There is something more to write about why this new medium is so different, and offers up fantastic opportunities for designers. Apple themselves have acknowledged this in their presentations, saying that creating great apps is 60% design. And this isn’t just some truism – the iphone, and to some extent android phone apps are making waves because of the new qualities they bring to the digital sphere.
Touch, high resolution and mobile internet. These are the game changers. The way I interact with my iPhone is different in many ways to the web.
• My attention is focussed. I don’t (unlike the web experience) have multiple windows open, and I dont filick between different bit of content
• I interact directly: The touch interface means that my engagement is literally more direct. It is more akin to print.
• The screen is high resolution which enables me to discern fine detail, and get a richer experience
• it is possible to regularly get updated content, and therefore possigble to design great displays of content changing over time
• I can quickly access content easily on the move
• There is integration of communication tools: phone, email, twitter, maps etc – which enhance the user experience if used appropriately and with care
• if it is a pleasurable experience I will do it more often….. my phone is always with me…
So, i think these points all lead to the need for apps which have good attention paid to detail, where there are pleasant surprises for the user and in which the buttons and other UI elements help me find the content quickly and in as way that makes sense and at eh same time delights me (the user).
Of course there are novelty apps, which are downloaded by the gazzillion, and used once or twice…. but what interests me are opportunities to devise and design apps which are compelling and a great experience for the user, and a pleasure to design along the way.
These are thoughts I will expand on in future… I’m not pretending that much of this is particularly original, but some lessons need to be learned time and again.