We all strive to be better human beings. We want an attractive body, a meaningful life, and to become more intelligent about the things that count. And the more connected we become to our mobile products, the more we expect from them. Mobile products are essentially an extension of ourselves.
We invited mobile guru and Silicon Valley veteran SC Moatti to teach us the “human-first” principles that are the foundation for mobile design success. Watch SC’s full talk below, or read on for our short recap.
Differentiating the consumer journey for mobile products
SC’s first example of a consumer journey came from her time at Trulia. Their average user would have already made the decision that they need to move or rent a new place before turning to Trulia. So those users are potentially dealing with a lot of anxiety as they’re thinking about finances, logistics, and time. Trulia’s goal—and the goal of every product manager or product designer—was to get the user to a place of success. In this case, success meant finding a place to rent.
“What makes the best mobile product is also what makes our best self.”
When considering this and other consumer journeys, SC asked us to consider what’s unique to mobile that no other platform has.
There are 2 answers. The first is that mobile is linked to a user’s real identity, since mobile devices are personal to each user. SC describes this as a cultural transformation rather than a technology change. Mobile is a technology that’s with users at any point in time. Mobile products can know who users really are rather than only knowing them as an avatar or persona.
The second answer: Mobile products can also be completely contextual—they can understand a user’s environment or mood. Mobile products allow for the ability to personalize to a degree that was previously unimaginable, and measure in context.
More from SC Moatti: 3 ways to be just pushy enough on mobile
So how can you design mobile products that work in this new paradigm of real identity and contextuality? Since mobile is so tied to the person, SC postulates that what makes the best mobile product is also what makes our best self.
SC applies the mind/body/spirit framework to mobile design principles:
- Mind: learning. The best mobile products learn as we use them.
- Spirit: meaning. The best mobile products give users meaning.
- Body: beauty. The best mobile products operate by beauty.
To hear SC dive deeper into how to align the principles of mind/body/spirit to your mobile products, watch the video above!
Margaret Kelsey leads content marketing at Appcues. Before Appcues, she built content programs for InVision’s design community for 3.5 years and has roots in painting and PR. She’s a big fan of puns, Blackbird Donuts, and Oxford commas—probably in that order.
