Gadgets & All Things Digital

It’s been more than 3 years now since the first iPhone landed in our palms with everyone amongst everyone trying to get their toes dipped in the mobile app space by creating all these wonderful little “try-me” iPhone apps (which in my mind is a little step away from a “HELLO WORLD” application ;) ).

However as cute as that was 3 years ago, the novelty is starting to wear pretty thin and creating a lame mobile application for the sake of saying you have a mobile application out there is a pure waste of time to a mobile users life and certainly does not help enhance the brand experience.  From a mobile user’s perspective in this day an age, a useful mobile app needs to satisfy the following criteria: 

• Step 1) App Store Experience - how easy was it to find the app on the store?
• Step 2) The first open app experience - first impressions of the app? 
• Step 3) The performing simple tasks test - can I perform the bare minimum functionality?
• Step 4) The performing complex tasks test - can I perform any of the functions that would actually make me want to engage with this app and keep me engaged (over other similar apps out there)?
• Step 5) The update test - Ok, time to market is everything so it is impossible to find an app with all the bells and whistles, however surely over time and based on consumer interest, enhancements and additional functionality will be released periodically. Are these updates useful to me? And also, do these updates still allow me to perform steps 1-4?

3 years later and the above needs to be the bare minimum before a minimal viable product can be released in this ever changing mobile app ecosystem and releasing an app for Apps Sake just does not cut it anymore. Does the world need another JPEG flipper mobile reader application with bare minimum functionality when there are already benchmarks already set by Kindle, Zinio, Apple NewsStand  who deliver the Rolls-Royce of functionality that have adapted and evolved over the last 3 years? How about an app for medical insurance? Releasing such an app would surely be a win as it’s something that people actually want to use, however releasing one with bare minimum functionality that is not the easiest to use, and then never bothering to update the app for over 9 months…hmmm, was that an App for Apps Sake too ? :(

Ok, so the much anticipated LinkedIn iPad app arrived at an App Store nearby a few days ago and after the success of its slick and smooth sibling  iPhone app that was released a few months ago, the expectation that the iPad app was that it would super-cede this. However, after downloading and installing it on my new iPad, the first reaction after opening it was not quite the ‘WOW’ factor experienced as I opened apps such as the Flipboard or Pulse, instead it was a..”hmmm, ok, so this is the LinkedIn iPad App we were waiting for, right..”.

So what exactly is wrong with the LinkedIn iPad App? Functionality-wise, nothing is wrong with it,  it does encompass all core user journeys that are contained in the LinkedIn web and iPhone products, which is great. However, from a mobile UX perspective,  looking at this app, it does not really differentiate itself from other RSS reader apps like your Zite, Flipboard or Flud. The mobile user experience of apps need to provide a level of enticement to make one want to engage with it and unfortunately due to the limited 30-day user engagement lifespan of the mobile app on a device,  an engaging mobile UX goes hand-in-hand with the core functionality provided, otherwise why would one choose this application over something they are used to. 

What i really hope is that this is not a sign that mobile apps have reached a plateau and that the Zites and Flipboards of the world have basically dictated the so called ‘standards’ of how mobile applications should be. The mobile app space is exciting and still emerging space where boundaries can still be pushed, its way too early to settle for a ‘this is the best is going to get’ and I really hope that future mobile apps to come have not surrendered to a plateau of ‘perceived’ excellence as there is still so much more to be explored.

On Friday I had the esteemed privilege to share my learnings and experiences in Mobile User Experience alongside a UX masterclass of experts around the globe that included delegates from Australia, UK, USA, France, Switzerland, Ireland, Italy, Russia and Canada. 

For me the event proved to be an affirmation of what the company I represented believed in (and the presentation that I delivered at the conference is testament to that) which in a nutshell can be summarised as follows:

• There is a distinct difference between Web UX and Mobile UX. Web has the luxury of space where you have one device and can focus on pure content. With Mobile it’s trying to organise your desk into the tiniest space possible whose display area varies across 7500+ devices.
• The mobile user experience is certainly not just about design, you need to consider the landscape, the cost, the handset and context which in term determines the content. 
• The mobile user experience is personal, hence showing what is relevant to the user is important, bringing the importance of data.
• We live in an apps culture and it’s difficult to get away from this. However they need to be engaging and add value to ones life. Comprising on functionality should not be an option. 
• User experience, and especially the mobile user experience,  is about making lives better and easier.
• Design is not equal to experience. Things need to work beautifully, not just look pretty. Good design is simple, personable and attractive. 

The concluding message of the conference was that Mobile is the future and is here to stay. Everything is moving towards mobile and for this context needs to be taken seriously by giving the user what they want, when they want it with minimal effort. 

Two years ago I was fortunate enough to land (what was at that moment in time) my dream job and with that came the perks in the form of the original iPad. I do still remember unboxing that and thinking OMW…WOW.

Well, almost two years later, and my iPad is still definitely one of my most prized possessions that I cannot simply live without,  it is the only means I use to consume any form of digital content (to be honest I think I can’t remember when I’ve looked at a printed newspaper or magazine).

And even though I am a “True Apple Girl” as labelled by most people who know me, I would not say that I would rush out and buy the latest Apple device, I will buy what I feel is suitable for my needs ( I am due for an upgrade for a phone and am still happy with my iPhone 4, no need for the 4S). 

However…3 days ago I arrive at work only to find the brand new sealed iPad box on my desk and unboxing it definitely was the same feeling I had 2 years ago. And switching it on…well even if you are not a FanBoy, you can’t help but be impressed as the display is the most sharp you will ever see for a while. Like I said, my iPad has been my most used and favourite gadget for about 2 years, and I’ve had no issues with it, but as soon as you get a glimpse of the new iPad, you can’t help but compare and say out loud…”This is pretty cool”

So, apart from the amazing display, what’s new and what’s different. Well its slightly more heavier, that is understandable in order to maintain the awesome battery power that you got from the original iPad. The speed of the processor, yip pretty much that is noticeable too, loading up apps like Twitter, FlipBoard was lightning fast and as these apps have been optimised for the new retina display, they were even more impressive to use.

Updates to apps are being released almost daily so not all of my apps take advantage of the new stunning resolution however 4 of my favourite apps clearly showcase the sharpness and clarity: New York Times, FlipBoard, Kindle and the very newly released Angry Birds Space HD. 

On the negative, it does get noticeably warmer (but what would one expect with a graphics card and processor of this magnitude on a portable device), however its still significantly cooler than if you were carrying a laptop or netbook (what are those again?) around. 

So will I purchase one for personal use? MOST DEFINITELY. I did not get an iPad 2 as I could not find a reason to warrant upgrading. However, after just 3 days hands on with this gorgeous screen, I have to get one . There are certain luxuries that one needs and this is one of them. My old iPad is something I will NEVER get rid of, its an iconic device that started the tablet revolution and has become a household necessity in my home (it’s the only medium that my 4 year old uses to consume books), however I think it’s time for me to get my very own and why not this. It is simply gorgeous.

I am still and foremost an Apple FanGirl, however being a gadget geek, I must admit that since acquiring my iPod touch in 2008, and more than 3 years later,  I have not really been that excited about anything (apart from my iPad, but in theory it was just really just a bigger version of my iPod). Sure, my iphone 4 is also very cool and my most treasured gadget to date, however it was really just an upgrade from my previous iPhone, nothing significantly different apart from the usual that one expects (better processor, better camera, better multitasking capabilities etc etc). As for all the android devices that have emerged since the iPhone release, honestly, in terms of user experience, they were not really that much different from the user experience side of the iOS devices, merely just another variation for the anti-apple people to get excited about.

However, this year proved to be somewhat different and the excitement (thankfully) is back again. The New Nokia Lumia with Microsoft’s Metro UI is such a breath of fresh air and from a mobile user experience perspective, it just brings something else to the table, simplicity.  When I heard of this Metro UI for the first time last year (immediately the thought of the newspapers (metro times) and sign-posts from the London tube stations came to mind, however I assumed it was just an arbitrary codename from Microsoft (like Vista) and wasn’t really a metaphor. Well, thankfully, that is actually not the case and when I got to play with this UI hands-on for the first time a few weeks ago, it indeed really is a UI that is based on the simplicity of using text as a means of navigation (and is based on the Metro metaphor). There is something indeed very natural flowing about the user experience of Metro, it’s simple with a touch of slick-ness that makes it (in comparison to all other smartphone UIs out there) just elegant.

‘

Being an eBook fanatic, i loaded the kindle app on my new Lumia now and compared it across my other 2 devices (iphone and galaxy tab), and quite honestly (even though i’ve been using this app on my iphone since 2010), I found myself interacting with the app on the Lumia with far less thought about ‘how’ to use the app than i did with the other devices. Now isn’t that what user experience is all about? Taking a minimal amount of time to accomplish a task on a human-made device with efficiency! (Well i think that’s what i covered in my HCI post-graduate degree many many moons ago , not sure if anything has changed since then ;) )

What else is cool about this phone, well if you are  a social media addict like me, then this phone is for you, the seamless integration of your contacts across all social media channels by simply just linking your accounts is absolutely mind-blowing. Seriously all you would need to do it just authorize your accounts in your settings and that is it, from within your contact list, you have direct access to their Walls, Twitter Feeds, Linkedin, etc etc. Maybe actually too scary that it is this easy!

But coming back to what I do absolutely LOVE most and foremost about Metro UI (both as a professional in this field and a hardcore fan of mobile tech) is the fact that it is is indeed, going back to basics and applying practicality to the theory, because end of the day, that’s what its about. Creating useful and awesome applications that the average person can use easily and efficiently and enjoys using. The mobile user experience is all about fitting into  the mobile consumer’s everyday activities of their lives. And as much as the content is important, context is also (possibly more)  important, and  I am really excited about what’s to follow from this UI. In my opinion, the Metro UI does encapsulate everything that a mobile UX should be about, and so far, it does reign supreme (though I can’t imagine Apple is going to roll over and just sleep quietly, well I hope not)….yay, it’s about to get exciting again :)

So I’m sitting at a hair dressing salon waiting for my appointment (naturally they are running 30mins late) and in this time I’ve managed to catch up on the weekly happenings of my FB friends, daily tweets, review some documents on an email, whatsapp a few friends, sms the hubby to check on the kids, booked movie tickets for later, and now started a blog!

Rewind 4 years ago, what would I be doing if at the same place without a smartphone? Scary thing is I can’t even remember… And yes that is my norm, without my smartphone I am completely lost and inefficient.

Which brings me to the way things are going (or the way I’m hoping things will be going), it’s all about making maximum efficient use of ones time and making sure those moments contribute to something beneficial. A huge reason why whatever I access on this phone , be it a mobile application or website needs to have one purpose and one purpose only ..add value. If its a barcode scanner comparison app, then be useful, have the core functionality that is scans any barcode and provides me with meaningful comparisons, and make it pleasant on the eyes.

Gone are the days of providing something for the sake of it because there is nothing better out there. Now it’s all about choice and on my personal phone, if it ain’t good or adds little or zero value, I will not use it, it will be deleted and never looked at again. However if like this tumblr app, Facebook and twitter mobile apps that still have this gorgeous user experience that is suited for my smartphone, then I am a happy to be here at my salon (still waiting for my appointment ) and able to continue my day with a smile!

The message in 2010/2011 was “The future is MOBILE”. In 2012, the present is mobile and yes, numerous case studies and statistics later, most brands have cottoned onto the concept that a good mobile strategy should compliment your web strategy, NOT be an afterthought (and it most definitely IS NOT a smaller version of the web that is available on your phone).

With this finally being the message, some brands are finally getting it right and realizing that the mobile user experience (UX) is really a specialized field that needs the assistance from mobile professionals as it is a different mindset to that of a web user in that as much as its about content, context is equally important. Also something most key, is that the mobile user is most likely to be someone who is mobile and who needs to access their information on the go, which means ‘ease of use’ is also of vital importance.

Having been fortunate enough to have grown up and evolved my career in this exciting mobile space over the past few years, and also being an absolutely lover of shopping, and travel, I am always interested  to see who is getting it right and to see what other big brands are doing. So naturally, when I recently read that the luxurious hotel chain  Four Seasons, spent $18 million USD on their new mobile friendly site, I was extremely interested see what new learnings their latest masterpiece would bring to my mobile world as naturally with a hefty price and brand like the Four Seasons, one would have the perception they would be pulling out the ultimate mobile site. 

When I entered their mobile site, I was a little surprised and thought I had entered the incorrect address. However, even a hard refresh did not help as this was indeed their mobile site:

The home page is simple and appears to have quick access to key functionality, however a lack of a search functionality seemed a bit odd but nevertheless, one would assume that the “Find a Destination” option would serve that purpose of me finding a hotel quite easily in Italy. 

Choosing this option takes me to a ‘non-mobile’ friendly page which really is a smaller version of their website which displays quite poorly on my iphone. Two clicks later, I eventually get to the hotel I’m looking for in Florence Italy, which has lovely imagery, however all the core functionality i want to access is hidden deep down within the page.

As a spa girl (check out my pamperprincess.co.za blog :) ), I decide to look at their Spa facilities, and guess what, the site jumps yet again to another non-mobile friendly page (I’m sorry but wasn’t this mobile site meant to be the big win for Four Seasons in order to set the bar in mobile experiences?). 

Anyway, my eyes are too tired and strained to read those pages on the phone, so all i want to do now is check out the prices of their suites, well two attempts later on this mobile site, i eventually gave up. Not only was it dead slow with images not loading properly, but the amount of clicks that were needed to find out the price of a hotel room was just about 10 too many (i actually lost count after 8).

So what is wrong with this entire mobile experience?

1) Lack of Key Mobile User Journeys

The simple and fundamentals of any website set and especially the mobile sites or applications are the core user journetys. Pretty pictures mean nothing if the site does not let me accomplish the goal I have in mind. The foundation of any user experience is the user journey and I’m afraid it’s the business analyst (NOT the interactive designer) that can help define these.

2) Lack of core functionality

Why is the search missing? Almost everyone goes to a site to find out information of some kind. With the exception of News-related sites  on mobile phones (as people tend to be most interested in the most current news, which is always displayed anyway) , search tends to be a core functional task that is found on most m-commerce sites. Naturally if you have a search facility it has to work correctly (which quite a few sites don’t quite get right), so maybe that is why Four Seasons decided to leave it out.

3) Lack of navigation which result in a lack of ‘ease of use’

Again, a violation of basic mobile principles. To get to specific information that I wanted was an absolute nightmare, it literally felt like searching for a needle in a haystack.

4) The inconsistencies of jumping from mobilised pages to non-mobilsed pages

This was probably the worst experience of the mobile site. If one is going to mobilise, then mobilise properly or not at all. 

5) Too many clicks to get to the (basic) information I wanted

I suppose this ties into point number 1 with the lack of clear defined user journeys.

In summary, for mobile web or apps, the user experience combined with the basics of core functionality coupled with best guessed intuition is everything. Thinking ahead, knowing your target user and always bearing in mind they are not in front of their computer, they are on their phone, most likely using one hand, multi tasking like crazy so the mobile experience has to be on the money and accurate, there really is no time for waffle.

The mobile experience that is developed for the mobile platform really is a specialised field that can only really be accomplished well by specialists in that area, taking a website and miniaturizing it, did not work 5 years ago and its certainly not going to work now. A business analyst and an interactive designer are two different roles. As beautiful as a site can be made by the creative, it takes a competent business analyst (also known as a product owner in todays modern world ) that specializes in mobile to help glue the pieces together to help bring out the core functionality that the interactive designer puts forward. 

End of the day, one can beautify a rotten engine with Lamborghini or Ferrari body as long as you want, it still wont work and will be worthless that no amount of money can save (not even 18 million USD)

So, i thought I would go back to the roots to why I started blogging in the first place, i.e to speak about things that I am passionate about which have been inspirational to me. I know the last couple of my posts strayed (ever so) slightly away from that as they may have exhibited some forms of of disgruntled views however end of the day as we all know, the world is filled with lots of weird and wonderful beings and I guess we will all at most times agree to disagree :)

So here my top 5 mobile web and applications that stood out for me this year by taking the true meaning of mobile into consideration:

1) Booking my movie tickets (from browsing to seat selection to checkout) within 2 mins via sterkinekor.mobi

What I love most about this mobile web site is that is encapsulates what mobile is about and delivers an awesome seamless experience for movie addicted users like myself. Everyone goes on about how content is KING, however with mobile, its all about context, being mobile and being able to do multiple things at a time. Booking a movie ticket no matter where I am can be easily done with what I think is one of the most intuitive mobile user experiences irrespective of the persona using it.

As Tomi Ahonen said in a conference I attended a few months ago “With global benchmarks already set and defined, why aim for anything lower than that”, this particular mobile website illustrates that in that it currently is better than any of its global competitors and has raised the bar on how to make Mobi look cool.

Also, as a self-professed ‘App Girl’, I must admit I was left speechless when this particular mobile web site demonstrated to me that Mobile Web can look and perform as good as an Mobile App.

2) 5 years later and it still dominates the m-commerce scene - Amazon Mobile

The vision of Amazon mobile’s product owner has to be commended as they are definitely someone who gets the mobile experience and managed to maintain this over the years. When the first version of their mobile website was released in 2006-2007, it was the the world leader in mobile commerce. Now 5 years later, its still miles ahead of the m-commerce game even with competitors releasing substandard versions. Even though, it isn’t as content intensive as the desktop website, it definitely provides the best mobile shopping experience by giving the customer the correct information for what they need. From browsing, to the product information to checkout, amazon just does it right and continue to do it right to product an efficient m-commerce shopping site. 2011 was a year for m-commerce sites (those that could be bothered to) to play ‘catch-up’ to amazon and although some sites like ASOS have come close, there are others that just remain poor carbon copies that still lack that product vision which Amazon mobile clear displays.

3) The modern Day Way to consume News - Pulse News App

Another global benchmark setting standard is the visual appealing ‘fun’ way to consume news content that is displayed in the Pulse News Application. I basically love the fact that all my interest topics in the current news (across all digital media) can be collated on the homescreen and can being mobile, it’s just so easy to consume, be it while waiting in a queue, stuck in traffic, at a doctors room (at last i don’t need to read magazines from the last century!!). Sharing an article is also really easy as I can post it directly to my preferred social media channel or email it. Pulse has definitely set the bar as the number one news aggregator app and I look forward to see what they have in store in 2012.

4) Location based mobile app Foursquare with heaps of potential to be still discovered

I must admit, I never quite ‘got’ the point of Foursquare when it rose to fame last year as it had a bit of a ‘stalking’ stigma attached to it. Then when Facebook launched Places in response to Foursquare. i found myself using it so thought I may as well check out Foursquare itself and 6 months later, yes it is one of my most frequently used mobile apps. Why do I like it? Well the primary reason being that I am able to find cool places of interest based on my location. Secondly, as a social network community app, depending on the community frequenting the locations I visit, I am also able to pick up useful information such as historical facts, tips, specials etc and I can also share information. I still regard myself as a novice user but again as a mobile application it definitely is worthy of a 5 star rating in my opinion as it truly takes the mobile context into account in terms of core functionality and engagement.

5) Capturing and sharing those memories quickly and with ease using Instagram

Probably my favourite mobile app of 2011. Another comment that was made at a Mobile Conference that I attended recently was that “Mobile phones demolished the camera industry” and that lends truth when you see mobile apps that compliment the mobile phone camera like these. I have as awesome Nikon SLR and a digital compact camera, however the only times I ever have these on me is when I consciously remind myself to put them in the car for a special occasion (And even then I sometimes forget to take it out the car). My mobile phone is with me practically 24/7 which implies that I have access to something with camera functionality instantly, and an app such as Instagram makes it so easy to create a ‘semi-professionalish’ photo which I don’t have to wait to upload until i get home (which again I forget to do), but can share immediately across my preferred social network channels or share with my Instagram community pretty much within seconds after something has occurred. In today’s fast paced world as much as it’s about doing a million and one things concurrently, it all about sharing right now and instant gratification, and this app does all of that!

In my world, delivering any type of project is quite simple:

• Define the scope 
• Road map the proposed solution with clear deliverables per milestone
• Deliver the solution on each milestone (mitigate risk as soon as it creeps)

[all within the approved budget of course]

I mean really, at the end of the day all the client wants to know is how much something will cost and when they will receive what they asked for.  It’s really up to the solution provider to decide on the best methodologies to deliver to the client what they asked for and within the timeframes they  expect to receive it. [BASIC 101 of CLIENT EXPECTATION MGMT]

However, in this day and age the latest trend is Agile, Agile, Agile (and if you happen to have someone who attended an overpriced course that paid attention during the lectures, and became Scrum Certified you can even try out SCRUM :) ).  However, like everything, successful implementation does not depend on just theory or reading some material over the internet and preaching about the best ways of using it.  It’s about the application of that theory in conjunction with thinking about what fits best within the team dynamics in order to produce the best possible results.

I love being apart of the process of creating awesome products that excel in providing the best customer experience to the end user (encompasses all core functionality, user experience  and quality). And yes I will admit that Agile (be is Scrum, Kanban, whatever) is a fantastic mechanism to use to help facilitate the process of creating awesomeness. However it is what is it, a mechanism and framework, that is complimented by 3 other essential ingredients:

• Ambassadorship : this a representative of the product, who has the vision and ability to make the best decisions for the long-haul of the product
• Buy-in :  team buy in is necessary for the success of anything. Team members need to know why this process is beneficial to them and need to be educated as to why some process is better than nothing. The key thing here, is guiding (NOT FORCING) team members into trying something new. 
• Collaboration - it’s all well and good introducing a team to something new however it is pointless if they still sit in silos and don’t really chat about what they are doing. Effective communication needs to be encouraged and team members need to find that mutual trust and respect for working together as a team to achieve a common goal.

These are what I call the ABC’s of using the Agile Framework to successfully deliver a project within the agreed timeframes without compromising on delivering the best possible customer experience. It’s also about adopting the framework to compliment the team rather than methodology dictating to a team about how they should or should not work. After being involved in the delivery IT projects (across a variety of roles and responsibilities) over many years, these three ingredients form the basis of any methodology that leads to the successful delivery of any project (irrespective of size and cost). 

Yes, using Agile (even it if is SCRUM), can be that simple and does not need to take months to get right if you have the ABC’s in order :)

The final mobile event in the African continent concluded this week as All Amber events maintained their high calibre standards when hosting “Mobile Web Africa” in Johannesburg which show cased the ‘best of breed’ of mobile experts not only in Africa but also globally.

Highlights:

Even after attending numerous mobile events this year, it was evident that the general consensus in the messages carried through by the majority of the speakers (that included Tomi Ahonen, Tim Bishop, Musa Kalenga ) was : 

“It’s all about the African consumer. Africa is a mobi-first country - you can’t hide from the stats so stop making assumptions based on the US/UK stats”

So then why is there still a focus on smartphone apps and the need to get an iPhone app out yesterday when it’s quite obvious what is required based on what people have? Easy, misinformation comes from the digital agencies (who became mobile experts overnight) and poor decision makers in big branded companies who fail to think about the reality of the local continent and still ill-advise big brands on their mobile strategy. 

“Mobile apps are still very cool and people want them”

There is no denying that people still want mobile apps and it’s difficult to convince them otherwise, however build them in the right order making sure it still focuses on core functionality that offers engagement and value to the user and most importantly BUILD APPS for EVERYONE, not just a selected few. Again, the mis-educated digital agencies and in-house experts leads brands into believing that they don’t need to have a mobile web strategy if they are going to be building apps. However in order to cater for mass penetration and the fact that the average person accesses their mobile phone at least 150 times a day should be obvious that a mobile web strategy should not be ignored, especially if one is meant to be catering for every single mobile user out there.

 ”Social , services and content relevant to Africa  that is accessible on affordable handsets is what consumers want”

One of the panel discussions consisted of actual consumers  just speaking to the audience in plain simple english about their mobile consumption habits which focused on relevant content being consumed on their affordable phones which at the moment is Blackberry and Nokia handsets. There is an easy adoption from web to mobile web which is preferred over apps due to the instant gratification factor and that is is easier to find a site rather than search for an app and having to download it.  There is also still a focus on earned media as people tend to prefer something based on recommendations, hence mobile payments are not quite trusted as they have only been referred by companies and not peers. 

“Use successful case studies as benchmarks for what to aim for in your mobile strategy”

Think of mobile as a complimentary channel, not a replacement, however mobile will be a preferred platform. This is evident in the global statistics of mobile e-commerce sales which take place within the hour, which is generally 720x faster than that of sales on tradition e-commerce sites. There is an absolute need to have a mobile optimized solution and all case studies from Tomi Ahonen demonstrated this. Also with global benchmarks already set for successful mobile marketing and conversion to sales rates , that should be the standard for anyone to aim for.

“User experience is all about the user. Know who your users are and if your user has a good experience, they will automatically become your BRAND ambassador”

Absolutely loved this statement made by Helga Letowt-Vorbek from Mantaray. All emphasis has been placed on creating the ‘perfect’ user experience these days incorporating theories and principles from books and sources of UX experts all over the world. When it comes to mobile in Africa though, it has to be looked at from an African perspective as the African market users tend to use all features on their phones because it is their “computer” and has become vital to them. People need to learn and understand it isn’t a one fit all solution and needs to be catered specifically for the mobile market in Africa. Once you are able to engage with your mobile user and offer them a user experience is relevant to their needs WITHOUT compromising on core functionality, you have engaged with that user and they will automatically become your brand ambassadors.

Lowlights:

Death by powerpoint and lack of engaging content from presenters who thought it sufficed to just copy and paste from their company websites without even bothering to have a discussion about what was on their slides was disappointing. Not only did it show dis-respect to the audience , it also demonstrated their lack of domain knowledge to the field as they just came across rehearsed. End of the day, everyone can read company websites or white papers, the whole point of attending conferences like these are to engage with the presentator and learn from real life examples or case studies what works or doesn’t.  Elan Lohmann made a statement while chairing day two which I thought was quite apt (even though the Twitterati was on my case for quoting him) “if nothing gets tweeted during your presentation, it means you were pretty crap”. Also, some presentators/panel speakers seemed to miss the boat by saying it’s all about Africa and one should not look at US stats but went ahead and justified their findings with worldwide iPhone and android statistics (I was quite confused by that), without even knowing what the most downloaded mobile app in South Africa was. 

In summary

Overall…this was definitely the flagship mobile event of the year. I did wonder if I would learn anything new (as after a while it seems like there is nothing new to learn when you are always attending local events), however with the line up of presenters such as Tomi Ahonen (providing loads of food for thought) who is possibly one of the most motivational live speakers I’ve come across; Tim Bishop (Toby Shapshak describes as someone who “always puts his finger on the money and says things as it is ) who summed up his presentation by saying “It’s not rocket science what people like us need: relevance, ease of use, usefulness and accessibility” ; and amongst others Chief Social Scientist Marc Smith who demonstrated how social media network patterns are analyzed using social science methods that he incorporated in his open tools that help visualise patterns of association.

Well done again to Matthew Dawes, Andrew Mowbray and the rest of the team from AllAmber events. Definitely can’t wait to see what they bring on in 2012!