Mobile design/Editing
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This document describes the design for the editing workflow for logged in mobile site users.
Rationale[edit]
Wikipedians want to be able to contribute on their mobile devices, and some already do by using the desktop site. By making the editing process more mobile-friendly, we hope to engage these users in more productive work.
User research[edit]

We know that some highly active editors are already editing on their phones and tablets, either by using third-party apps like Wiki Edit, or by accessing the desktop site via their mobile device.[1] However, they report that the experience of using the desktop site on a phone is extremely painful and not a sustainable solution. Additionally, editing the desktop site from a mobile device may lead to serious problems like unintentional mass reverts, which can harm both the site and its users.
A mobile-friendly editing experience should minimize clutter and maximize the user's ability to manipulate text in a focused area (e.g., section-level or even more granular editing).
Desktop editing[edit]
There are some relevant takeaways from the Usability Initiative on editing in general:
- Prominent section-level edit links are important. Users tend to get lost when editing the entirety of a large article, rather than just a section of it.
- Excess clutter in the editing interface confuses new users and keeps them from discovering the save button.
- It is important to distinguish between the "read" and "edit" states. Without clear visual cues, users get confused.
User stories[edit]
- As a logged in user, I want to be able to contribute on mobile.
Design requirements[edit]
- Create an editing interface that minimizes the pain of scrolling/zooming
- Remove all cruft from the editing interface footer (categories, transcluded templates, markup and special symbol help, etc.)
- Create an obvious distinction between editing interface and non-editing interface (potentially in collaboration with Visual editor team)
Project phases[edit]
Still in planning.
User experience[edit]
TBD
Mockups[edit]
Developer card wall[edit]
- ...