[Presented April 2012 at UX Masterclass in South Africa]
Cold logic makes a hard case for opting for mobile web apps over native ones. If you can build it in HTML, CSS, and javascript, then do, right? Except for the pesky little detail called the real world, where marketers demand apps, boardrooms pay for apps, and even worse, users seem to prefer them. Or do they?
In this talk, Brian will try to reframe the web vs native vs hybrid debate into a conversation about what your customers really need, and what they’ll actually use. The technology you choose for your mobile approach is of strategic importance, but you need to be thinking about much more than just technology.
9. “ Native apps are a
remnant of the Jurassic
period of computer
history, a local maximum
that is holding us back.
The combination of a
discovery service and just-
in-time interaction is a
powerful interaction model
that native apps can’t begin
to offer.”
10. Gilt CEO told
him customers
are moving
from web to the
app because
it’s “faster,
simpler, more
immersive”
It’s all about the “App Internet”
12. Be wary -- this stuff changes fast
2011:
“Platforms are risky places to put your
business...If you can do it with the
Web -- do it with the Web. It’s
faster, cheaper, and easier.”
Web app masters tour, 2011: http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?1281
2010:
“(Website owners interested in developing an
iPhone app might start by developing an iPhone-
targeted website, where most of this book’s
design principles also apply.)”
13. Source:
http://url.ie/evp2
%
And let’s not ignore the bigger context here
of mobile phone users in the world use
their phone for SMS. SMS is the
primary use for mobile phone users
around the world.
85
14. time it takes for the average
SMS to be read after it’s sent
time it takes for the average
email to be read after it’s sent
4
Source:
http://url.ie/f18t
hours
48 minutes
15. Coke’s 70:20:10 rule for mobile:
• 70% to SMS and MMS
• 20% mobile internet
• 10% mobile apps
25. “We could probably save 70% of our
development budget by switching to a single,
cross-platform client
Phil Lebin, CEO
http://url.ie/a1xl
supports 5 native mobile platforms
“...all of these users on all these devices using Facebook mobile in the wide
rainbow of lovely different experiences across Android, iPhone, Windows, the
Web. That was great from a user perspective. What sucks? The
environment for my developers, essentially. You have the bad old days.
You have four different platforms to build for something essentially. You want to
build for all of those groups? You are going to have to build the sucker four
times.
Dave Fetterman,
Engineering Manager
http://url.ie/dj68
supports 4 native mobile platforms
26. Defining “native” vs. “mobile web”
Objective C HTML, CSS, JS
C ++
Java
works best on webkit browsers
30. Native isn’t always better
Native app only Both Web app only
Gyroscope and
Accelerometer
Accessing filesystems
(e.g. address book,
photos)
Fully-immersive
experience (e.g.
gaming)
Support in-app
purchases
(Apple takes 30% cut)
Camera
Smoother and more
responsive
Store data offline
Access GPS
Have app-like UI and
transitions
Accessible as app
from home screen
Much easier to test,
prototype, and rollout
Can update
immediately (no app
store approval),
customers don’t have
to update the app
HTML 5 is continually
adding hardware
capabilities
35. 1. Your app needs to use the hardware
So let’s look at these criteria a little closer
36. Native app only Both Web app only
Gyroscope and
Accelerometer
Accessing filesystems
(e.g. address book,
photos)
Fully-immersive
experience (e.g.
gaming)
Support in-app
purchases
(Apple takes 30% cut)
Camera
Smoother and more
responsive
Store data offline
Access GPS
Have app-like UI and
transitions
Accessible as app
from home screen
??Findability??
Much easier to test,
prototype, and rollout
Can update
immediately (no app
store approval),
customers don’t have
to update the app
Can link to the app
(e.g. SMS with link to
your bill)
HTML 5 is continually
adding hardware
capabilities
63. “The Web app and
native experiences
are very similar. We
had set out to mimic
the native app and
make the transition to
the Web app
seamless. Although
it was tricky to
achieve precisely
the same quality
(e.g., access to
apis), we quickly got
very close (say,
80-90% the same
user experience). We
have since stopped
development of the
native app and are
aggressively
developing the
HTML5 version.”
http://url.ie/ew19
You can actually do a lot of this with HTML5
64. But to (nearly) replicate the UI, you’re basically writing
code totally tailored to one device. It’s like a native
app, it’s just a different language.
And the experience will never be quite as good.
82. To download is not to keep, or use
iOS and Android users
83. The disposable app culture:
Download it,
use it once,
forget about it,
bin it
84. Why isn’t there a parallel debate
about whether to build for the
Mac App store or the desktop browser?
87. Why isn’t there a parallel debate
about whether to build for the
Mac App store or the desktop browser?
Our app culture isn’t all that logical.
(What culture is?)
88. You need to be brave to tell your boss
that our customers won’t be able to
download our app from the app store.
89. Will we see our app culture disappear?
Brent Simmons - creator of NetNewsWire
http://url.ie/f35r
93. So....
There are loads of reasons to go with the web
• Cost/effort
• Reach
• Links
• Complete control
94. But..
There are good reasons to go native:
• When you have to use the hardware
• When UX needs to be a differentiator
• When you won’t get found unless you’re in the app store
• (Many of us) live in app culture, albeit a disposable one