March 24, 2012
IA Summit – Context is King
#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
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Brooklyn
London
Los Angeles
Rio
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Brooklyn
London
Los Angeles
Rio
I’m usually here!
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London
Los Angeles
Rio
Or here!
Brooklyn
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Let’s start with some history…
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
2002
Digital channels then:
websites
intranets
2012
Digital channels now:
websites
intranets
mobile phones
tablets
digital TV
in cars
in stores
in everything…
#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Myth #1: Mobile is just used when
people are on-the-go.
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Myth #1: Mobile is just used when
people are on-the-go.
Mobile is the lazy man’s computer.
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Source: Yahoo Mobile Shopping Framework Study, 2011
89%
use mobile while at home.
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Myth #2: People want less on their
mobile phone than on desktops.
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Myth #2: People want less on their
mobile phone than on desktops.
Priorities should change – not features.
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Myth #3: Tablets are just an oversized
mobile device or a simpler PC.
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Myth #3: Tablets are just an oversized
mobile device or a simpler PC.
Tablets are a content consumption
juggernaut with varied uses.
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
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PC
Tablet
Source: AlphaWiseTM, Morgan Stanley Research Tablet Demand & Disruption, Feb 14, 2011
#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Place considerations:
• Where is the user?
• What goals do they have there?
• Why are they accessing digital in that place?
• What other channels are around them?
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Case study: store planning vs. visit
Store planning needs
• Making a list
• Finding store location
• Researching a category /
specific product
• Getting inspired
• Inventory check
Store visit needs
• Checking off list
• Wayfinding
• Quick decision making
(based on price, ratings)
• Price lookup
• Additional sizes / colors
#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
“I want to set and walk away.”
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
BB&B` wedding registry
“I want to show off.”
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
“I want to be endlessly entertained.”
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
“I don’t want to kill my kid.”
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Mindset considerations:
• What state of mind will my user most likely be in?
• How might that affect their success in what I’m designing?
• What state do I want them in as they use this and how can
my designs help them reach that state?
#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
“I don’t want to be judged.”
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
“People might see my size or…”
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
“I’ve got my kid with me.”
(Photo credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Carol E. Davis)
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
“I’m in a social place.”
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
“I’m in a social place.”
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Social considerations:
EMOTIONAL
• Could there be any peer pressure (good / bad) in the mix?
PROXIMITY
• How public is your user? How public would someone want
to make what they’re doing?
• Is your user alone? With others? With kids?
PLATFORM
• Are there any expectations social will be present?
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Wrap up.
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#ContextIsKing @wallowmuddy
Get past the constraints of channels.
Avoid pithy (incorrect) channel ideas.
Start being a context expert.
Place. Mindset. Social. And more…
1. Mobile is more than on the go.
2. Mobile should offer just as much as desktop.
3. Tablets created their own behavior.
Think about the user!