Mobile Services

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Briefing

MOBILE SERVICES A thousand opportunities in your users' pockets

Mobile Services Issue

#5

KNOWING THE USERS // GETTING MOBILE SERVICES RIGHT // DATA IS THE NEW OIL // APPS VS. MOBILE WEB // PICKS OF THE SEASON // AND MORE...

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Hans-Henrik Sørensen Partner & Director of Digital Design Designit

Mobile services It’s very likely that there are limits to what users are willing, even eager, to do while being mobile but we certainly have not encountered these limits.

Contrary to what was assumed when mobile services started taking off, very much focused on stuff like buying music, users will even trade stocks and an extremely wide variety of other things via their mobile devices.

So this is self-service, which in itself is a huge business opportunity of course, but there are many other opportunities to be harvested within mobile services. One has to do with the much quoted saying that “data is the new oil”. It was first put forward in a blog post five years ago by Michael Palmer, Vice President at the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) in the US. Palmer was right beyond his wildest dreams, as we now know, because of the constantly increasing ability of turning data into information. Specific, precise information about your users. Their behaviour, patterns of consumption, social networks, habits and much more.

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Users, however, are savvy and just as sceptical of poor mobile services as they are willing to use those services if they address their needs and desires with simple and elegant solutions. What seems simple when seen on the screen takes a lot of effort and requires many different skills. It’s not only about design, although design is a key ingredient. A deep understanding of your users, of business strategy, technical skills and branding expertise are essential as well.

Getting mobile services right is a tough mountain to climb, but the view from the top is overwhelming.

In this issue of Briefing we look at mobile services from many different angles and investigate several different cases from a variety of industries. With this issue we encourage you to start climbing. The benefits are worth the struggle.

Enjoy!

Content

4

Like a dartboard with only the bull’s-eye

8

A puzzle with many pieces

You know nothing about the context – so know the user!

The mastery of several disciplines is a prerequisite in mobile services

10

Mi Vodafone

12

Why data is the new oil

13

Clash of the titans

14

A dedicated conference app

16

A shortcut when it means the most

18

Simplicity rules

20

Scalable web

22

Picks of the season

New app for the world’s no. 1 telecommunications company

Users will do so much on the go – sharing information along the way

iphone, Android and Microsoft struggle for global dominance

Novo Nordisk found a new way for conference participants to stay updated

An app now enables Topdanmark’s clients to establish their claim immediately

Less crap in the app is the way forward

Apps vs. web on all platforms – start exploring!

Recent examples of our work outside the realm of mobile services

Mobile services // Like a dartboard with only the bull's-eye

Like a DARTBOARD with only the bull's-eye Users are unfaithful and have no sense of loyalty when it comes to mobile services.

Which is why you must know them even better.

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W

hen you develop most new consumer goods and services you design for a context you are familiar with. Normally you have a pretty decent understanding of how, when and where your product will be used. Sometimes users will surprise you with their audacity and come up with uses for your product, which you had never imagined, but most of the time you know what’s going on. That’s why getting mobile services right is far from easy.

“The situation in which the user engages with the mobile service is not planned by the consumer and thus cannot be planned by you. You don’t know their surroundings or context, which can vary endlessly,” says Stine Schulze, Lead Design Researcher at Designit.

There are so many needs, which the user can choose to meet when she finds herself with a little bit of time on her

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hands and her smartphone within reach. Information which will make the rest of her day a tiny bit easier, is in head-tohead competition with news and entertainment. There's always something else you can do so users have very little patience with the services they choose between.

“Your toughest competitor for your user’s attention can be something completely unrelated. If your service enables the user to adjust the heat in her home while away from it she might choose between that and playing Angry Birds. There's almost no loyalty and new and potentially more interesting services pop up all the time. Everybody are early adaptors still trying to figure out their patterns of consumption while new opportunities are being fired at them all the time,” says Stine Schulze.

“There's a tendency for companies to have a somewhat fixed or established understanding of their users but this understanding can be flawed simply because consumer behavior changes all the time. Such is the nature of mobile services simply because they constitute a new type of consumption, which hasn’t yet found its footing,” says Stine Schulze.

Yes, it’s hard but the potential for meaningful interaction with your users through mobile services is great. We are witnessing a fascinating development with substantial changes in user behavior and it might take time to come to terms with these changes. In a sense it’s like a dartboard with only the bull’s-eye, but there are tools to help you aim straight.

Unexpected inspiration In most industries not developing mobile services and diving into this fierce competition is not an option. New means of using mobile services in connection with existing, physical products are popping up at a constantly increasing pace while stand-alone mobile services are growing exponentially.

These are the conditions we are facing in the market so – how to get it right?

“There's a huge need for a deeper understanding of the users. This you acquire through conventional or classic design research, observing users in context and searching for the emerging patterns. But there's something else of equal importance, which you must do. You must understand the plasticity of this market. How it changes all the time, which is why your service must be able to change as well. Think of your service as in a permanent state of “beta”, never quite finished but always under construction in a co-creation process with your users,” says Stine Schulze.

Through such a process users will help you discover new opportunities and you'll be surprised by the comprehensiveness of their inspiration. Because mobile services is still a very young and immature market, good ideas often come from totally unexpected corners.

“Your inspiration for the right solution can come from consumers interacting with services with absolutely no relation to yours,” says Stine Schulze.

Your inspiration for the right solution can come from consumers interacting with services with absolutely no relation to yours.

Committed non-users When that's the case it of course makes sense to look at the most sophisticated users of your service, but it might also be a good idea to look at a source, which seems illogical at first. What would it take for instance for people who never ride trains to use a mobile service from Deutsche Bahn? The group of committed non-users might be able to point you in new and unexpected directions.

51%

use a couple of apps once a week

31%

use six or more apps weekly

17%

do not use apps reguarly Pew Internet Reports 2011 overview

Women aged

35-54

are the most active group in mobile socialisation Digitalbuzz Infographic: Mobile Statistics, Stats & Facts 2011

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Mobile services // A puzzle with many pieces

What you must know

So, what are those competencies, then?

Here's a list for inspiration: BUSINESS STRATEGY You need a deep understanding of how mobile services change and challenge your business strategy. If not, it is unlikely that you'll reap the benefits of exactly those services. And those benefits are potentially big. Just think what it could mean for your expenses if people had easy access to solve their problems by themselves and at their convenience.

USER EXPERIENCE Even if your mobile service works perfectly it will not generate enthusiasm without a genuine understanding of the user and his or her needs. To get this right you need anthropological skills.

TECHNICAL SKILLS If your mobile service suffers from technical problems you are not even part of the game. Today’s customers have very little patience for obstacles of a technical nature and if that’s what they encounter with you, they'll never know that what you had to offer was simply wonderful.

DIGITAL DESIGN What’s really tough is that you've got so little time with your customer. If you want to compete in the realm of mobile services, your value proposition must make their mouths water. At least metaphorically.

INTERACTION DESIGN Often there's only a limited understanding of the fact that the customer is using the mobile service in an off-line context and that it must provide value and real benefits nonetheless.

SERVICE DESIGN Services must be designed just like physical products in order to be successful. The design of mobile services is an emerging area with huge potential.

EVERYTHING BRAND-RELATED Mobile services are an extremely important addition to your brand experience. Remember that you get to hang out with your customers all the time and everywhere.

Use that privilege to leave an impression.

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It requires a broad range of skills to get mobile services right. Luckily the benefits are big enough to justify the effort. So get serious with mobile services – or get lost.

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his is not your conventional Cry Wolf. We’re serious. The wolf is actually just around the corner. The good news is that there are ways to befriend him. Mobile services simply constitute an enormous change and the business potential of the mobile revolution is by now widely recognised.

We are witnessing a seismic shift of tectonic proportions towards mobile services and the vast majority of key players have changed their strategies accordingly. One key lesson to draw from those strategies is plain and simple: Mobile first.

The practical implications of this statement, however, are substantial and there are many pieces to this puzzle. You need to take a hard look at your silos and your internal barriers if you want to reap this potential. Without a cross-disciplinary approach your mobile effort simply isn’t serious.

But a major obstacle blocks the road to the safe haven of mobile profitability. The thing is that it’s hard. It’s difficult to get it right, in fact to even get your corporate head around the fact that success in the world of mobile services requires a broad range of skills and insights, which are sometimes hard to come by. Mobile is very different. So much of what you know about the physical world or even about the digital-yetgeographically-fixed world simply isn’t true when you’re in a universe both mobile and digital.

We are witnessing a seismic shift of tectonic proportions towards mobile services and the vast majority of key players have changed their strategies accordingly.

“Mobile is the key term here and there's one dimension of mobile, which is often overlooked. Because the services are mobile they interact with the physical world in endless ways.

What we call augmented reality is exactly this. When you’re looking for a restaurant in a city you don’t know and you hold up your phone and it shows you where the nearest restaurants are, the mobile service qualifies your interaction with the physical world,” says Mikal Hallstrup, Chief Visionary Officer at Designit.

But in order to provide your customers with mobile services that actually work well, generate enthusiasm and add value you must apply many different skills.

“Success in mobile services requires a very wide variety of competencies. Such services simply touch upon so many things you need to know in order to reap the benefits, which then, I have to add, are huge,” says CEO of Designit, David Fellah.

Enthusiasm required It makes sense to dwell upon this last thing. Mobile services enable your customer to do more of what you have previously done for him or her. And as we discuss elsewhere in this issue of Briefing, there seems to be almost no limits to what people are interested in doing themselves as long as you manage, and this is of course the pivot, to create a sense of enthusiasm around your service. This is why fundamental design skills are essential. Just like physical products, mobile services of high quality have this strange, uncanny ability to make people almost fall in love with them. They develop a remarkable affection for services, which not only address their needs in a timely and convenient fashion but also do so in a – for lack of a better word – cool way.

“If what you come up with is complicated or annoying you won’t reap any of the potential benefits. You won’t save any time at your help desk because people will have to call you anyway. And your mobile service will never add to their brand loyalty unless it is genuinely good. It sounds old-fashioned but there's no way around it,” says Mikal Hallstrup.

25%

prefer to browse the internet on their smartphone rather than on a computer

35%

sleep with their phones right next to their beds Pew Media Mentions - Mobile (July 2011)

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CASE #1

Gettingservices Mobile mobile services // Mi Vodafone right // Mi Vodafone

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MI VODAFONE New apps for Android and iPhone help Vodafone’s Spanish clients monitor their accounts. The apps are seen as rich in content without compromising essential rules about simplicity.

V

odafone is the world’s largest telecommunications company. As market leader a strong presence within mobile services is a prerequisite. The task at hand, when the collaboration between Vodafone’s Spanish division and Designit Madrid was initiated, was a self-management application for clients called “Mi Vodafone”. The app was to be designed as a native app for both Android and iPhone and an HTML version was also part of the package.

The development process was to be swift. “We decided on a very agile design process. We carried out the necessary user research as the first step. Once we had acquired the necessary insights, we went straight to sketching wireframes. They were approved by Vodafone and instead of elaborating on those sketches, we went directly to the final visual solution. This is an effective and efficient way of designing for mobiles,” says Jesús Sotoca, User Experience Consultant at Designit.

The coding of the apps was done by the largest Spanish IT company while everything related to design and the architecture of the apps was done by Designit.

“We ended up with about 100 templates, which held all the necessary services,” says Jesús Sotoca.

Rich in content The trick is of course to figure out which services are the necessary ones. The apps are free and they allow the user complete control over his or her account and mobile settings.

The user has access to billing information, the account balance, and is able to find stores and check out promotional sales and special offers.

“It's a very complete and useful tool. We have prioritised the content, providing users with what they need the most without packing the app at the expense of simplicity and functionality. The feedback we've been getting indicates that the app is perceived as being very rich in content,” says Jesús Sotoca.

The app was launched in August and has already been downloaded 300.000 times. It has been very well received, thus functioning as a brand extension for Vodafone while at the same time providing the company with valuable data, uncovering new patterns of consumption and behaviour among users.

“In this case a swift development process led to a result we are quite proud of,” says Jesús Sotoca.

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Mobile services // Why data is the new oil

WHY DATA IS THE NEW OIL

– and how mobile services are the wells you need to own The right digital presence can fundamentally change your business –­ not least because of the customer data you get to collect when offering your service on a mobile platform.

So go mobile or get left behind.

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ontrary to most conventional customer service logic it seems that people increasingly favour self-service. In particular the kind that's delivered digitally on touch screens and on mobile devices. If the service is designed well, the user experience is great and the service is available to users when they have time for interaction or consumption.

Get this right, and you're on the right track, pushing your business into the mobile space.

By going mobile you're moving even closer to your end user with your services suddenly becoming available in the opportune moments, whenever and wherever the users have time. Opportune moments are some of the most valuable interaction moments a brand can have with its customers.

When commuting, when waiting in line for a physical service or transaction, or when taking a break from work, it seems that there’s very little people aren’t glad to take care of by themselves. You can tap into this ‘share of time’ by going mobile. Or you can let your competitors occupy it.

“All the buzz used to be about how people could download music as they jumped on the train but now we know they’re more than happy to also get their banking business out of the way in that same, opportune moment. Not that people will stop shopping on the go, but as even more advanced services are offered on the mobile platform, people are also able to get the boring ‘must-do's’ out of the way on the go.

Functionality, usefulness and time-saving are the new success factors in the mobile services category. To deliver on that, you need to be aware of the mobile context of use, which demands simplicity, speed and intuitivenesss. Designing or redesigning services for a mobile context means you can only fit in the essential stuff. You need to think of scaling down services to the meaningful size and complexity without losing user value, says Mikal Hallstrup, Chief Visionary Officer at Designit.

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Think of it as the 'bite-size-principle'. If mobile services are too overwhelming and require interaction beyond what is suitable for this small and mobile platform – for example by requiring you to enter a load of information which you might not have at hand – then you can forget about it. That’s why ‘less crap in the app’ is a valuable rule of thumb.

You'll learn a lot about the power of 'influencers' and how communities can be trusted forums when it comes to tough decision making.

Get a mobile service, get a well!

For many companies the mobile platform has a lot to offer.

For example, mobile services might also deliver customer services, taking a load off the conventional customer service.

Plus, every time the customer interacts with your mobile services, valuable data is generated, and mobile services become data wells. Over time – with more of them – data sets can be combined and analysed, revealing valuable, new user insights or even spotting weak, new signals from the market outlining the shape of things to come.

It has now been five years since Michael Palmer, Vice President at the Association of National Advertisers in the US, blogged that “data is the new oil”. Those five years have proven him right in more ways than he could have imagined.

And why is that? Because the reason why companies like Amazon, Facebook and Google have become so powerful is that they have learnt to turn big data into actionable insights, enabling them to better understand user behaviour and preferences, which again opens the door for addressing more personal needs with tailored offerings. Many of these companies have understood the value of what you could call 'social data', i.e. a real understanding of their customers, enabling a deeper and more informed dialogue with them.

“The potential in delivering mobile services that also facilitate dialogue and interaction is massive because dialogue generates data. Don't think of the mobile service being merely interaction between you and your customers, but also among your customers – alone. As a company, you can learn a lot by stepping back and listening. Collect data and you'll get new insights about the power of 'influencers', how your services or products are being talked about 'in the crowd', what’s being recommended and how your customers influence each other in making informed decisions.

You're not the authority any more, users are! You’ve got to understand and utilise these new dynamics. The data your mobile service generates enables you to listen to the community, take advice from it, and ultimately provide your customer with a far more relevant offer,” says Mikal Hallstrup.

These types of interactions also allow you to linger in your customer’s attention, preventing the line from going dead.

Conventionally there isn’t much conversation once they have decided the purchase of their home, car or insurance. Staying in touch, nurturing a continuous, natural dialogue and filling the conversation gap that typically occurs between major decisions is the way forward. Mobile services seem to be effective platforms for that.

“The right mobile offer enables you to have many small but meaningful conversations, so that you won’t have to cold start next time you're approaching your prospect with a great new offer. It is a tool for improving relations with your customers and you’re in their pocket or at their fingertips all the time,” says Mikal Hallstrup.

1.8 billion

of the 4 million phones in the world are smartphones

50%

of all local searches are performed on a mobile device

20%

of smartphone owners use their phones to access social networks Digitalbuzz Infographic: Mobile Statistics, Stats & Facts 2011

43%

American smartphone owners purchase groceries using their phones The Independent - smartphones used for shopping (July 2011)

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Mobile services // Clash of the titans

• The emergence of Microsoft Microsoft asthis strong competitor in this market is not enough in itself to shift the balance in favour of webbased solutions but it of will certainly have an impact.

• The emergence of as aabut strong competitor in market is not enough in itself to shift the balance favour webbased solutions it will certainly have an impact.

The emergence of Microsoft as a strong competitor in this market is not enough in itself to shift the balance in favour of webbased solutions but it will certainly have an impact.

CLASH OF THE TITANS iPhone, Android and Microsoft are facing each other in a tough competition for global dominance in mobile operating systems.

T

he struggle to dominate the global market for mobile operating systems and, thus, smartphones, tablets and apps, is intensifying. Until now, the two main market contestants, specifically when it comes to app platforms, have been Apple’s operating system, iOS, and Google’s Android. Symbian and BlackBerry still hold significant market shares in certain parts of the world and in specific market segments. This fall, Microsoft launched the new Windows Mobile 7 in a key alliance with Nokia, who earlier this year abandoned its tie-up with Symbian.

This has certainly established Microsoft as a rival not to be dismissed by Apple and Google. After all, Microsoft has been there before. They hold years of experience in platform warfare.

“For companies and organisations contemplating new initiatives in the app world, it has been all about iOS and Android for some time now. Previously, the majority of users needed an app for these two platforms and that was it. In the very near future we expect Windows to establish itself in a core position where it'll be an indismissable platform for most companies, due to its potential market penetration,” says Henrik Hedegaard, Information Architect at Designit.

This additional development comes with a price tag, of

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course. It simply costs more for companies to add an extra operating system to the list, but according to Henrik Hedegaard, the major price jump has already happened.

“When Android gained popularity, app development became far more expensive as you had to develop two separate apps, one for iOS and one for Android. Now a third is to be added to the equation but it'll be less expensive, as HTML will be a core user interface technology,” says Henrik Hedegaard.

Geography is key Commentators are not quite aligned on the subject of whether Apple or Google face their biggest threat yet now that Microsoft has made this move. Both are amazingly strong contestants with financial strength and extremely valuable brands. Users are very dedicated both to Google and Apple but Microsoft might address part of that challenge by positioning itself away from the competition.

“It's possible that Microsoft will go for slightly cheaper devices and thus aim at the younger market. It actually makes sense if you look at the position they already have via products such as Xbox. Apple might be facing their toughest challenge yet but with their launch of iOS5 in October 2011, it looks as if they set yet a new standard in mobile

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UI tools. When it comes to Google we have learned never to underestimate their capabilities in the market,” says Henrik Hedegaard.

Also, geography is of the essence in the mobile strategy.

BlackBerry have a strong and unique position in certain sectors, like finance, in the US, and they are big in Canada, because the brand is Canadian, and in France because, basically, it’s a non-US player. Thus, to identify the platform for your target audience, think about the geographical location of your end users.

Three makes a crowd Historically, although we are naturally referring to quite a short story, Apple’s approach to app development has been quite rigid and controlling in order to maintain high standards with respect to both design and functionality. In contrast, Android has been far more open, only operating with guidelines, which developers could choose to follow or not. This has led to some interesting solutions, which inspired Apple to move in new directions. For instance the new Notification Center in iOS5 resembles aspects of

the widget and notification features in Android.

It appears that Microsoft will follow in Android’s footsteps in the sense that apps will be developed in the common semantics of .NET and HTML5, which means it will be possible for millions of programmers to join the party from Day One. However, when it comes to the design paradigm, Microsoft’s strategy is closer to Apple’s with a mandatory approval strategy before the apps will become available to buy and download. Behind the scenes the emerging discussion about whether apps will only be a temporary phenomenon is lurking (see page 21).

The emergence of Microsoft as a strong competitor in this market is not enough in itself to shift the balance in favour of web-based solutions but it will certainly have an impact.

“If we imagined that a fourth player would emerge and gain prominence I think that would seriously challenge many new initiatives in the app arena. Development costs and time-to-market would increase significantly and more practical difficulties would arise. If Apple, Google and Microsoft each have well established market positions it will of course be doubtful whether a new fourth player would be able to seriously challenge them and push the boundaries of the market. Maybe the three titans will simply share the market between them,” says Henrik Hedegaard.

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Novo Nordisk event app user interface

CASE #2

Mobile services // A dedicated conference app

A dedicated conference app Novo Nordisk just introduced an innovative way for delegates to stay updated and informed about all Novo Nordisk-related news and events at conferences.

A

s a global leader in diabetes treatment, Novo Nordisk participates in a number of large diabetes conferences every year. These conferences bring together thousands of participants to discuss the latest developments in the field. For this year’s EASD event in Lisbon, Novo Nordisk wanted an Events App to help delegates get the most out of the conference. The app is a new communications channel aimed at doctors. Among other things it provides them with valuable information about scientific sessions and other Novo Nordisk activities, and lets them interact with installations at Novo Nordisk’s booth.

With so many conferences every year a genuine novelty is necessary in order to generate attention from the participants. The app had precisely that effect.

“Right in the middle of Novo Nordisk’s stand Novo Nordisk put up a huge replica of an iPhone with a big TV-screen with a simple but fun game going on. People had to download the app in order to play, then they were given a game ticket number, which turned their iPhone into a controller and the game was on,” says Rasmus Møller Sørensen, Design Manager at Designit.

The game went on for 45 seconds getting more and more difficult, then you got your score and the next person could play. It was very popular.

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Staying ahead It is valuable in itself for Novo Nordisk that the doctors would download the app. Just to have the Novo Nordisk logo displayed on their telephone means increased awareness and the ambition is to continuously update the app.

“There's a huge potential in this type of customised communication, which has real value for the target audience.

Next year it might play an even bigger role in Novo Nordisk’s efforts,” says Rasmus Møller Sørensen.

It was important for Novo Nordisk to be the first of the companies within diabetes care to launch a dedicated app for conferences. Rasmus Møller Sørensen expects that the competitors will rise to the challenge and come armed with apps of their own in the near future.

“But there are several things we can do to stay ahead.

That’s what it’s all about,” he says.

Topdanmark insurance app user interface

CASE #3

A shortcut when it means the most // Subscribe to Thinkaboutit on designit.com

A shortcut when it means the most Topdanmark’s customers can now use a smartphone app to inform the insurance company about what has befallen them.

And get a promise of fast feedback in return.

T

he only time it’s really important for you to get in touch with your insurance company is when something bad happens. When you’re in a traffic accident, when something valuable breaks or gets stolen or if you’re struck by bad weather, that’s when you need the attention of your insurer. Conventionally you could either call or send e-mail. Both means of communication have their limitations, however. If you call it’s somewhat purposeless in the sense that the person you talk to will ask you to send in a lot of information about what’s happened anyway. If you e-mail you haven’t really experienced a genuine connection. You don’t know when the insurance company will get back to you or what the next step in the process will be.

Danish insurance company Topdanmark wanted to know if it was possible to establish a better platform for that initial communication with its customers.

The result is a smartphone app that enables people to inform Topdanmark about what has happened in as much detail as possible at the given time, send in pictures to add information and of course quickly be directed to the right means of communication if it’s an emergency. Topdanmark then promises to get back to you within three days.

“It’s been a very interesting process to learn through our research what really matters to people in such a frustrating situation and to figure out how to address

those needs. I believe we have found a level where the information is genuinely valuable for Topdanmark while the communication is efficient and structured enough for them to give a fixed deadline for their response,” says Mikkel Stange, Brand Strategist at Designit.

No disclaimers Often enough when something bad happens to you it happens to other people at the same time. That’s when it’s difficult to reach the insurance company by phone and it adds to your frustration that you can’t really get the process of establishing your claim started. When you use the app you cross that line immediately and you know when the next steps will be taken and that they will be in the right direction because the app has indicated what information Topdanmark can use. This is only possible because the available services in the app are quite limited.

“In order for the communication to be efficient it’s been necessary to cut out so much of what is normally a part of the dialogue with an insurance company. There are no disclaimers, no references to legislation, no pop-ups, no exceptions and no need to fill in numbers, which you don’t carry around with you. It’s very basic but it means – and you experience – that you have initiated the process of getting back on the road again,”says Mikkel Stange.

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Mobile services // Simplicity rules

SIMPLICITY RULES Think of everything you would like your smartphone app to do and deduct 90 per cent.

Then you might be on your way to something good.

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L

egendary graphic designer John Maeda states in his 2006 book The Laws of Simplicity: “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful”.

It seems that this lesson is currently being learned at a swift pace in the market for smartphone apps, much to the pleasure of users.

Any time a company goes through the hassle of establishing a new platform on which to interact with its customers there's a strong desire to use that platform to the fullest possible extent. To add more information and more services in order to offer the user as much as you can and to create as strong a message about the brand as possible.

However, to put it in simple terms, that approach will lead to your presence on the app scene being an unsuccessful one.

“There's a growing understanding of the need to focus on convenience and relevance for the user while sometimes sacrificing the more brand-related messages and the more peripheral services. For many companies it's a valuable experience to have to focus on that one service where they add the most value,” says Mikkel Stange, Brand Strategist at Designit.

Basically, if you think of everything you would like your app to be able to do and deduct 90 per cent of that you might be on your way to developing an app that will actually become a success. But it'll take some soul-searching to figure out what's the most valuable thing you can offer your users while being with them, right in their pockets, for every single one of their waking hours.

That exercise is important in itself, of course, in order for the app to become popular and to add new dimensions to what the company has to offer its users. But there's also another reason why it's important.

“Apps are being rated by users all the time. If the app doesn’t offer anything valuable and relevant, the individual user will not only experience that by himself, he will share his experience with everyone else,” says Mikkel Stange.

It will take some soulsearching to figure out what is the most valuable thing you can offer your users while being with them, right in their pockets, for every single one of their waking hours.

Trading while commuting Simplicity is a complicated thing. How do you develop services, which are genuinely relevant, which make new things possible or at least far more easily accessible? And how do you do that without drowning those services in far too much information or in many other, far less relevant services?

Today the understanding of the importance of this dilemma is spreading but Mikkel Stange’s experience is that there's quite a leap from knowing something and to actually

doing it.

“It’s easy to build something that's simple and irrelevant.

The real challenge is to develop apps that are simple yet meaningful for users.”

To add even more layers to the complexity of the task at hand, today there's a demand for services that no one would have anticipated two years ago.

“No one thought that people would be interested in trading stocks while commuting. It’s been very complicated to make that type of transaction simple and accessible enough but now it’s going through the roof. It’s not only about doing just one thing, it’s also about turning a complex functionality into a simple one,” says Mikkel Stange.

The opportune moments On the web we're used to navigating through layers of information in order to find what we're looking for. We have some patience for this when we sit in front of our laptops. But that patience is non-existent when we use our smartphones. Organisations are wising up to this. When we need to know if our plane is departing on time we want that information to be the first thing we see when we open the airport’s app rather than some promotional message, information about parking or general news.

“The first apps were amasingly simple, like a watch or a calculator. Small tools with a clear, specific purpose, which made your life easier. That's still the right approach when your aim is to develop a successful smartphone app. You want to fill the opportune moments with what is meaningful and relevant for your users. If you fail to do that there's very little loyalty in the world of apps but if you succeed they'll tell the world about it,” says Mikkel Stange.

26%

of all smartphone apps are only used once

13%

are opened twice

9%

are opened 3 times Localytics - 26% of Mobile Application Users are Fickle - or Loyal (March 2011)

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Mobile services // Apps vs. mobile web - what the future brings

NATIVE APPS

WEB APPS

HYBRID APPS

RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN

One of the unique traits of apps is that they're narrow and focused - at least if they are good.

DESCRIPTION:

DESCRIPTION:

DESCRIPTION:

DESCRIPTION:

PROS:

PROS:

PROS:

PROS:

CONS:

CONS:

CONS:

CONS:

Written for a specific platform. Installed on the phone.

User interface is highly responsive. Access native device features.

App store

Can be expensive.

Only available for one platform.

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Written using web technologies. Accessed through a browser.

Available for all platforms with a modern browser.

User interface can be sluggish.

No (or little) access to native device features.

No App store.

Written using web technologies. Wrapped in a native app. Installed on the phone.

Cost savings. Available for multiple platforms. Access some native device features.

App store.

User interface can be sluggish.

A website with device independent design that adapts to fit different devices and screen sizes.

Future friendly. The site will work on yet to be released devices. One web. Same content for all devices.

Not really an app, but a website.

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APPS VS. MOBILE WEB – what the future brings Are apps here to stay or just a temporary phenomenon?

Will mobile web come to dominate the new digital platforms? The discussion is just emerging, but we can’t wait for a definitive conclusion.

I

t's possible that in five or ten years we'll look back on today as the “Chaotic Age” where all the conventional platforms for interacting with your customers and users changed dramatically, while new, digital platforms emerged in abundance. At such a time things will have settled down and we'll be intimately familiar with the various platforms in use and their characteristics. The methodology will be well established and everybody will communicate through them with great certainty and efficiency. It is possible. But it is not very likely.

What we are currently witnessing is actually the opposite trend: innovation at an accelerating pace. That's because every new initiative is standing on the shoulders of its predecessors and there are constantly more shoulders to stand on.

While companies are trying to familiarise themselves with – and come to terms with – everything that’s different about apps on tablets and smartphones, a new discussion is emerging. It addresses the question of whether apps are here to stay or just a temporary phenomenon on the way to a web that works equally smooth on all platforms.

“There's a lot of talk about this with no definitive answers.

Apps are still a new platform with an enormous potential and certain unique traits. It's possible that mobile web solutions eventually will be able to do what apps do but at this point there is no basis for being anything but enthusiastic about the potential for apps,” says Rasmus Thulstrup, Front-end Developer at Designit.

likely to lead us astray. With apps that doesn’t happen as much, which is one of the key reasons why apps are valuable.

“When you interact with an app you do one or a very few things. The entire architecture of the app is about optimising that. With the emergence of web apps and responsive web, where web pages adapt to different screen sizes and platforms, we might be witnessing the first baby steps in the direction of the web also becoming good at what the app does extremely well, but this is still in its infancy,” says Design Manager Frank Jepsen.

One of the major issues when contemplating the future of apps vs. mobile web is the emergence of more operating systems than just iOS and Android. Windows Mobile recently aired and if still more systems come into play the costs of developing apps for all systems will be a serious challenge. In such a scenario, tweaking the existing web presence and looking into web-based solutions as alternatives will become far more attractive.

“At this point we're witnessing such strong growth within apps. We are charting this previously unmapped territory as we speak. At the same time there is an enormous amount of work going into developing web alternatives. For most companies it's not an option to wait this out. The best thing to do is to begin investigating the alternatives. Each company will have different conditions on which to base their decision about the way forward. These are interesting times,” says Rasmus Thulstrup.

Begin investigating One of the unique traits of apps is that they're narrow and focused – at least if they are good. Apps, we know by now, are good for specific tools, for users to easily fix and check up on stuff and for entertainment, though mostly of the nonbrowsing kind. The web is by definition limitless and more

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Mobile services // Picks of the season

FINDING YOUR WAY IN A NEW FORMAT Becker is an international provider of navigation systems moving into the market for 5” devices as well as looking for ways to strengthen their position within 4,3” devices. The design project faced the challenge of maintaining a strong brand identity while integrating new elements.

The process was smooth, moving from ideation and sketching to rough 3D CAD (computeraided design) models, and then refined CAD models together with printed 3D prototypes – a brilliant way of allowing proportional and surface refinement. The 5” products have been on the market since September, while the 4,3” products are almost ready to launch.

GREAT SOUND WRAPPED IN WOOL AND CASHMERE Designit has recently worked with Libratone to design Libratone Live and Libratone Lounge, exclusively aimed at enabling you to enjoy the music from your Apple devices all over your home – and without cables.

The speakers are design objects in themselves and have been praised by reviewers at the Apple store for their cool yet distinctive Scandinavian appearance as well as the quality of their sound.

It really is sound with no compromise and beautifully wrapped in wool and cashmere!

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TINE ON THE TABLE Designit Oslo has recently finished a strategic design project for TINE, Norway's largest producer, distributor and exporter of dairy products. The project was user-centered; involving more than 30 end users, who were observed and registered their behavior, providing TINE and Designit with valuable information. All the insights were then analysed together with representatives from TINE. The outcome of the project has yet to be implemented but three unique, holistic concepts for new products and services were developed. Right now smaller elements from the concepts are being introduced and more are under way.

INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM FOR AKG HEADPHONES AKG is part of Harman International Industries Inc., one of the world’s largest acoustics manufacturer.

Designit has worked with AKG since 2007 and this year’s iF design awards were yet another indication of the quality of our collaboration. The highly recognised design awards have been around for more than 50 years. They attract more than 2000 entries from 37 countries and it is one tough competition. This year our work with AKG resulted in no less than four awards. We won a packaging award for the AKG Packaging Series, and product design awards for three, different AKG headphone models. We’re very happy that our work receives this kind of recognition from the design community.

HANDS ON WITH AUGMENTED REALITY At Designit Madrid, two projects recently turned out to be amazing bedfellows. The common denominator was augmented reality. BBVA, a multinational Spanish banking group, was looking for ways to provide their customers with a seamless experience of what BBVA had to offer. The solution was an app using augmented reality used by visitors at the BBVA Innovation Centre under the headline Bank of the Future.

The second project, titled Virtual Spain, for The Centre for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI), was far more theoretical, addressing the future 3D internet with an emphasis on 3D visualisation, virtual worlds and user interactions. The two projects were a perfect match, and Designit was able to merge theory and practice into four best practices for designers to use in similar situations.

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References Designit is Europe's largest and most international strategic design and innovation house. We have offices in Aarhus, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Gothenburg, London, Madrid, Munich, Oslo, Sao Paulo and Shanghai.

With a client portfolio that includes a number of the world's leading brands, Designit is well equipped to

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