a call to action for mobile design

Tags: Business,  Design,  Devices
August 13, 2008 by Barbara

The Interaction Design Association mailing list is currently running a straw poll asking, “What are the top 3 things you find yourself doing now with your iPhone that you did not do before and why?”.

I’ve included the list below, but notice something: only two items in the list are things I have not been able to do on my three year old feature phone. Not only that, I have been doing these things on my three year old feature phone, for three years. These are technically sophisticated users, but they are reporting “new” stuff they’re doing.

So, why? I think there are four reasons:

  1. Better marketing.
  2. Better web browser (compared to most phones in the US)
  3. Better integration with music, podcasts, and now application store (online and computer)
  4. The above made an unlimited data plan be normal

Better marketing means that people are more aware of the services. Better browser stimulates browsing (but it has a long long way to go). Better integration with distribution like iTunes (application and iTunes Store) makes content get onto the device without much effort. And of course unlimited data stimulates use across the board.

In many ways, I wish I still worked at an operator right now – preferably at a senior level. Apple is giving me lots of ammunition.

Task-based responses as of 1700 GMT-6:

email 7
listen to music/podcasts 5
browsing 5
games 4
maps 3
texting 2
GPS apps (e.g., iWant, urbanspoon, showtimes) 2
install apps 2
stopwatch 2
wikipedia 1
checking stock 1
news 1
movies 1
pictures 1

Responses that were more about the value:

diversions 3
not trapped at desk 2
resolving arguments/book review/contextual web 2
communicating 1
feeling connected 1
deciding not to go to work 1
facilitate work 1


«« design for security  |  engagement with the world »»

1 Comment »

  1. Ooh! I’ll play. Well, today I was mostly trapped at the desk drawing. But counting yesterday I (estimated):

    1) Talked - 20+ times. Two conference calls.
    2) Looked up actors and movies on IMdb - 8 times
    3) Took photos or videos - 8 times
    4) Other web browsing (see #2) - 6 times
    5) Downloaded items from the phone (BT) - 4 times
    6) MMS’d - About 4 times. Mostly with the wife, and never with comments.
    7) Checked email - 3 times
    8) Installed applications - 2 times (one doesn’t really work though)
    9) Used the calendar for reminders-2
    10) Used the calendar to look up a date - 1
    11) Used location (triangulation, no GPS) to find something, unsuccessfully. Blame Google.
    12) Used google maps to route - 1
    13) Used g-maps without routing to look at the map and drive around - 1
    14) Used the stopwatch - 1

    On my 13 month old N75. On ATT, so same net at iPhone, totally open to app installs the whole time I have had it. Runs tasks in the background. Smaller. Removable mem card.

    I posted this because moving to a real smartphone was indeed a revelation. I did maybe half of this, badly, on the phones I had when I worked at Sprint. Why? Not sure. I was attracted to featurephones, sure, but many of those let me download apps and they worked, I just never used them really, or successfully. Hmm..

    Comment by steven — August 13, 2008 @ 8:17 pm

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