Embracing mobile platforms | nascent at carmel ventures

Carmel Ventures Workshop January 2011

Embracing Mobile Platforms

Trends, Platforms &UX Driven Development.

www.nascentgrp.com

http://www.nascentgrp.com



A brand, product and service innovation consultancy.

Working internationally for a wide range of global brands:

SAP, Motorola, SanDisk, NDS, Kodak, Comverse, BetterPlace

An expanding focus on the opportunities presented by mobile trends

and devices.

Outline


The Business Perspective

The Platform Perspective

iOS: Key Technologies / Strengths

What Makes a Great Mobile Product?

Building a Mobile Product: a UX Driven Approach

New Products: Rapid Prototyping


Part 01

The Business PerspectiveWhy Mobile Platforms?


The Business Perspective: Why Mobile Platforms?

Why mobile platforms?


Mobile devices are more powerful than ever.



Carrier control is largelya thing of the past.



Sell & deploy directto consumers.App stores rule.



iOS

App distribution:App StoreIn App PurchaseEnterprise Program


Android

Market is fragmented:Android MarketCarrier StoresAmazon StoreEach with it’s own database...


New monetization opportunities.


Ability to sell software to consumers in a super-easy way.Ability to monetize content.

Who thought 2-3 years ago that NYT could sell content?

that Wired could? that local newspapers could?

Who thought you could sell indie software?

—!for a mass market?


There are different monetization models:



ngmoco

Rolando 2Free

Freemium



Selling apps + in app purchases

Borange Inc.

TextieFree


December 2010

Airstrip

Monitoring

Remote Patient MonitoringFree

Free consumer app > big backend server product

Carmel Ventures Workshop


Interfaces with a big,

commercial server side

solution that transmits this

information to mobile

devices.

December 2010

Tumblr

TumblrFree

Free consumer app > extends web based ecosystem

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Selling apps

Freemium

Selling apps + in app purchases

Free consumer app > big backend server productBanks, EMRs, etc.

Free consumer app > extends web based ecosystem These sometimes drastically improve the web-based service:

By an order of magnitude, twitter is better as a native iPhone app

than as a web app.

Subscription based chargeMight have challenges on iOS.



Opportunities


A mobile app can expand our business outreach and make it possible for more people to engage with us, in broader use cases.


Part 02

The Platform Perspective


Devices

PhonesNon-PhonesTablets


Devices

Tablets != SmartphonesiPad (not equal) iPhone


Platforms

Native apps vs.

Web Apps vs.

Mobile Web Content

Native apps have many benefitsWeb-based content may have immediate advantages

Safari

22%

Opera

22%

Nokia

17%

BlackBerry

19%

Android

11%

Other

7%


The Most Used Mobile

Web Browsers

November 2010

http://gs.statcounter.com/#mobile_browser-

ww-monthly-200910-201009


The Android browser, some BlackBerry & Nokia browsers, Safari are all based on WebKit.

http://gs.statcounter.com/#

http://gs.statcounter.com/#


Operating systems

iOSAndroidBlackberryWindows Phone 7WebOSMeeGo


Total U.S. Market & Smartphone Market Share

October 2010Source: The Nielsen Company

Apple iOS

27.9%

RIM BlackBerry

27.4%

Windows

Mobile

14.0%

Android

22.7%

Smartphone

29.7%

Feature Phone

70.3%

Total U.S Market Share October 2010 U.S Smartphone OS Share October 2010


Which Platform?

Choose the rightplatform for the job

BlackBerry might be great for hardcore corporate business users

Android might be good for stretching the boundaries of system integration


For the purpose of this talk

We’ll focus on iOS:iPhoneiPod TouchiPads


Part 03

iOS: Key Technologies & Strengths


TouchSensorsIncredible displaysAlways connectedMultitouch gesturesPersonal - almost intimate(continues)



Platform is opinionatedUI standards clearly definedApps are small, precise, focusedApps run full screenTouch = immediacy, intuitiveness



Email on the desktopbattling for the user’s attention


Mailon an iPhone


UI KitWebkitLocation ServicesAudio / Video Playback / StreamingLimited MultitaskingPush Notifications(continues)

Technologies (highlights)


Core AnimationCore TextQuickLookAccessory SupportAirplay

Technologies (highlights)


Part 04



Do one thingexceptionally well.


the best apps are laser-focused on a core idea.

for most companies, this idea takes some time to take in.


Burbn, Inc.

InstagramFree

Instagram has

gathered a whopping

one million users in

one month.


Simplify.Simplify again.Small screens & limited resources should help

us focus on the very essence of our product.


Devices are strong, but not super-powered. This helps us focus.Squeeze only the very essence of your product.


Garrett

Murray

Ego$1.99


Little Pixels

Get Home$1.99


App = UX = Brand

For most, the app is the only tangible part of

your brand.



Skype

Software

SkypeFree

Skype brand is inseparable from Skype the app. It is the main touch point with it’s audiences. Far more significant than traditional touch points like it’s website.


The UI is the app.

Users perceive the UI as the product.

They are unaware of everything else.


Understanding this is key to planing the product’s scope & story.


Shazam

Entertainment ltd.

ShazamFree


It’s not about you.Users don’t interact with you, they interact

with one more app on their iPhone.

Adhering to platform conventions &

expectations can be crucial for success.



Twitter, Foursquare, Textie, Things,

Design Observer

Are just a few apps that I experience occasionally when using my iPhone.


GuidelinesCertain things are done in certain ways on each platform.

Controls & elements have specific uses, sizes & behaviors.

Misusing those can cause confusion & frustration.



Immersive App

WeightBot

Utility App

Weather

Productivity App

Things


Be platform specific.

Cross-platform-ness might sound like a

good idea, but as a strict requirement it

might cripple innovation



DropboxiPhone + Android


Yahoo

FlickriPhone

Let’s compare this

to the WP7 version...


Watch this video on: http://www.flickr.com/windows7/

Yahoo

FlickrWindows

Phone 7

http://www.flickr.com/windows7/

http://www.flickr.com/windows7/


Twitter Inc.

TwitteriPhone + Android


Mobile version != Porting existing software


Quick point to consider


Fuse your company’s strengths with the platform’s sweet spots.

A good mobile app would:



Guardian

News &

Media

The Guardian EyewitnessFree


Part 05

Building a Mobile Producta UX Driven Approach


The best apps are developed using a UX driven process.

This is how apple does it.

Product Development: A UX-driven process


Apps are realized aspixel-perfect mockups first.

Before any code is written.


At Apple:


What is UX driven development?


So,


Planning the product around empoweringthe user.

Starting with the user interface.


UX driven development is:


A detailed planning of the product’s UI.

We call this Schematics.


The main output of this process is:



Schematics


Schematics align teams around visible, tangible functionality.

Schematics reduce mistakes,

misunderstandings & mishaps.



Let’s go through atypical process:




Concept to ProductUX driven process

Presentation at McKesson December 2010

User Research (shadowing)



Ideation



Scope Definition


NewCo TV UIphone


Schematic Design


Visual Design




UX Design Process + Development Process


A detailed planning of the product’s UI sets expectations & nails down requirements.


This process makes business sense:


Internal alignment & motivation.

Better product.

Faster time to market.

Better market traction.


This process usually results in:


Part 06



A small group canplan, design & build a mockup/prototype that has tremendous impact.


In a relatively small period of time

Mockups = a static visual design of a non-existing product / feature



Mockups maketheory tangible.

Can persuade internallyClarify product needsA strong marketing tool



Part 07

UX driven product development process

Case study:tawkon


Part 08

Q&ADiscussion


Thank You.

www.nascentgrp.com



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Embracing mobile platforms | nascent at carmel ventures