End-user evaluation of a mobile application prototype for territorial innovation

Abstract

This study is part of a larger research effort taking place under the umbrella of CeNTER Program, an interdisciplinary project that aims to promote the development of the Centro Region of Portugal. The general contribution of this paper is the evaluation of a mobile application prototype that promotes collaboration between the various agents involved in Tourism, Health and Wellbeing. For the evaluation of the prototype, different methods were employed, which included the collection of quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data were obtained through the combination of two User Experience evaluation tools (SUS and AttrakDiff) and from usability metrics of effectiveness and efficiency, which are key factors related to the usability of a product. Qualitative data were obtained using the Think-aloud protocol, which allowed immediate feedback from end-users on their experience of interacting with the prototype. Although there are still several improvements to be addressed, the overall end-users’ opinions show that the CeNTER application is a sustainable and timely contribution, with an interesting potential to help foster community-led initiatives. The article offers a better understanding for the evaluation of mobile applications, which foster the same subject approached in this study.