Designing Multi-Device Experiences

I have just finished reading Designing Multi Device experiences by Michal Levin (O’Reilly), which I believe should be a mandatory read for every Digital Product Designer. The book gives an elegant design framework coined as 3C for making applications for a multi-device world, one where Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming a reality. Before we dive in, let’s look at this info-graph from Google, which provides a window into this multi-screen world:

Perhaps you are convinced that you need a multi-device design strategy. How do you go about it? That's where 3C framework comes handy.

3C stands for Consistent, Continuous, and Complementary

Consistent Design: The core features of the app are replicated across all the devices. Usually there are adjustments made to the layout and user elements to account for the screen size (form factor), though it can also involve the Information Architecture.

Example: Google Maps, Mashable

Designer Responsibility: To think about what core experiences should be portable across all the devices, and what features should be customized for individual device type.

Continuous Design: This addresses the situation where the user can start a task on one device, and carry it on to another. Tasks can be Single Activity Flow or Sequential Activity Flow. Single Activity is where the user completes the same task across multiple devices. Sequential Activity is multiple tasks are executed on separate devices to meet the overall goal.

Example: Single Activity: Reading a book on Kindle tablet and continue listening to it on Audible.com on smartphone. Sequential Activity: Registering for an event through Eventbrite on laptop, using the mobile app to find direction to the venue, and browsing for the programmes on tablet, while at the event.

Designer Responsibility: To divide the consumer experience into granular tasks, mapping out which task is best suited for which device, and implementing accordingly.

Complementary Design: Scenario where two or more devices complement each other in completing the user activity. It can be of two types: Collaboration and Control. Collaborating devices play equal role in providing user experience, whereas in Control mode one device controls one or more other devices.

Example: Collaboration: Scrabble game where tablet is used as game board and smartphone hold the tiles. Control: Smartphone that serves as a remote control for the TV.

Designer Responsibility: To develop a framework where devices are used in complementary way to enhance the user experience, with each device being sensitive to the context (time of the day, presence of other device etc.) in which it is used.

The elegance of 3C framework is that it readily extends to the IoT age where everyday devices such as fridge, microwave, thermostat will be connected to the Internet. The designer can use the above approaches (individually or combined) to provide a seamless consumer experience across multiple devices. Having said that, the key challenge to make devices talk to one another would be to agree on common standards, which can take years (if not decades) to materialize. The problem is compounded by the fact that companies are opting for walled ecosystem approach: Apple, Google, and Microsoft.

The author also highlights the fact that the “there is an app for that” approach would not be sustainable in the IoT age. We already are getting overwhelmed with those icons on our phone screen; just imagine the problem when you have hundreds of machines connected to the ecosystem and there is an app for each of them, and multiple variations of those apps for multiple user devices! She proposes an approach called One Ecosystem Heart, where a single fluid entity is running across all the devices, one that adapts itself to the different contextual needs placed on the devices by users, Once the heart is up and beating on one device, it pumps the blood through all the relevant ecosystem vessels. Beautiful, isn’t it?

French fashion retailer launches 10,000 boutiques overnight

No, these are not physical stores. French clothing retailer Comptoir des Cotonniers (CDC) does not have the resources of a Walmart, but has relied on technological innovation to create virtual stores all over Paris, Toulouse and Marseille. The products will be displayed in the form of posters on Bus shelters, Cars, Café tables, magazines, and virtually anywhere where they can stick them. These posters have a QR code, which can be scanned by smartphones, and goods be purchased within a few seconds, on the move.  

Retail industry is emerging as a hotspot for mobile innovation, especially in the field of mobile payments. Retailers are using technologies such as QR code, Beacon and NFC to capitalize on impulse buying habits of shoppers. According to Digital Journal, More than 139.5 million Europeans now regularly shop via mobile phone, with 42 per cent of these saying that they regularly buy 'on impulse', compared to just 25 per cent of non-mobile adopters. Clothing tops mobile shoppers’ list, which makes this move from CDC a no-brainer.

So how does these QR codes work?

The QR codes store product information in an encoded format, which can only be read by designated applications. Customers would have to download CDC app from app store and register their details (such as payment, billing address, and shipping address etc.) with the app, only once.   After this, they can scan any of these QR codes, confirm the amount they are paying, and complete the purchase process in couple of screen taps.

Compared to traditional online shopping where customers have to painstakingly fill up numerous details, and more often than not they end up abandoning their shopping cart, mobile payment technologies (like QR code) are enabling retailers to offer a vastly superior customer experience. 

But, will this work?

Personally, I prefer to try out clothes in stores before buying, and would not be comfortable buying them on the move, which I believe might be true for majority of customers. If it were something like a book, I would not shy away from taking out my smartphone and scanning that QR code, but for  clothes, maybe not. It will be interesting to see how it plays out for Comptoir des Cotonniers. 

4Ds of Marketing

For a long time, we have talked about Marketing in terms of 4Ps emphasized by the marketing guru Philip Kotler. Essentially the 4Ps represent all the aspects that need to be covered when planning a marketing campaign. The 4Ps represent Price, Product (Brand Positioning), Promotion (Advertisements), and Place (Channels to sell the product). This concept has served the marketers well for many years, but is rooted in times when Digital Marketing was non-existent.

Over the last couple of years, Digital Marketing has evolved as a mainstream practice for Marketers everywhere, and it is prudent that we re-define the 4Ps framework to reflect this reality. That’s the reason I have created 4Ds framework where Ds represent Digital, Data, Degrees, Dialogic. Before you ignore it as another gimmick, give me another few minutes to explain how this framework can actually help us think about Marketing in current times.

4Ds of Marketing

Digital: No matter which sector they belong, it has become virtually mandatory for companies to maintain a digital presence in terms of Facebook page or Twitter account. But it doesn’t stop there, and since majority of consumers are using mobile devices, companies need to provide an online shopping experience. This experience should consider multiple aspects such as:

1. Device the customer is using (smartphones, tablets, Glass)

2. Logging to the website and searching for a product

3. The payment methods available to buy the goods

Data: The most important benefit companies have got due to the digital revolution is that they have access to large swathes of data, which was impossible to collect in pre-digital age. Companies can (some such as Amazon are already doing) mine this treasure of data to gain valuable insights into buying habits of its customers. Powered with this insight, companies have the opportunity to cross-sell and up-sell. Predictive technologies such as Big data have become accessible even to small companies, with the reducing cost of storing data and tools like Hadoop. 

Degrees: It reflects how connected the company is with its customers on social media. Customers who are fans and followers of company on social media subsequently shop more, and even act as brand champions. Companies can create exciting content in terms of videos and images to increase the engagement, and rum smart campaigns to create awareness at a low cost. Companies such as Coca-Cola have a content strategy, which determines what sort of content should be published on its social media. See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1P3r2EsAos

Dialogic: Whereas a Dialectic conversation aims to arrive at a common conclusion, a Dialogic conversation doesn’t strive for a common ground. In simplest words, it refers to two-way communication between brands and the consumers. There is no effort from the company to impose a specific image of the brand on the mind of its customers, but relies on consumers to shape it. It might seem counterintuitive, but in the age of digital media, companies can rely on digital channels to listen to their customers, and evolve into a brand as the customer see it. Red bull has used this strategy to create a huge loyal customer base. Other companies too can adopt this style of communication and foster loyalty among its customers.

Can Amazon beat Walmart in the Retail Game?

The e-commerce market where companies such as Amazon, eBay and Alibaba operate is just 8% of the total retail market. The retail is still dominated by brick & mortar players such as Walmart, Target, Carrefour and Tesco.

After seeing this chart, you shouldn’t be surprised when you see headlines such as:

Alibaba to Spend $692 Million to Partner With Intime Retail 

 Jeff Bezos: We would love to open Amazon retail stores

  

Walmart Brings Bricks and Mortar to Battle with Amazon

Ecommerce players are trying to enter traditional retail, and at the same time retailers such as Walmart and Target are improving their e-commerce experience.  Even though total retail spending is increasing globally year on year, the share of ecommerce is growing at a higher rate (11%), and traditional retailers cannot ignore it anymore.

Let’s look at some of the key retail attributes and how e-commerce players are pitted against the retailers:

From the table above, it seems that the game is even with both sides having certain advantages and disadvantages. The fact is that these companies are constantly innovating to get an edge over others. For e.g. Amazon’s recent move to establish a dedicated area in the P&G warehouse to supply consumer products has not gone well with physical retailers: P&G's Pact With Amazon Angers Target. On the other hand Walmart is copying Amazon to offer service like Click & Collect to its customers, who are not comfortable sharing their card details online. Outsiders may see this as battle for supremacy, but it is a good example of how competitive moves from either of players are leading the retail industry towards optimization, and a better customer experience.  

It is early to predict who will be the winner in this war between bits and bricks. Growing penetration of mobile devices and changing buying behaviour of young generation may have tilted the balance towards e-commerce players, but they can’t provide the human need to experience things before buying it, especially when buying an expensive item.