Small is beautiful even in the world of apps – where less is definitely more.
In a world where there are literally thousands of apps available to the visitor of the app stores – standing out from the crowd is becoming more and more difficult. It’s tough being a mobile app developer given the competitive nature of the business and the proliferation of apps that are emerging from darkened rooms. Already there are many very good apps languishing in the stores where few are finding them. Some of the latest renditions seem to be missing the point – as developers overload them with features that actually make them less appealing to the user.
Surely one of the big reasons that apps have become so popular is their simplicity of having very focused objectives. Users have come to expect an app that is designed to perform a particular task, in a singularly competent and efficient manner. The developers of these apps have spent a lot of time defining what it means to deliver a good experience performing a specific task, and making that the primary focus of the development effort and the user experience.
The very best apps stand out as they focus upon performing a task simply and easily, without putting a lot of features or options in the way. As the old Ronseal advert used to say “It does what it says on the tin!” Load the app, and you can instantly accomplish the task at hand with ease with no distractions, no noise, no complicated navigation, no excess information. It just does what it is primarily designed to do. These apps are not designed to have the same multi-functional range of uses that traditional desktop software has provided – they are focused tools that are dedicated to performing one or two specific functions.
As developers struggle to get their App recognised from the crowd at the App store – they are beginning to lose their way. Some developers are moving away from a focused approach. Apps that I have used and loved are gradually losing their childhood simplicity and are turning into rather complicated teenagers as multiple features are added by the developers. Instead of making the app better at performing the primary function, they add new capability just in case the user might find it beneficial. The net effect being that, gradually, the app loses its original simplicity and usability that drew us to download the application in the first place leading users, in many cases, to simply give up.
Perhaps one of the reasons for the confusion is the Power User. One the one hand, simple apps are just what the iPad, tablet and smartphone users are looking for. However the lack of features hamper productivity for power users making them switch to a netbook/pc for full software functionality. Should power users expect their apps to perform the same functions on their mobile/smart devices ? Are they ruining the joy of the simple focused tools? If you want powerful functionality use the right tool for the job.
I am not saying that adding features to tablet/smart device apps is a bad thing, as it brings them closer to netbooks for features, functionality and productivity. The challenge I think is doing it in a way that seamlessly integrates with the ‘touch’ user interface, making it both usable as well as functional. That’s one advantage suite software offers on the PC – multiple tools that work together and have a homogenized look.
The app market is still in its infancy – apps are still frustrating, either because of a lack of, or an overabundance of features. Here’s hoping they find a happy middle ground of focus and functionality.
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