Interface Design in
Mobile Social Networking
Alvin Woon, Co-founder Plurk.com
Communications and Multimedia Conference 2009

1 billion new
users by 2012

GPS 3G (wifi hotspot? connect
anywhere!)
size
camera/video

- Bryan Rieger

Useful . Usable . Engaging
what problem are
you trying to
solve?

helping users find nearest
restaurants from their
current location?
Useful . Usable . Engaging
what problem are
you trying to
solve?

helping users find nearest
restaurants from their
current location?
Useful . Usable . Engaging
let users upload their
mobile photo onto your
social site?
what problem are
you trying to
solve?

helping users find nearest
restaurants from their
current location? let users to pay for virtual
good with sms payment
from their cellphone?
Useful . Usable . Engaging
let users upload their
mobile photo onto your
social site?
what problem are
you trying to
solve?

Useful . Usable . Engaging
how many seconds
it takes to complete
the simplest task?

interface takes too
long to load?
unresponsive UI?
Useful . Usable . Engaging
how many seconds
it takes to complete
the simplest task?

interface takes too
long to load?
does it allow user
unresponsive UI?
to recover from
their mistakes?
Useful . Usable . Engaging
how many seconds
it takes to complete
the simplest task?

interface takes too
long to load?
does it allow user
unresponsive UI?
to recover from
their mistakes?
Useful . Usable . Engaging
if it’s a website, does
it use long url? does it
work on multiple
mobile browsers? how many seconds
it takes to complete
the simplest task?

interface takes too
long to load?
does it allow user
unresponsive UI?
to recover from
their mistakes?
Useful . Usable . Engaging color scheme, font
if it’s a website, does size, spacing,
it use long url? does it aesthetic and etc
work on multiple
mobile browsers? how many seconds
it takes to complete
the simplest task?

Useful . Usable . Engaging
what makes your
application ‘sticky’?

what’s the incentive for
user to keep using it?
dead simple? because all
her friends are using it?
Useful . Usable . Engaging
what makes your
application ‘sticky’?

what’s the incentive for
user to keep using it?
dead simple? because all
Let users express
her friends are using it?
themselves.
Useful . Usable . Engaging
what makes your
application ‘sticky’?

use simple, clear
color scheme
content first,
everything else
use shortkey for
later
quick navigation
fit as much
information as
possible
good default
font size for
comfy reading

Scenario:
It is Friday night. Alice wants to hang out with
her friends, Bob and Eve.

Questions?