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Mobile design myths

Giles Colbornecxpartners

flickr.com/photos/bandidoofoz/38854532/

Friday, 8 May 2009

Before we design anything, we spend time watching people using technology -In their homes, at work and in the lab

Friday, 8 May 2009

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27.5

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82.5

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2007

2008

2009

2010

Sales Wow!!

This presentation isn’t about the growth of mobile Web.

it’s the future and it’s happening now.

Friday, 8 May 2009

3

0

27.5

55

82.5

110

2007

2008

2009

2010

Sales Wow!!

This presentation isn’t about the growth of mobile Web.

it’s the future and it’s happening now.

Friday, 8 May 2009

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AnD this presentation isn’t about how to code sites for mobile phones.

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AnD this presentation isn’t about how to code sites for mobile phones.

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Instead, here’s some what we’ve seen by actually watching people using mobile devices.

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Myth 1

You can’t charge for mobile content

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Marriott’s hotel booking site made over $1.25m in it’s first three months.During the Winter snowstorms, stranded travellers led to a peak in traffic.

Apple’s ‘App store’ shows that people will pay for content (so long as it’s easy to download and install).

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What sells? Think about two key groups:

• People in urgent need• Stranded travellers• Tickets (cinema, train,...)• Need that file / answer fast• Will pay a premium to get it now

• Casual consumers• Things that can be bought / used on the phone• Games, music, apps• Will pay a little to enjoy it now• (But they are very casual)

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Myth 2

It’s like a small website

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Mobile phones aren’t like Desktop Computers. They’re more like Notepads.

To understand what works, ask ‘What do you find in Filofaxes?’ - Addresses, Travel plans, Expenses, Clippings from everyday life...

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On Amazon’s website, they want you to buy.

But On Amazon’s iPhone site, equal emphasis is placed on The wish list.

In other words ‘Make a note and buy later (when you’re at your computer)’.

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The developers of ‘Snap Tel’ noticed people taking photos of items they want to look up and buy later.

So Snap Tel lets you take photos and then identifies the products in them and links to shops where you can buy them online.

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Best buy have a full featured website.

But they know that mobile users are probably trying to do one of two things: look up a product that they’ve seen or find a nearby store.

That’s all their mobile site does.

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Myth 3

One mobile site fits all

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Different devices ‘feel’ different.

What works well on one, will feel clumsy and awkward on another.

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You may want to give up on mobile web and stick to text messaging.

But even this has its problems...

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The problem with Text

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When they wrote this text message, the developers didn’t realize that this brand of mobile phone would have a soft key labelled ‘Reply’.

Users can’t figure out which key to press.

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The problem with Text

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Text NATURE to 8025Try to reply to this marketing message and this mobile phone ‘predicts’ the wrong word.

Users text the ‘wrong’ response by accident.

Even text messages are undermined by differences in handsets.

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Myth 4

People don’t like registering

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On a website, registering feels like ‘handing your details to someone else’.

On a handset, it feels like ‘keeping them in your pocket’.

And it saves returning users time - so they recognise the benefits.

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Myth 5

Extras are good

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Extras get in the way of the main event.

You want them to contact a car dealer? then why distract them with wallpaper downloads?

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Look at people’s mobile phone wallpaper.

They have photos of their kids, significant others, or pets.

Your product won’t be cuter than this guy. Don’t waste your time.

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What it means

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• Don’t look for mass audiences• It’s a personal medium• Quality experiences matter

• Focus on a key audience type• Casual (games, snippets)• Repeat (registered, personalised)• Urgent (‘I need a hotel’, ‘Get me that file’, ‘When’s my flight’?)

• Think small• 6-12 month web project becomes 6-12 week mobile project• 60 person project team becomes 6 person project team• Hook into your website’s APIs and data feeds

• Watch people in the real world• Research, prototype, test

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@cxpartners

Friday, 8 May 2009