Mobile service design mythbusters
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The document debunks various myths surrounding mobile service design, emphasizing that the development process can vary significantly in duration and does not always require massive funding or large teams. It suggests that launching a service should be seen as just one stage in a continuous iterative process, and advocates for prioritizing a user-friendly experience over feature richness. Additionally, it highlights the importance of adapting existing ideas and maintaining flexibility in strategy to achieve success in a competitive market.
Mobile service design mythbusters
- 1. Teleforum ry Idean Mobile service design mythbusters Juhani Kivikangas, Kalle Snellman February 2014
- 2. Development process from an idea to a service launch takes at least a year
- 3. Development process from an idea to a service launch takes at least a year Something has gone wrong if you haven’t launched within 6 months • Myth • Naturally the length of development process varies case by case. The fastest projects may take an experienced team just days from idea to a ready service. Complicated projects may take months. But if the project goes on for more than 6 months, you either have an excepNonally complicated project or something has gone wrong.
- 4. Massive funding makes things happen
- 5. Massive funding makes things happen No, it’s not the money, it’s passion and devoNon • Myth • As a rule, developing a mobile service does not require massive staffing or other expensive resources. It is possible to create world-‐class mobile services with very low cost-‐structure. MarkeNng is oSen the first phase that requires larger sums of money. Massive funding too early in the project may distract the focus of the core team and lead to swelling project sizes.
- 6. Before anything else, we need to make a massive market study and a business case
- 7. Before anything else, we need to make a massive market study and a business case Instead, go out and test your idea with a stranger • Myth • Earlier it was too costly to create a mobile service without checking the odds first. Nowadays it would be too expensive and Nme consuming to make a market study first. CreaNng a prototype or even a ready service may take as long as making a market study. Besides, can you ever get more accurate feedback than by selling the actual service to real customers? This does not say that one should not check the market feasibility first (e.g. steps in going internaNonal, tax rules, local requirements for health care apps).
- 8. All success stories are based on unique ideas and innovaNons
- 9. All success stories are based on unique ideas and innovaNons The majority of success stories are based on smart copying • Myth • Firstly, the number of mobile apps in the App Store has exceeded one million and it is increasingly difficult to come up with something totally unique. Secondly, most of today’s famous success stories are copies of some exisNng concepts. The difference is typically that they have solved some of the issues smarter than the original concepts and added new perspecNves the original idea.
- 10. Only a large team can create a successful service
- 11. Only a large team can create a successful service Small and autonomous teams make faster and beer decisions • Myth • Today’s success stories have been designed and developed by groups of 3 to 6 people. These mulNdisciplinary teams combine persons with e.g. interacNon, technological, business, graphic and analyNcal skills. In many cases, a larger team makes it harder to succeed. A larger group is less dynamic, communicaNon is more difficult, larger groups tend to be harder to get inspired, etc.
- 12. Do not launch before the service is 100% ready
- 13. Do not launch before the service is 100% ready Consider launch just as one milestone in a long development process • Myth • Service launch should be seen as one development phase among others. All services need iteraNon aSer the launch, some more and some less. Of course, one should not release anything half-‐baked or unfinished. On the other hand, there is no 100% ready service either. A service should be polished and good quality when released. However, it does not need to incorporate all the possible features. One can test and add these later on.
- 14. The service must be feature-‐rich in order to become successful
- 15. The service must be feature-‐rich in order to become successful No! Instead the service should be best in doing one thing • Myth • Do not try to stuff all the desktop service features into mobile screen. What works in a desktop service does not necessarily work in a mobile. Moreover, a mobile user does not typically have paNence to get acquainted with complicated services. At least one should hide the complexity from the users.
- 16. Striking looks can make a service fly even if the core service idea is not clear
- 17. Striking looks can make a service fly even if the core service idea is not clear Nothing helps if the customer does not get the idea • Myth • What seems to be clear for the father of an idea is not necessarily obvious to others. Therefore make sure that you really provide value to your customer in a simple and intuiNve way. Controversially there are some services that have made a breakthrough although they don’t look nice. However, a perfect combinaNon is great looks combined with great idea.
- 18. The first in the market wins
- 19. The first in the market wins • Myth • The pioneers are hardly ever winners. Unless they learn and adjust conNnuously. Unfortunately the pioneer is oSen either ahead of its Nme or otherwise unable to meet the demand. Typically a second Ner company copies the core idea, modifies it and makes it a success.
- 20. TradiNonal media is useless
- 21. TradiNonal media is useless Do not underesNmate the power of tradiNonal media • Myth • Many hot start-‐ups claim that they have not used a penny on tradiNonal markeNng. This may be true, but many successful services have received a crucial boost from tradiNonal media at some stage of their journey. Take for example Rovio and its Angry Birds brand. How many stories has there been wrien about them in tradiNonal media? Who would dare say that it would not have made a difference?
- 22. Famous mobile services were instant successes
- 23. Famous mobile services were instant successes Instead, surprisingly many companies have abandoned their original strategy • Myth • Did you know what Instagram, Groupon, Flickr or Twier did prior to what has made them famous? LocaNon based social networking, campaign websites, mulNplayer online games and podcast sharing. And they were not very successful in these fields. These companies were able to learn and had courage to turn their business around. That made them winners.
- 24. Users are willing to go the extra mile to learn to use a slightly complicated service
- 25. Users are willing to go the extra mile to learn to use a slightly complicated service Yes, but only if the perceived value is greater than the effort • Myth • As a rule, the probability of dropout in the service use grows the harder the service is to use. The first seconds for a new service are crucial and therefore one can never overemphasize the importance of smooth user experience.
- 26. Another successful company solved the problem like this, we need to do it that way, too
- 27. Another successful company solved the problem like this, we need to do it that way, too Yes, someNmes. But you should always challenge the current soluNon first. • Myth • Before you copy others, ask yourself if this is really the best soluNon in this context? Could there be another soluNon, which would improve the experience and make your service different? Everybody makes mistakes, even the best of us. Therefore improvements can be found even in the best services.
- 28. Hard work replaces luck
- 29. Hard work replaces luck Sorry, but even hard work is not enough alone. Therefore give luck a chance! • Myth • Hard work is elementary for success. However, all of the known success stories seem to have been lucky in a way or another. It may have been Nming, unexpected publicity, or something else. Trying hard without giving up gives you a beer chance to be lucky.
- 30. Great design work is too expensive
- 31. Great design work is too expensive No, quite the opposite. Cheap and sloppy design is more expensive. • Myth • Fixing a sloppy design aSerwards is difficult and expensive. Not to menNon all the lost customers due to bad customer experience. One does not get a chance to make a first impression twice. Therefore one should avoid failures by doing things carefully right at the first try.
- 32. Myths In Mobile Service Design 1 2 Development process from an idea to ready service takes at least a year Massive funding makes things happen 3 Before anything else, we need to make a massive market study and a business case 4 All success stories are based on unique ideas and innovaNons 5 Only a large team can create a successful service 6 Do not launch before the service is 100% ready 7 The service must be feature-‐rich in order to become successful 8 A striking looks can make a service fly even if the core service idea is not clear 9 The first in the market wins 10 TradiNonal media is useless 11 Famous mobile services were instant successes 12 Users are willing to go the extra mile to learn to use a slightly complicated service 13 Another successful company solved the problem like this, we need to do it that way, too 14 Hard work replaces luck 15 Great design work is too expensive
- 33. Ideas that could never fly! Who would be stupid enough to try something like this? Downgrade your top-‐quality mulN-‐megapixel photo to look like it has been taken in the 70s Rent your apartment to a stranger and compete with hotel accommodaNon Earn virtual badges by recording where you are Send others pictures that will show only once Order your taxi with a mobile app and pay extra for the ride Tell your friends + some half-‐strangers that you ate omelet for breakfast. And assume they would actually be interested. Destroy pigs with birds by using a slingshot
- 34. Ooops… Ideas that could never fly! Who would be stupid enough to try something like this? Downgrade your top-‐quality mulN-‐megapixel photo to look like it has been taken in the 70s Rent your apartment to a stranger and compete with hotel accommodaNon Earn virtual badges by recording where you are Send others pictures that will show only once Order your taxi with a mobile app and pay extra for the ride Tell your friends + some half-‐strangers that you ate omelet for breakfast. And assume they would actually be interested. Destroy pigs with birds by using a slingshot Instagram Airbnb Foursquare Snapchat Uber Facebook Rovio
- 35. About the presentaNon The purpose of this presentaNon is to provide best pracNces to mobile service development. The statements are based on industry expert interviews which are then modified in four workshops. The interviews were conducted between November 2013 and January 2014. The workshops were arranged in January 2014. One of the first project findings was that there is no “one size fits all” model for developing mobile services. Therefore a mobile service designer should always think how the given advice fit and apply to the viewed service. Interviewed industry experts: Ilkka Paananen, CEO, Supercell Jonas Rundberg, Head of Development, King Lars Jörnow, VP of Growth, King Jarkko Paalanen, Business Development Director, FingersoS Tero Kuitnen, VP, Sales & MarkeNng, Alekstra Aruri Tarjanne, General Partner at Nexit Ventures Will Cardwell, Senior Lecturer at Aalto University Lassi Kurkijärvi, Director InnovaNon Lab, Sanoma Digital Timo Lappi, Legal Entrepreneur and Angel, Fondia Oy, Helt, Boardman Oy Jussi LysNmäki, CEO, Schibsted Classified Media, Finland Jouni Hytönen, Producer, Fonecta Oy Osmo Hautanen, CEO, Magnolia Inc. Ben Kaufman, CEO and Founder, Quirky Phil Mueller, VP Customer Success, Moovweb Peter Nordberg, Entrepreneur, ExecuNve, Analyst Greg Franklin, Principal, Intellect Partners -‐ Telecom Venture Catalyst Benjamin Keyser, Head of TU Consumer CommunicaNons Products, Telefonica Digital Daniel Newmark, Senior Partner at Aprimo-‐Teradata, former Private Angel Investor Miia Wren, VP, Idean Mikko-‐Pekka Hanski, Co-‐Founder, Idean Roope Kärki, Designer, Idean
- 36. Other contributors Cross-‐industry steering group Pekka Sivonen, Appcampus Janne Aaltonen, Hyksin Ltd Peter Klenberg, Tuko LogisNcts Oy Ismo Kosonen Ministry of Transport and CommunicaNons Vesa Kurki, FMI Ilkka Lehto, Teleforum ry ChrisNan Lindholm, Koru Henry Nieminen, CGI Mika Okkola, MicrosoS Ville Peltola, IBM Mikael Stendahl, Nokia Kari Systa, Tampere University of Technology Mikko Terho, Huawei Jukka Viitasaari, Teknologiateollisuus ry Inka Vilpola, Wärtsila Tiina Zilliacus, Gajatri Studios Oy
- 37. Kiitos, tack, Thank You Contact Teleforum Ry Idean Enterprises Oy Juhani Kivikangas -‐ CEO Kalle Snellman -‐ Senior Strategist Juhani.kivikangas@teleforum-‐ry.fi +358 40-‐556 1228 Kalle.snellman@idean.com +358 40-‐731 5774