Five ways where I think people go wrong when creating an app.

1. IBM Research – Industries & Solutions – Business Solutions & Mathematical Sciences
5 mistakes to avoid when
creating a mobile app
Dr. Bob Sutor
VP, Mobile, Solutions & Mathematical Sciences

2. IBM Research – Industries & Solutions – Business Solutions & Mathematical Sciences
Some experience
 Over the last several years, I’ve been deeply involved with IBM’s Mobile efforts
and now lead that technology area in IBM Research.
 In the last year we’ve held several hackathons and other events to get more
and more people knowledgeable about how to create mobile apps.
 So with this experience and recent partnership engagements, let me offer five
ways where I think people go wrong when creating an app.
© 2014 International Business Machines Corporation 2

3. IBM Research – Industries & Solutions – Business Solutions & Mathematical Sciences
1. You don’t know who your user is or you are targeting too
many kinds of users.
 Mobile apps do not need to be all things to all people: you are allowed to
create multiple apps that are fine-tuned to each user role.
 If a user asks “Why is this function here? It doesn’t apply to me.” you haven’t
designed your app well.
 Different apps can use the same backend data but use it differently.
© 2014 International Business Machines Corporation 3

4. IBM Research – Industries & Solutions – Business Solutions & Mathematical Sciences
2. You are not targeting one or two major functions or
pain points.
 Classic desktop and enterprise software have hundreds of features, but this
does not work well in the form factors, user interfaces, and interaction patterns
of mobile devices.
 Focus on one main task for your app that solves some specific problem or
provides some great feature.
 As that gets refined and gains acceptance, you can add a small amount of
new functionality as long as it does not detract from the main mission of the
app.
© 2014 International Business Machines Corporation 4

5. IBM Research – Industries & Solutions – Business Solutions & Mathematical Sciences
3. Mobile is not essential to your solution.
 Mobile devices are portable and have connectivity while you are away from
wifi.
 While it may be nice to have a mobile version of a desktop or browser app, are
you really taking advantage of the device’s features?
 Have you rethought the processes involved in accomplishing a task?
 While I would (and have) applied for a mortgage through a desktop browser,
there is no way I would want to use the same process on a mobile device.
 Can your app offer significant usability improvements so that no one would
want to use the non-mobile version?
© 2014 International Business Machines Corporation 5

6. IBM Research – Industries & Solutions – Business Solutions & Mathematical Sciences
4. Mobile is an afterthought.
 In this case, you have a really great idea for some system, undoubtedly doing
amazing analytics with really important data.
 At the end of describing what you have, probably for an hour, you then say
“and we’ll deliver it on a mobile device.”
 This makes you buzzword-compliant but not much more when it comes to
creating a great app.
© 2014 International Business Machines Corporation 6

7. IBM Research – Industries & Solutions – Business Solutions & Mathematical Sciences
5. Your app is not awesome.
 You know when something is awesome and when it is not.
 If you start using an app and can’t wait to use it again, it is awesome. If you
want to use it when you first wake up in the morning, it is awesome. If it
becomes essential in your business or personal life, it is awesome. If you
check it a dozen times a day, it might be awesome.
 If you use it once and forget you have it, it is not awesome.
 Use design thinking and get a good designer to help you.
 Practice lean principles to ensure that it gives people enough of what they
really want or need.
© 2014 International Business Machines Corporation 7