Think Mobile -- Designing Mobile Interfaces: How to Deliver the Wow!

Sourcebits was one of the lucky companies to strike gold in the app sector thanks to the wow factor of its Knocking Live Video, which enables the sharing of live video via 3G phones, including between the iPhone and Android handsets. The app's list of accomplishments includes: 80,000 downloads on its first day (Dec. 2); more than 1 million users; more than 15,000 new users every day; zero advertising, with all users acquired via word-of-mouth; more than 1 million minutes of live video daily; and remaining in the top 100 apps since its launch date, including the top 10 in social networking (ranging from 3-8). Head of worldwide product development Brian Meehan discussed the wow factor in a panel appropriately titled Designing Mobile Interfaces: How to Deliver the Wow! at mediabistro.com's Think Mobile conference at Comix in New York Thursday afternoon. Meehan on the general strategy at Sourcebits: We try to build a useful application across not just the iPhone, but we look to tie that into your business and across all platforms. You look for one feature that's just a little bit different so that everybody has to tell everybody. Focus on one killer feature, not tons of features. We're relentlessly pursuing the wow. Meehan's other tips on creating apps included utilizing the core functions of the phone and taking advantage of features such as Accelerometer, location services, and multitouch. He also advised avoiding proximity limitations, saying that doing so is "important if you want to connect your app in a social way." Meehan stressed the importance of an intuitive design, advising that keeping the mindset of a 1-2-3 approach delivers the best experience for the user. On the use of social media to promote the app, he added, "When you show someone something, they're instantly compelled to go show their friends. Adding social tools to catapult the app is a quick way to bring your friends into the app." And he mentioned sustainable engagement, saying, "You want to build it so that it builds into their daily use and you can use it in a wide variety of places." On the topic of app stores, Meehan said, "Selecting a category is important in app stores. Having a rich understanding of which category to go into is key. Gaming is very heavy, and everything balances out among the rest." As for the various platforms, he said, "The Android platform is a bit more challenging because there are so many devices coming out for it. I think Windows Mobile may have a good chance with this new phone they're coming out with." Meehan's parting advice: It's not a one-time event. You don't just set up and build this one application if you're looking to drive your business. You have to start out your development pipelines -- where it is today, where it's going tomorrow.

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Think Mobile -- Designing Mobile Interfaces: How to Deliver the Wow!

David Cohen

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