Harvard Mobile Initiatives
June 15, 2011
Moving toward mobile-first
Harvard launched a university-wide
mobile initiative to improve the mobile
experience of students, faculty, staff,
alumni, visitors, and neighbors who
interact with Harvard’s campus and
community.
The first products are:
1. a mobile web application, accessible
by browser on any smartphone or
feature phone
2. a native iPhone application
m.harvard.edu
Harvard Mobile Features
Version 1.0 launched September 2010
• Courses (iCommons)
• People Directory (University Information Systems)
• Map (University Planning Office)
• News & Events (Gazette)
• Student Dining (Hospitality & Dining Services)
Version 1.1 October 2010
• Shuttle Tracker (UOS)
Version 1.2 January 2011
• Library (OIS)
Modo Labs, Inc.
• Based in Cambridge, MA
• Harvard and MIT alumni
• Custom development built on Kurogo open
source framework
iMobile U
• A community of educational institutions with
a shared interest in mobile development.
• Participating higher education institutions
including MIT, Rice University and the
University of North Carolina
Harvard Mobile: Policy & Governance
• App management resides in Public Affairs
& Communication, as a public facing touch
point for the University
• Data and features included were driven
user experience, not organizational
imperative
• Close collaboration with data owners and
a strong network of internal developers
was essential to success
Data owners are distributed
Managed by distributed groups, centralized in the app
Courses (iCommons)
People Directory (UIS)
Map (University Planning Office)
News & Events (Gazette)
Student Dining (HUDS)
Shuttle Tracker (UOS)
Library (OIS)
Harvard Mobile Use Case
from MITX submission
• Janet leaves Mather House, headed to a class at the
far side of campus. She checks Harvard Mobile and
sees a shuttle will be leaving Mather in three minutes.
• After the lecture, she has some questions she’d like to discuss during
her professor’s office hours. In Harvard Mobile, she flips to the Courses
module and taps on the class in her “My Courses” list. She taps on the
professor’s name to find him in the directory, and then taps the office
address to locate it on the campus map.
• It’s nearby, but a grumble in her belly reminds Janet to break for lunch.
She checks the Student Dining module to see what’s for lunch – it’s
Korean barbeque, which sounds great.
• After lunch, the Harvard Mobile map helps her navigate to her
professor’s office. They have a great conversation, during which he
recommends a book for further study.
• As she’s leaving, she finds it in Harvard Mobile’s Library module. A quick
glance tells her she’s in luck – there’s a copy available now right down
the street at Lamont Library.
Usability and Beta Testing
Usability testing
• One-on-One and small group testing with students
• Usability testing for each feature that is released
Beta testing
• Data owners and HPAC staff conducted a two-week period of
testing, bugs were submitted daily
Harvard Mobile Results
• Total downloads of the native app since launch: ~20,000
• Even on the Mobile Web, most users are iPhone
June 13, 2011
Harvard/Radcliffe College Reunion App
• Product owner is Harvard Alumni
Association, collaboration with
Alumni Affairs & Development
Communications
• Launched mid-May 2011 with
Reunions
• Mobile Web, iPhone and iPad
• Improve the experience of reunion
attendees in connecting with
classmates and to Harvard in
useful ways, by leveraging the
power of mobile communications
• Demonstrate to Harvard alumni
that Harvard is progressive in
adapting technology, especially to
engage recent classes
Harvard/Radcliffe College Reunion App:
Event-driven, location-based
• Authenticate using Harris alumni
login to see who else is
attending the Reunion and
individual events
• Complete reunion schedule is
available in the app
– Some backend still manual,
need better integration v2
• Bookmark events to add to your
schedule
Harvard/Radcliffe College Reunion App:
Social integration
• Check in via Foursquare and
see who else has checked in
to events
• Tweet from the App using
your reunion hashtag
• View pictures and video from
your classes Facebook group
Harvard/Radcliffe College Reunion App:
Results
• Overall positively received as
useful and forward-looking
(HAA constructing a more
detailed analysis)
• 1,333 native apps
downloaded
• >30,000 mobile web page
views
• Desire for greater
functionality: more events,
more opportunities to connect
with one another (“who’s here
in this room?”)
50th reunion class with the app
Harvard Mobile, What’s Next?
• Will continue to iterate and revise
through releases of new versions and
features
• Mobile Tour of Harvard Yard
– Partnered with Information Center
and Marshal’s Office
– Part of 375 celebration
– Will feature landmarks of Harvard Yard
– July launch
• Multimedia
– Curated videos and audio
– July launch
THANK YOU