Case study on mobile optimization of a web application
Tammi, Ossi (2018)
Tammi, Ossi
2018
Tietotekniikka
Tieto- ja sähkötekniikan tiedekunta - Faculty of Computing and Electrical Engineering
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2018-08-15
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tty-201808142126
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tty-201808142126
Tiivistelmä
It has become a norm in the modern society to own at least one mobile device per person. This has had a major impact on the software engineering industry trying to answer the consumer needs. In this thesis an information rich desktop web application needs to become easily available in various use environments. The research question is: what is the most suitable solution for turning an existing web application into a mobile compatible application. In this context suitable means cost efficient, easy to implement and easy to validate. To put it simply: we need to make the existing web application more mobile. This thesis can be used as a guide for anyone coming across similar needs.
Sometimes a native mobile application isn't enough or an unoptimized web application can't provide the accessibility of a mobile application. A solution needs to be found, that provides the best from both worlds: information rich web application combined with easily accessible mobile application. Solutions involving native mobile applications are also researched. This is done to further validate the best solution. Operating environments for the application are industrial facilities, factories, metal scrap yards etc. The research question will be answered in a case study manner; the most suitable solution will be implemented after which the success of the solution is measured via performance metrics and user interviews.
It was found that turning the web application into a progressive web application, a PWA, answers the thesis' research question. Progressive web applications provide vast amounts of benefits with little effort, for example the page loading times can be easily reduced and the user experience on mobile is enhanced. Through performance metrics it was found that the application's performance improved considerably. User interviews revealed that the application's user experience was good with both mobile and desktop devices. According to the results, PWAs can be highly recommended for mobile optimization of a web application.
Sometimes a native mobile application isn't enough or an unoptimized web application can't provide the accessibility of a mobile application. A solution needs to be found, that provides the best from both worlds: information rich web application combined with easily accessible mobile application. Solutions involving native mobile applications are also researched. This is done to further validate the best solution. Operating environments for the application are industrial facilities, factories, metal scrap yards etc. The research question will be answered in a case study manner; the most suitable solution will be implemented after which the success of the solution is measured via performance metrics and user interviews.
It was found that turning the web application into a progressive web application, a PWA, answers the thesis' research question. Progressive web applications provide vast amounts of benefits with little effort, for example the page loading times can be easily reduced and the user experience on mobile is enhanced. Through performance metrics it was found that the application's performance improved considerably. User interviews revealed that the application's user experience was good with both mobile and desktop devices. According to the results, PWAs can be highly recommended for mobile optimization of a web application.