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Former Member

‘The consumer is not a moron. She is your wife’ (David Ogilvy). David Ogilvy is a founder of Ogilvy and Mather, an advertisement agency founded in 1949 and still thriving today. Ogilvy is an icon in the advertising world and often referred to as ‘The Father of Advertising’.  His famous quote ‘The consumer is not a moron’ is widely used even today and is directly applicable when creating great mobile user experiences. Consumers have become extremely picky and their expectations are sky high.

There is an incredible amount of details to consider when designing for mobile.

  • Mobile is touch and gestures, which provide their own set of opportunities and limitations.
  • Screen sizes are tiny! 
  • We use mobile devices not only to see information but to interact with that information too.
  • We should know our user, and we should at least predict where the user is most likely going to use the app: on a bus, at home on a couch, on a bike, in a shower? Usually we are good at this, but sometimes we can be terribly wrong:

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but even the smallest details cannot be ignored. Most of all there is one crucial factor- making sure the user wants to come back to use the app again and again.

WHAT MAKES A USER TO COME BACK?


Simplicity is one of the most important aspects of great UX design. However, achieving simplicity can be a daunting challenge. Mobile design still has to be clever, appealing, shiny, pretty, beautiful and sexy. And it has to be simple. Even if it’s an app for a physicist, a surgeon, or a pilot, it must be clear and easy to use.

Aesthetics. What is aesthetics? Taste? Beauty? I suggest aesthetics is enjoyment, balance and emotional appeal. The word aesthetics comes from Greek aisthetikos meaning “sentient” or “I believe, feel, sense”. When making an app we want immerse our users into it.

Stories are very important too. A good mobile design has to make a good story.  A story must have a beginning, action and epilogue; and one must know whom the story is for. A story has to be consistent, interesting, exciting and enjoyable. 

What happens when you open an app? Do you have to sign up or login? What if signing up takes more than one minute? Most would usually leave, which makes a terrible beginning of an app.


JONES’ STORY


Let’s have a look at the story of the Jones Hypermart concept app. Jones’ is a grocery store loyalty app, which illustrates an end-to-end retail consumer scenario focusing on in-store shopping and payment experience. During a shopping trip the user receives offers at the right place and time.

But, how many of us actually use loyalty programs? A lot of times we forget we are a loyal customer of our local coffee shop, grocery store, garage or a book shop. So how can brands attract more customers to use loyalty programs? A quick answer- make a good story and add value to the customer.

1. Beginning. Instant access allows Jacob to quickly check in in the store. If he hasn’t signed up yet, it is an easy process, which can be finished at any time allowing Jacob to come back later. Of course, he can login with Facebook, Twitter or Google. Easy, simple and fast.

2. Action. The purpose of this app is to create a great in-store shopping experience. The app creates smart lists- list of products the user may want to buy depending on previous purchases.

    

None of us want to wander around the store looking for baking paper. The app creates a map, based on the shopping list, which shows fastest way through the store, saving time.

    

Once Jacob reached the first product, he can either add it to cart, or scan a different one, in case he changed his mind or saw something else nearby. It is quite challenging to have an indoor navigation and a shopping list on the screen of an iPhone. Show map/ Hide map does it quite well. Jacob doesn’t even need to open the list in order to see what he’s already gotten. He can easily see everything he needs on the map. A further advancement to this could be a 3D map or augmented reality view and product finder.

Along the way Jacob receives alerts for different types of offers tailored just for him. We need to make sure he does not receive too many alerts as it may get annoying.  For example, I am sure Jacob would be happy if the app reminded him to buy sauce for pasta he just put into his basket a minute ago. The number of push alerts on the way depends on the number of products on the list.  In this case, Jacob is a fan of Irish products and supports Irish manufactured foods and drinks, and gets a push alert for Irish baby potatoes, which are located just around the corner.

How awkward is it to use a phone in a super market while buying products? I don’t think its ideal, but if it is going to save quite some time, it’s definitely helpful. I don’t think Jacob would find it entertaining to wander around a grocery store trying to find Irish potatoes.  

3. Epilogue of this app is quite simple: how fast can Jacob pay? -In a few seconds. As Jacob is in a rush, he decides to do this over the phone by entering his pin code. Simple and fast!

Even though Jones already shows great user experiences, it is still a concept app, which continues to evolve.

You can watch a video of Jones app on YouTube.

Great user experiences are all about people. By knowing our user we can create enjoyable, meaningful and truly engaging experiences.

‘The consumer isn't a moron; she is your wife. You insult her intelligence if you assume that a mere slogan and a few vapid adjectives will persuade her to buy anything. She wants all the information you can give her.’ (David Ogilvy)

Visit www.sap.com/mobileinnovation and learn how to achieve your business objectives.


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