We get asked this question a lot! And we've been working on lists and lists of possibilities. Boy, there are a lot. First though, to expose a bit of our structural thinking, we've categorized mobile phones actions into two broad categories:
Direct Actions and Passive Actions. This division is useful because the
UI needs are, for the most part, different per category. Here's how they break down:
Direct Actions:
* Write text
* Record Audio
* Take Photo
* Take Video
* Call
* Use Web page (eg: fill out and submit forms)
* Transmit location
Passive Actions:
* Review a document (PDF/Word/Image)
* Listen to audio
* Watch a video
* Look at a Web page
By combining these actions in sequences, you can accomplish innumerable value-creating tasks. For example:
Transcribe old books by looking at scanned images and typing in what you see (this is what the Re-Captcha program does).
Critique resumes and then leave the job-seeker an audio comment, text comment, or by call them directly to discuss.
Identify potholes for your municipality by taking a photo of a pothole and transmitting your GPS coordinates.
Canvass for an organization. Get training via a video. Then go sign people up for the cause using a forms based Web page.
Conduct
interviews for a radio show. The radio show preps you with audio
instructions and a sample audio file – and then asks you to go do some
on-the-ground reporting.
Provide
technical assistance via a phone call to someone who is stuck with a
network problem, non-functioning device, or just needs help learning an
application.
Translate a paragraph in Spanish to English.
Review
a legal document (if you are a lawyer) for any red-flags. Giving this
casual advice via a voice call, audio comment, or text comment.
Identify craters on the surface of Mars for Nasa – as a part of Nasa's Clickworkers program.
Critique
a Web page design (if you are a designer). Submitting the comments via
text, audio – or by calling the requesting party to discuss.
Compile research in a particular subject area. Submit links and notes via a Web form.
Provide
purchasing advice in your area of expertise to an organization or
individual. Talk someone through. Don't be afraid of DRAM.
Give tax advice! (Boy, we could have used it last April).
Translate
live on a 3-way call for a non-English speaker. Perhaps they need to
talk with their kid's school or hospital and could use a little
friendly help navigating confusing phone trees.
Callbank for a political campaign.
Verify addresses and phone numbers for an organization who needs to clean up their database by calling numbers and looking up addresses using Google Maps.
Well, that list should get the juices flowing. Of course, there are some problems with some of these tasks (such as liability and privacy issues) – but in brainstorm mode, we leave all possibilities on the table. Please submit more ideas – or comment on the above.
