The document summarizes trends in mobile device use and content. It discusses how mobile applications have enabled storytelling, wayfinding, and access to life content, similar to ancient petroglyphs and the printing press. The document outlines growth in mobile devices and decline of desktop use, and provides examples of mobile applications in San Francisco and London that make government services more accessible and democratic by opening public data. It suggests ideas for mobile applications in Minnesota related to snow emergencies, natural gas lines, and remote home control.

1. Our Mobile World
Kristofer Layon, web & app designer
APWA Minnesota Chapter
Spring Conference
May 13, 2011

2. Preview
1. A bit about me and my work
2. Pre-mobile communications
3. Trends in mobile device use
4. Trends in mobile content
5. Ideas and discussion

5. ArtAlphabet
Aesthete Software, LLC
2009

6. OrthoAnatomy
Aesthete Software, LLC
2010

9. Pre-Mobile
?

10. Moab, Utah
www.wikipedia.org

11. Gobustan, Azerbaijan
www.wikipedia.org

12. What are they?
• Petros = stone
• Glyphein = carve
• 12,000-15,000 years old

13. Why were they made?
• storytelling
• wayfinding
• life content

14. Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg
1441
d.umn.edu

15. Religious Reformer (and Mobile App Designer)
Martin Luther
1483-1546
www.wikipedia.org

16. Martin Luther
• content more democratic
through translation and
increased access
• made life content mobile

17. Supercomputers
Control Data; Cray Research; NASA
1960s
www.wikipedia.org

18. Apple I
Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs
1976
www.computerhistory.org

19. Apple II
Apple Computer, Inc.
1977
www.wikipedia.org

20. Macintosh
Apple Computer, Inc.
1984
www.wikipedia.org

21. Newton
Apple Computer, Inc.
1993
www.wikipedia.org

22. iTunes
Apple Computer, Inc.
2001
www.apple.com

23. iPod
Apple Computer, Inc.
2001
www.wikipedia.org

24. iPhone
Apple, Inc.
2007
www.apple.com

25. iPad
Apple, Inc.
2010
www.apple.com

26. www.apple.com

27. Mobile applications
• storytelling
• wayfinding
• life content

42. Growth of mobile
• 10 billion devices
• Number of people in the world:
6.9 billion (estimated)
Source: Luke Wroblewski, MinneWebCon, April 2011

43. Growth of mobile
• Amazon: $1 billion in 1 year
• eBay: mobile sales up from $600
million to $2 billion last year
• PayPal: mobile transactions up
from $25 to $141 million (6x!)
Source: Luke Wroblewski, MinneWebCon, April 2011

44. Growth of mobile
• Google: mobile searches grew
130% in Q3 2010
• Pandora: 50% of users subscribe
and use on mobile
• Email: 70% of smartphone users
access email on mobile device
Source: Luke Wroblewski, MinneWebCon, April 2011

45. Growth of mobile
• Google Maps: more than 100
million miles of driving directions
per day
Source: Marissa Meyer, SXSW, March 2011

46. Decline of desktop
• Home use of personal computers
down 20% since 2008
• Desktop-based Gmail usage
down 7%
• Facebook: mobile users twice as
active ad desktop users
Source: Luke Wroblewski, MinneWebCon, April 2011

47. Mobile San Francisco

48. Mobile San Francisco
• Track a bus or train
• Pay a parking ticket
• Report potholes, trash, graffiti
• City opened up its data to third-
party app developers
Source: Time Magazine, Dec. 21, 2010

49. Advantages
• Easier to measure effectiveness
• Helps people feel more connected
to local government and services
• Crowdsourcing: more ideas from
more people
• Less expensive!
Source: Time Magazine, Dec. 21, 2010

50. Advantages
More democratic
Source: Time Magazine, Dec. 21, 2010

51. Mobile London

52. Mobile London
• Opened the London Datastore to
the public and private sectors
• Greater London Authority gets
agencies to submit their data
• Report potholes; track trains
• Opened up data to third-party app
developers
Source: Time Magazine, Jan. 6, 2011

53. Advantages
• Easier to measure effectiveness
• Helps people feel more connected
to the organization and services
• Crowdsourcing: more ideas from
more people (more democratic)
• Focus on life content
Source: Time Magazine, Dec. 21, 2010

56. Mobile Minnesota
1. Snow emergencies

57. Lehigh Valley Express-Times

58. Mobile Minnesota

59. Mobile Minnesota
QR code

60. Mobile Minnesota
2. Natural gas lines

61. Minnesota Public Radio News

62. Mobile Minnesota
3. Remote control of the home

63. Minnesota Public Radio News

64. MOST IMPORTANT SLIDE

65. z.umn.edu/klayon
Twitter: @klayon