Mobile Interaction models, beyond the app

Koen DelvauxMobile Vikings

This presentation is only aimed at the lesser godsIf you’re one of the big STARS, walk away now. We need you to conquer the world for us.

For the rest of us: let’s see how we can realistically tackle mobile apps

MOBILE INTERACTION MODELS

Mobile ApplicationsThink “cupcake”not “wedding cake”(cc Adaptive Path)

“Less is more”“Less is

more”

Mobile usage models• Limited interaction time

(30 seconds)• Fun factor is more

important than productivity

• Staying in touch• No rational value

perception• Personalization is

important• More lean-back than

forward (constant change of context)

Mobile internet is:

• not about the web• not about the device• not about applications

• It’s about services– That live in the net– Are available on

multiple devices– Can interact to

become better

It’s about services

LTAP =Location

Time

ActivityProfile

Interact in a given context

Example:

Freshbooks (invoicing SaaS website)

Application only does 1 thing:

Timetracking

Very simple, start/stop buttonsI don’t need more on my mobileI don’t want more complexity

WHAT WILL YOU (NOT) MAKE?

So, you have a great idea for an app

Nobody cares

Are we supposed to install anapp for each FMCG company?

(the internet doesn’t work this way)

Obviously not whatusers want

Follow your target audience• What do they want to

do?• How can you help them?• What is their idea of a

nice mobile app?

“ I don’t want the Pizza Hut finder app. Just show it to me in Google Maps”

TECHNOLOGY CHOICE

App or web?

It depends

Richness

Reach

WEBWAP

JAVA

HTML 5

Symbian

Windows

Mobile

Flash

Appl

icatio

nst

ores

Yes, ride the app train (for now)

• Be smart– Make the right platform choice (choose

appstore)– NOT technology based: look at your users– Make sure you’re in it for the long run (updates)

• Consider– Cross platform environments are emerging

(e.g. Titanium Mobile)– At least have a decent mobile website

Write once,

compile many times,(test many times)

run on several platforms

(with native UI elements)

Alternative for platform choice

Don’t write off widget platforms

Although the promise is overdue…

… the model still remains valid

www.gloweme.com by Citylive, 2007-2008 (now: used in South-Africa)

DEVELOPMENT APPROACH

WRONG

Alternative process, step 1

“Draw” your application (on a pic of a mobile)

Show it to potential users

User talks whilst he is looking,says what he is trying to do

You flip to the next page when the user “clicks”

Start with paper

Alternative process, step 2

Walk out in the street

Ask people to take a look

Don’t show them, but give them the device

Create a mockup on a device

Alternative process, step 3

Give it to users

Let them guess what it does

Let them suggest what they want it to do

Take notes, this will be your requirement spec

Create a working prototype

Good example: Transistor

iPhone radio app by Thomas Byttebier

(read his story on his blog)

CONTENT

Content is king

• Create a viral video• Maybe we can

make a ringtone or logo of our company and give that to users

• Or wait, let’s put the history of our company in our app(yes, with pics!)

User generated Content is king

• Share• Create

On mobile, only 2 things really count:

MONEY

What will users pay for?Don’t expect people to keep paying €3 per app

Saturation = price erosionRemember shareware?

Dominant model will be in-app paymentAllows for continuous up-sellingCustomer lifecycle value instead of a quick sale

Virtual currencies will also be strongTry to play in someone’s virtual currency world

Paypal leads the way

(now also available in Belgium)

BEYOND THE APP

Are you sure you’re an app?Better be the necklace on the star

Than a bad copy that nobody cares about

this on

e is

getting

atten

tion

How to be a necklace on a star?

• Integrate content• Create an API• The good old “mashup”• Alternative interface on a service

Flip page to see some examples

No app.They just made their bicycle tracks availablein Layar (=AR platform)

OK, this is an app(public transport in Brussels)

Started by @emich without consent of the transportation company by screenscraping data.

When they saw what was possible, an agreement was made and they opened up their database.

Good move from MIVB!

It’s an app.

But you can’t start itIt doesn’t have it’s own menu items or UI.

It’s a plug-in for the camera application

BTW, this same app also does a nice“mashup” by directly publishingthe uploaded photo url to Twitter.

Even smarter.

Nike didn’t do anything.

Since their data is availablethrough a REST API,other users can make appsfor Nike+

The more apps, the more exposure for Nike.

With Mobile Vikings, we did the same thing.All user data is available through a (secured) APIHere is a home screen widget displaying credit

Call history is available. We did none of this, it’s all made by our users

(they’re great!)

Voice call details. Learned us the importance of API throttling and controlled caching. We’re considering moving authentication to OAuth

Users already created apps for iPhone, Android, Samsung Widgets, Windows Mobile, Vista Sidebar gadgets and alternative web interfaces.

BTW, this logo is also available on our website as an EPS file, so everyone has good quality artwork.

Summary• Think of the context users will interact in• Make sure what you do matters for your users• Apps are not always needed. Other models can

be more successful (unless you’re a star)• Keep an eye on multi-platform possibilities• Never start with a spec, always start with

paper• Sharing and creating need to be at center

stage• Go for in-app money (virtual or real)

contextmatters for your users

(unless you’re a star)multi-platform

start with paperSharing creating

in-app money