Every Company Needs a Mobile Strategy

An Intro to Mobile Apps
Exploring the Principles Behind Developing Branded Apps

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Intro to Mobile Applications

New Possibilities, New Constraints:

With more internet enabled mobile phones around
the world than desktops and the increasing popularity
of smart phones, mobile has become one of the most
important and powerful media in which brands can
engage consumers. With enormous potential, these
devices open up a whole new realm of possibilities not
present in other forms of digital. However, with new
possibilities also come new constraints. This
presentation aims to shed light on how to design
branded apps that target the strengths of the mobile
platform



New Possibilities:

Mobile is different by the very fact that it
is… mobile. It is smaller, lighter, location
aware, always on, and always in reach.
Staying with us wherever we go and
containing all sorts of personal data, it is
the most personal device we own. With
high-tech gadgets like a camera,
accelerometer, and GPS, there are all
sorts of new possibilities that didn’t
exist on the desktop.



New constraints

It’s not all peaches and cream in the mobile
world. In fact, mobile can be one of the most
difﬁcult media to design for. With an ever
expanding list of screen sizes, multiple operating
systems -- with more than 250 variations of
the Android system alone -- tablet devices, and
all matter of ‘connected devices’ entering the
mobile arena, supporting multiple platforms can
be extremely difﬁcult. Pair these technical
issues with the personal nature of the device
and the unique way in which people interact
with their mobiles, and we have a whole new
list of challenges that didn’t exist in digital.

The mobile ecosystem is a busy place with a lot of players, high
fragmentation, and it’s getting more complex by the day.
Source: http://www.54ad.com.tw/seoblog/mobile-internets-ecosystem/



It’s Not Just More of the Same:

We Can’t simply apply what we know about other
media. What has worked elsewhere won’t necessarily
work here.

Every time a new medium arrives it is treated like a
‘newer and shinier’ version of media that came before
it. Take the internet of the 1990s; everyone had to
have a website, and the most common solution was to
post a site that merely served as a digital brochure.
Today, in many instances, the ‘mobile web’ just means
viewing desktop websites on a mobile phone. To make
matters worse, there are hundreds of mobile apps that
merely attempt to duplicate the desktop experience
on a smaller screen. In order to create an enjoyable
experience for those who download your app, you
must design to the strengths of the medium.

Don’t just duplicate your desktop experience. Make it relevant to the
mobile medium. Source: Tapworthy, by Josh Clark. O’Reilly Press, 2010.



Mobile App? Mobile Web? Mobile Web App?

Despite the fact that this is a presentation on mobile
applications, it is important to know the difference
between a mobile application, mobile website, and a
mobile web app and the functions they serve. Each of
these platforms have their own sets of strengths,
weaknesses and challenges.

http://3clickmedia.com/mobile-apps-vs-mobile-websites/



Mobile App:

An application designed to run on a speciﬁc mobile
device, usually distributed through an app store/
marketplace. Downloading and installation of the app is
required.

When you might consider a native app:
• When rich media, interactivity, or native hardware
functionality are at the core of your mobile
experience.
• The ability to play/use the app anytime, anywhere,
regardless of connection is important (not easy with
apps that access large volumes of data on servers).



Mobile Web App:

A mobile web app is a highly interactive web-based
program that provides an experience similar to a native
app.

When you might consider a web app:
• When looking to reach users on multiple platforms
with rich capabilities and access some basic native
functionality of the phone.
• When it won’t work: your project requires heavy use
of native functionality i.e. accelerometer/gyroscope,
cameras, heavy graphics

processing
• Internet connectivity is neccessary in most cases,
despite CSS3/HTML5 caching.

Good examples: Pieguy, Ever ytimezone.com,
Amazon.com, Facebook.com, Showtime app.
Amazon.com and Pie Guy Mobile Web Apps
(mrgan.com/pieguy)



Mobile Website:

A mobile-optimized web site designed around the
principles of mobile, catering to the needs of users
who are on the go, with speciﬁc intent. These are
not normally full re-creations of the desktop
website.

When to consider a mobile web site:
• You need to reach the broadest audience
possible.
• You do not need access to native hardware
functionality.
• You need a platform that is easy to support and
maintain.

automobiles.honda.com/mobile
For more great mobile websites visit
www.mobileawesomeness.com



What platform?

With the entry of new players in the smartphone and
smart device market, the iphone no longer stands alone
as the mobile supercomputer capable putting your
brand in the pockets of consumers. Deciding what
platforms you’ll be developing for from the start can
save enormous headache in the development and
distribution phases, and can dictate the direction of the
app (tablet and phone experiences and user habits vary
widely!). This is a complex topic and in-depth
exploration will be saved for another presentation.



There’s an app for that - but should there be?

In all the excitement of the app gold rush many brands and
developers are churning out apps just because it’s the hot
thing to do. The result is poorly designed apps, which can
negatively effect a consumer’s perception of the brand.
Remember the wildly popular series of books from the
early 2000’s Websites That Suck? Nearly every smartphone
owner has had enough encounters with bad apps to write
their own continuation of the series. Let’s not contribute
to the problem.

Pin Mailer marks your location with a pin using GPS and
allows you send it to friends. All of this can be done with
is native functions of iOS.



Branded Apps

Branded apps generally fall into two categories: Utility
or Entertainment.

Utility apps help your consumers get something done in
a way that couldn’t be done without the app. Great
examples of utility apps are Kraft iFood assistant,
Target’s Grocery Lists, or the Chase Mobile app.



Branded Apps

Entertainment: By far the most dominant category
of any app store, and a favorite mode of engagement
for many brands. Entertainment apps provide value
by providing a fun way to pass the time while
keeping the brand top of mind. Good examples of
entertainment apps include Audi’s A4 Drive
Challenge, Zippo’s Virtual Lighter, the Inception
App, and Barclaycard’s Waterslide Extreme.

Audi A4 Driving Challenge



Three Main User States:

There are three primary states of mind of
the mobile user: I’m bored, I’m Local, and
I’m Microtasking. Understanding each of
these different states is crucial to
developing a mobile experience that is
appealing to consumers.




I’m bored: standing in line at the grocery
store, sitting on a bus, waiting for a
doctors appointment are just a few of the
myriad of examples of short periods of
time smartphones users turn to their
phones to fill. These devices are great
ways to escape for small, bite-sized bits of
interaction, whether it’s a game, the latest
news, or even a book.

Bored with the Oscars John Stewart pulls out an iPhone.
Not exactly a typical scenario, but I think you get our point.




I’m Local: smartphone users are able to
use their phones to see what is happening
around them. Use the maps application to
find local shops or a gas station. Check in
to Foursquare and see where your friends
are. Fire up Yelp to read a review of the
new restaurant that opened up next door.
These devices help shape the way we
navigate the world around us.

Find a quality burrito close by on Yelp Or see who else has checked in at your location
on Foursquare




I’m Microtasking: Smartphones aren’t purely
about fun and games. They’re also incredible
productivity tools. Built more for bite-sized
interactions, they aren’t practical for long bouts of
spreadsheet acrobatics. Information is collected in
short but intense bursts of activity and often left
for later to be sorted through. Jotting down short
notes, downloading a webpage for later browsing,
piecing together a grocery list throughout the day,
are all representative of tasks smartphone users
ﬁnd convenient to do on their devices.

Keep track of you notes with virtual post-its with the Stickies app by 3M



5 W’s of App Design:

Just like any good story, every app has to have a
solid statement for Who, What, When, Where,
and Why.

Who: Who is the audience for you application?
What: What will they be able to accomplish by
using your app?
When/Where: Describe the context the app will
be used in.
Why: The motivations and goals of those using
your app.



Who:

Who is the audience for you application? The
further you can drill down to a speciﬁc niche, the
more focused your application will be. Are you
designing for mothers of newborns in urban
areas? How about birdwatchers? Or possibly
18-35 sportbike racers? Just like any effective
advertising campaign, it pays to have a speciﬁc
WHO in mind for your app.



What:

What will they be able to accomplish by using
your app? Will they be able to customize a
particular product and share it with their friends
on Facebook? Or will that pass the time while
speeding down a massive waterslide, recalling
images of your brilliant TV commercial?



When/Where:

Describe the context the app will be used within.
Will they be using your app to navigate the aisles
of your grocery store? Or will they be using
your branded app to help them decide which
artist to see next at the biggest music event of
the summer?



Why:

Perhaps the most important question of them
all, Why describes the motivations and goals of
those using your app. It needs to address not
only why they will use your app, but why using it
on a mobile device makes sense.



A Customer-based Why:

It may sound obvious that your app has to
solve a pain point, but too often designers
start with the wrong WHY – why is it
important to me the designer. Apps must
start with a consumer-based why if they
are to be of any use to anyone other than
the designer.

Because no presentation is complete
without a cheesy stock image.



Understanding the Ecosystem on a
Smartphone:

It’s important to understand that each app does not exist in
isolation. The ecosystem of the smartphone is busy and
cluttered, constantly ringing, syncing email, pushing updates.
Neighboring apps will interrupt each other with push alerts
and interfere with app experience, but they can also
communicate and pass data amongst each other, enhancing
the experience of all parties involved. Understanding the
overall ecosystem can help you design for these factors, and
increase the chance that your app will ﬁnd a long-lasting spot
on the home page.



Design for Mom and Grandma:

Most smartphone owners have had years of practice navigating
the digital and mobile landscape. We understand the basic
architecture of mobile applications because we have seen similar
concepts at work in other programs and on other media. The
large, and growing segment of late adopters don’t have this frame
of reference to inform how they interact with smartphone. You
may not see them as the main audience for you app, but it would
be foolish to ignore them. One study by the university of Dundee
in Scotland found the fastest growing market of web services to
be for senior citizens over the age of 70 -- they’re online, they’re
using smartphones, and they want to use your app. If you want to
see how this group interacts with mobile technology first hand,
visit the personal setup table of any Apple store and watch as
they’re introduced to an iOS device for the first time. The insights
you gather will invaluable during while designing your app.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tophermoon/4932280833/



What Mom Wants:

Designing for mom doesn’t necessarily mean dumbing down
your application. In fact, that’s exactly what users don’t
want. What they do want is simple and easy... and simple and
easy is hard. This often requires constant iteration and
testing of user-interface and content adaptation.

‘Umbrella Today?’ takes simplicity to the nth degree.
A simple Yes or No tells you if you should carry one
with you for the day. Dumb? No. Simple? Very.



Never start with Constraints:

It’s hard not to deﬁne your app strategy by the constraints of
the medium, after all there are plenty of them: dozens of
screen sizes, OS fragmentation, mobile carriers, and many
other factors come in to play. However, designing your app
based on what can’t be done versus what can is playing not
to lose instead of playing to win. When was the last time you
described an app as delightfully conservative, and mind-
blowingly awesome? Those two statements just don’t play
well together.



If You Build It Will They Come?

So you’ve built your app, now what? Simply dumping it on
the app store or android market or blackberry app world
won’t ensure your app receives millions of downloads. A
successful app launch requires awareness. Taking advantage
of the all the channels your consumers use to interact with
your brand will be essential to building a strong user base.
Make sure people know about your mobile experiences on
every piece of branding you can.

Source: http://www.mungo.com/



Remaining Relevant:

Smartphone users move through apps like candy. What’s
shiny and attractive this moment can easily be discarded the
next. By regularly delivering fresh, unique content or
providing essential utility within your app, you can ensure
that is has a longer shelf life and keeps your brand top of
mind for the time the user engages with it.

Aim to be an app that’s not in a folder and is constantly at
your user’s ﬁngertips.


Thank You!

The mobile app landscape is a pretty fascinating
place with incredible possibility. Hopefully this
presentation has done a little to inform your
perspective on the world of mobile apps.


Every Company Needs a Mobile Strategy

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