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Missed Call Use Across Cultures
Abstract
With the ubiquitous use of mobile phones everywhere, mobile phone users constantly invent new ways to use their mobile phones to satisfy their communication needs. An example of how technology sometimes is used in a way that was not anticipated is the use of “the missed call”. The missed call is an intentional action whereby a person places a call and disconnects the call before the recipient on the other end answers the call. Despite the popularity of the missed call, to date the missed call as a form of communication has not been considered in mobile phone design. Therefore, the aim of this research is to propose a solution that employs an icon-based missed call service (IBMCS) to help users interpret the different meanings of the missed calls. Two contrasting cultures were selected for this study; the UK as a representative for the mature mobile technology market and the Sudan as an emerging market for mobile devices. The results from the study indicated that the IBMCS allows for better interpretation of the missed calls. The Sudanese had more positive attitude towards the developed service than the British participants. However, the British deemed that the icons were self explanatory and more informative and expressive than the old missed call service. The Sudanese were satisfied with the new IBMCS but they suggested adding more icons to the IBMCS.
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