mobile
oliver weidlich
ideal interfaces

@oliverw

who are you?

overview
• history of bad mobile experience
• who’s using what
• examples of good & bad mobile
• government on mobile
• hints & tips & tools
• the future

history

that was then...
make calls

now
• SMS bookmarks calls
• • video
• calendar • stopwatch
• GPS phonebook
• • infrared
• games • Web
• megapixelsIDwallpapers
• caller • • themes
• ringtones
• videoinstant messenger
•
• camera news
• bluetooth • subscriptions
• WAP PTT • sport
•
• email • movies
• alarms • weather
• synchronisation
• MMS • music

the experience is broken
www.idealinterfaces.wordpress.com

the experience is broken
• complexity & cost of call & data plans
• low awareness / understanding / need
• separation of hardware, OS,
applications, content & online services
• too much irrelevant functionality
• hidden & difficult customisation

for mobile creators
• handset range for intended audience
• 2G vs 3G
• screen size/s
• interaction type/s
• internal developer skills
• understanding of all facets of mobile

benefits
• personal
• internet enabled
• location enabled
• access anywhere
• your data (addresses, music, pictures)
• notifications

who’s using what

WMDS - 2008
• >70% use for more than voice/sms (61%
info & 57% entertain)
• 31% used to make purchase
• mobile search increased to 30%
• mobile web increased to 49%
• URL entry dropped from 54% to 29%
Australian Results of Worldwide Mobile Data Service Study 2008
www.mnetcorporation.com/worldwide-mobile-data-services-study/

AMPLI - 2008
• 34% 2nd mobile phone and/or SIM
• 48% purchased content for their mobile
from PC & 17% carrier portal
• top 3 Content : Games (43%), Trutones
(42%) & Wallpapers (33%)
• top 3 Info: News (53%), Weather (50%)
& Sport (34%)
Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index 2008
www.aimia.com.au/mobile

AMPLI - 2008
• future content: music (30%), games
(27%) and wallpapers (25%)
• future content: maps (31%), news (29%)
and weather (28%)
Australian Mobile Phone Lifestyle Index 2008
www.aimia.com.au/mobile

oz mobile usage
Quarterly
Period CAGR
Growth Avge
Q4 2008 17.3% 89.3%
Q1 2009 6% 26.2%
6 Months 24.4% 54.8%
AIMIA MIG Mobile Traffic Trend Report
www.aimia.com.au/mobile

mobile user
experience

bad user experience
• not re-thought for mobile
• UI & interaction not designed for mobile
• poor interface design
• poor interaction flow
• inconsistent
• silo-ed applications & OS

good mobile uxp
• support user goals
• tight integration with handset
• integration with other applications on
device
• integration with other devices and
services
• allow quick & easy customisation

govt on mobile

hints / tips / tools

what makes sense?
• what information do people need quick
access to?
• how can you communicate better with
your community?
• can your community communicate with
each other?
• keep it simple, especially to start!

hints & tips
• re-think services for mobile
• simplicity and functionality - get the
basics right
• provide an integrated/contextual
service
• know/design for the device range
• do usability testing

hints & tips
• mobile specific content
• URL: m. or /m or .mobi? Re-direct!
• option to link through to full site in
footer
• bias code for text input (e.g. Log-in)
• short URL, SMS keyword, QR Code

hints & tips
• bubble relevant/interesting content to
the top
• focus on the content and interaction
than how pretty it is to start with
• lowest common denominator is probably
your best place to start

tools
• XHTML
• W3C Mobile web initiative http://
www.w3.org/Mobile/
• Wordpress Mobile Plug-in (http://
wordpressmobile.mobi/)
• WURFL (http://wurfl.sourceforge.net/)
•

future

flickr.com/photos
• /willgame • /zachklein
• /Gaeten Lee • /cpchannel
• /Kessiye • /masanori_okuno
• /tico24 • /Leonard Low
• /SideLong • /leginmat
• /kaex0r • /Xerones
• /R26B • /downbeat
• /liewcf • /switch 1010
all creative commons (attribution only) licensed

questions?
oliverw@idealinterfaces.com.au
@oliverw
0411 551 561