The App is Dead - Or, How to Think about the Future of Apps1. © 2015 The App Business
The App Is Dead
Or, How to Think About the Future of Apps.
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2. © 2015 The App Business
Remember these?
Here are some examples of the early apps
we were using - way back in 2008.
3. © 2015 The App Business
Today, apps are very different.
They are reshaping industries, and our behaviour.
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Apps don’t exist in isolation anymore. They
spread tentacles far and wide - into new
devices and new places in our lives.
As devices proliferate, the number of
places you can interact with a single
app increases.
Apps are being unbundled
across devices.
[ TABLETS ]
[ WEARABLES ]
[ DESKTOPS ][ SMARTPHONES ]
[ CARS ]
[ TV ]
[ APP ]
5. © 2015 The App Business
Apps are also spreading their tentacles
within devices, beyond the app itself.
People are interacting with apps through
notifications, glances, voice controlled
personal assistants, widgets and chat.
Together this means more users, with
more devices - interacting with content
in an increasing number of ways.
Apps are also being
unbundled within devices.
[ SMARTPHONES ]
[ WEARABLES ]
[ TABLETS ]
[ DESKTOPS ]
[ CARS ]
[ TV ]
[ APP ]
NOTIFICATION
ASSISTANT (SIRI/NOW)
WIDGET
APP SCREEN
6. © 2015 The App Business
We now want answers pushed to us in convenient, digestible
forms. And what was once ‘cool’ and useful - like a push
notification - is now annoying unless it is contextual, relevant
and right on time.
In some cases, better still is not interacting with an app at all:
if an app can tell your central heating it’s time to switch on…
well, it should just do it.
We spend less time in apps asking
questions, and more time with
answers proactively pushed to us.
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This means that mobile is now an expectation.
Not a device.
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As a result, the way we define an
app is evolving really fast.
An app used to be an icon on a screen that you tapped to
do something. Simple. But today, users start on one
device and finish on another.
It’s much more complex to design for all these different
inputs, outputs, surfaces…not to mention the blurry
boundaries between devices.
9. © 2015 The App Business
“I installed an app
on my smartphone .”
And everything about this
statement* is changing.
* This is from Benedict Evans - one of our favourite
analysts here at The App Business. Check out his great
deck here: http://bit.ly/1U8uEpu
10. © 2015 The App Business
“I installed an app
on my smartphone .”
App streaming | Extensions
APIs | Deep linking
Glances | Cards | Messages | Widgets |
Notifications | Personal assistant (Siri/Now)
Tablet | TV | Wearable |
Car | Home
* This is from Benedict Evans - one of our favourite
analysts here at The App Business. Check out his great
deck here: http://bit.ly/1U8uEpu
And everything about this
statement* is changing.
11. © 2015 The App Business
So think about ecosystems, not screens.
Think about what your users are trying to achieve in the context they’re in.
At The App Business, we design ecosystems of interactions that achieve
outcomes for customers and business.
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It’s time, too, to rethink how
we measure an app’s success.
Success should be measured in how well you’re helping
your customer or user achieve their desired outcomes.
For example it’s no longer about the time you spend ‘in-
app’. The real value of apps is about the time saved.
Some of the very best apps may never get opened -
whether that’s because you interact with just the widget
or a glance; or because the app preempts your needs and
serves you information without you needing to ask.
13. © 2015 The App Business
Getting started
If you manage an app, or are in the process of creating one,
it is vital to understand that today - and in the future - you
cannot afford to shortcut the need to develop a deep
understanding of the role your apps or services play in
users’ lives.
However, it’s also important to remind yourself that no-one
nails the ‘perfect’ product, let alone an ecosystem of
products, first-time. In part, that’s because people are
simply too unpredictable, and they use stuff in ways you
can’t anticipate.
At The App Business, we believe in agile, iterative
experimentation. To generate the best insights, and create
the best products and services, it’s important to get
building, and get testing with real users as early as possible.
14. © 2015 The App Business
Got big plans with mobile?
—
enquiries@theappbusiness.com
+44 203 657 9785
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