Tracking user interactions with a mobile UI to facilitate UI optimizations

1. A computer-implemented method for tracking user interactions with a mobile user interface (UI), comprising:

collecting data while a user interacts with the mobile UI through a touchscreen, wherein the collected data includes tap-attempt data that specifies coordinates for touchscreen locations that the user has tapped while interacting with the mobile UI;

comparing the tap-attempt data with locations of tappable elements in the mobile UI, wherein each tappable element has an associated tap target size;

for each tappable element, using results of the comparison to determine a percentage of tap attempts that have succeeded or failed for the associated tap target size; and

making the percentage information available to a UI designer to enable the UI designer to adjust tap target sizes for the mobile UI;

wherein the collected data additionally includes swipe-attempt data that specifies coordinates for a “touch down” location and an associated “touch up” location for each swipe attempt, and wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the swipe-attempt data with locations of swipable elements in the mobile UI, wherein each swipable element has an associated swipe target size;

for each swipable element, using results of the comparison to determine a percentage of swipe attempts that have succeeded or failed for the associated swipe target size; and

making the percentage information available to the UI designer to enable the UI designer to adjust swipe target sizes for the mobile UI accordingly.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the tap-attempt data with the locations of the tappable elements includes:

associating tap attempts with proximate tappable elements in the mobile UI; and

for each tappable element, determining whether the associated tap attempts have succeeded or failed based on the tap target size for the tappable element.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

examining the tap-attempt data to identify a cluster of tap attempts that are proximate to a non-tappable element in the mobile UI; and

if such a cluster is identified, notifying the UI designer about the cluster of tap attempts that are proximate to the non-tappable element to enable the UI designer to make adjustments to the mobile UI.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the collected data additionally includes gesture data associated with other user gestures in addition to the tap-attempt data and the swipe-attempt data.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein collecting the data includes:

storing the collected data locally on a mobile device associated with the mobile UI; and

periodically aggregating and sending the collected data from the mobile device to a server.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the method further comprises using a web client to periodically retrieve the collected data from the server, wherein the web client performs operations to facilitate:

comparing the collected data;

determining the percentage of tap attempts; and

making the percentage information available to the designer of the mobile UI.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a server additionally stores metadata for each page of the mobile UI, wherein the metadata for a page includes metadata associated with each tappable element in the page, including:

an identifier for the tappable element;

a screen position of the tappable element; and

a screen image for the tappable element.

8. A system that tracks user interactions with a mobile user interface (UI), comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

collect data while a user interacts with the mobile UI through a touchscreen, wherein the collected data includes tap-attempt data that specifies coordinates for touchscreen locations that the user has tapped while interacting with the mobile UI;

compare the tap-attempt data with locations of tappable elements in the mobile UI, wherein each tappable element has an associated tap target size, and

for each tappable element, use results of the comparison to determine a percentage of tap attempts that have succeeded or failed for the associated tap target size; and

display the percentage information to a UI designer to enable the UI designer to adjust tap target sizes for the mobile UI;

wherein the collected data additionally includes swipe-attempt data that specifies coordinates for a “touch down” location and an associated “touch up” location for each swipe attempt, and wherein the instructions further cause the system to:

compare the swipe-attempt data with locations of swipable elements in the mobile UI, wherein each swipable element has an associated swipe target size;

for each swipable element, use results of the comparison to determine a percentage of swipe attempts that have succeeded or failed for the associated swipe target size; and

make the percentage information available to the UI designer to enable the UI designer to adjust swipe target sizes for the mobile UI accordingly.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein while comparing the tap-attempt data with the locations of the tappable elements, the instructions further cause the system to:

associate tap attempts with proximate tappable elements in the mobile UI; and

for each tappable element, determine whether the associated tap attempts have succeeded or failed based on the tap target size for the tappable element.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions additionally cause the system to:

examine the tap-attempt data to identify a cluster of tap attempts that are proximate to a non-tappable element in the mobile UI; and

if such a cluster is identified, notify the UI designer about the cluster of tap attempts that are proximate to the non-tappable element to enable the UI designer to make adjustments to the mobile UI.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the collected data additionally includes gesture data associated with other user gestures in addition to the tap-attempt data and the swipe-attempt data.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein while collecting the data, the instructions cause the system to:

store the collected data locally on a mobile device associated with the mobile UI; and

periodically aggregate and send the collected data from the mobile device to a server.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the system to periodically retrieve the collected data from the server.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein a server additionally stores metadata for each page of the mobile UI, wherein the metadata for a page includes metadata associated with each tappable element in the page, including:

an identifier for the tappable element;

a screen position of the tappable element; and

a screen image for the tappable element.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for tracking user interactions with a mobile user interface (UI), the method comprising:

collecting data while a user interacts with the mobile UI through a touchscreen, wherein the collected data includes tap-attempt data that specifies coordinates for touchscreen locations that the user has tapped while interacting with the mobile UI;

comparing the tap-attempt data with locations of tappable elements in the mobile UI, wherein each tappable element has an associated tap target size;

for each tappable element, using results of the comparison to determine a percentage of tap attempts that have succeeded or failed for the associated tap target size; and

making the percentage information available to a UI designer to enable the UI designer to adjust tap target sizes for the mobile UI,

wherein the collected data additionally includes swipe-attempt data that specifies coordinates for a “touch down” location and an associated “touch up” location for each swipe attempt, and wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the swipe-attempt data with locations of swipable elements in the mobile UI, wherein each swipable element has an associated swipe target size;

for each swipable element, using results of the comparison to determine a percentage of swipe attempts that have succeeded or failed for the associated swipe target size; and

making the percentage information available to the UI designer to enable the UI designer to adjust swipe target sizes for the mobile UI accordingly.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein comparing the tap-attempt data with the locations of the tappable elements includes:

associating tap attempts with proximate tappable elements in the mobile UI; and

for each tappable element, determining whether the associated tap attempts have succeeded or failed based on the tap target size for the tappable element.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising:

examining the tap-attempt data to identify a cluster of tap attempts that are proximate to a non-tappable element in the mobile UI; and

if such a cluster is identified, notifying the UI designer about the cluster of tap attempts that are proximate to the non-tappable element to enable the UI designer to make adjustments to the mobile UI.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the collected data additionally includes gesture data associated with other user gestures in addition to the tap-attempt data and the swipe-attempt data.