the researchers, research assistants and an accessibility expert; EBF: environmental barriers and facilitators; X: element mentioned by the group.