The document discusses mobile user interfaces in Japan and how Japanese phone operators solve problems by making their interfaces simple, easy to use, and appealing. It notes that while Japan has over 127 million people with different needs, generally the approach is to provide convenient features like weather updates, gaming, and coupon redemption directly on the phone in a way that does not require downloading apps or extensive manuals. The complex gardens metaphor is used to represent how the diverse Japanese market can still be served through this problem-solving approach despite some imperfections.

1. The Big Small Screen
Mobile UI in Japan
Christopher Billich
Mobile Monday Germany
Home, September 15, 2008

3. I work for a company called

5. based

6. somewhere around here

7. The
Shameless
Advertising
Part
which works for companies like

8. The
Shameless
Advertising
Part

9. (sorry, had to mention that)

10. useful

11. benri

13. = convenient

14. = beneficial

15. useful:

16. Convenient + beneficial
Solution to a Problem

17. Japanese phones are a bit like these

18. Or rather, like
this one

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20. Which is why
the manual looks like this

21. That’s the bad news.

22. The good news is that the Japanese
ROCK.

24. The better news is that the Japanese
ROCK
AT:

25. Making things simple.

26. Making things easy.

27. Making things
appealing.

28. Simple Easy Appealing
Solutions to Problems

29. Japanese Operators know that

30. if you have standards
that

31. make it simple
and

32. easy
to
make it easy to

33. create lots of great content
and services

34. and

35. a revenue share
that makes it

36. appealing
to

37. create lots of great content
and services

38. plus

39. promote flat rate data plans
so people will use them

40. then

41. .

42. How the Japanese solve problems

43. 10,000 characters
Mobile PC
Multiple Links
Emoticons
Attachments

44. Telling
Love
From
Hate

45. Knowing what
the weather
will be
without asking

46. On-deck, off-deck, full web search
in one

47. Playing games without having to
download stuff

48. Extending Brand Reach

49. Finding your
way

50. Redeeming coupons and paying
with the same touch

51. Of course,
if your gardens
have no walls

52. and all sorts of people add new
plants to it, all the time

53. then some parts
of it are bound
to be less pretty

54. but not everything that works
great has to look great.

55. 127 million Japanese

56. with all sorts of different problems

57. can make things a bit messy

58. A B A AA B B A BB A B
A B
A B A B
A B A BA
A B
A B A B A B
B A A B
A B
A B
A B A B
A
A
B
B
A BA B A B
A B A B AB
A B
A B
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A B A B
A B
AA A BB A B A B
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A B
A B A B
A B
A B A B
A A BB
A B A B
B A B
A B
A B A B A B A B
A B
A BA B A B B B
A B
A B
A A B A B
A

60. but, generally speaking

61. Simple Easy Appealing
Solutions to Problems

62. (we work the same way)

63. Danke!
billich@infinita.co.jp
www.infinita.co.jp/en
www.slideshare.net/cbillich/slideshows