David-Michel Davies, the Executive Director of the Webby Awards and the co-founder of Internet Week New York, has some tips 
for creating the most effective apps. The Webby Awards, hailed by the NY Times as the “Internet’s highest honor”, celebrates the best of the web – websites, advertising, and mobile/apps.
In Webby Awards’ 16 years honoring the best of the Internet, they’ve seen few developments with as profound an impact on advertising and branding as apps and the mobile web. Apps, as well as breaking trends like augmented reality, are changing the way consumers interact with brands in sweeping ways. Part of the point of having a mobile device is the ability to stay connected when you’re on the go. But cell phone service isn’t perfect, and users still want to view content even when they’re offline.
Here are some tips for building a better app:
- Content is key – Keep your content mostly consistent with your web version but also create new mobile-exclusive content, for instance branded content (see: Oakley Surf, Kraft recipes) Offering mobile-exclusive content that will invite users to continue engaging and returning to your app.
- Structure and Navigation – Make sure the navigation is efficient. It is important to have fewer clicks to complete a task. The most valuable content should be the most easily accessible – don’t make the user look for it.
- Visual design is vital – Keep it simple! A streamlined interface, with clutter that is minimized will keep your user engaged. Be aware, though, that screen sizes are different for all mobile devices. Simplicity is important both for the design and the navigation of your app. Because content is viewed on a much smaller screen, a clean and streamlined interface is very important.
- Interactivity – Apps should take advantage of the interactivity of mobile devices. GPS integration, touch screens, and cameras are all native to a mobile device and provide great opportunity for an immersive user experience. For example, the Fandago app uses GPS to locate movie theaters in the area and allows users to buy tickets directly from the app. News organizations are creating apps that let users reports photos and videos from their phones of local news events.
- Make it sync-able – Most people use a number of different devices to access their applications, so it is important to make sure your app syncs across different devices, integrating users’ desktop and mobile experience. Apps like Evernote and Instapaper are a great example of this.
Webby Awards’ call for entries for the 16th Annual Webby Awards ends December 16, 2011!
