Make your apps more engaging

Tips for creating great apps by designing for value, usability and motivation.

These days there are so many apps on the App Store that if your app doesn't fulfil a person's needs immediately then they can easily delete it and find another that does.

This talk discusses how to design your app with a human-centred focus in mind by considering three pillars of engagement design: value, usability and motivation.

By the end of this talk you'll be able to use this model to review your existing apps and help you design engaging apps in the future.

Transcript

1. How to make engaging apps by designing for value, usability and motivation. Make your apps more engaging Dr Zac Fitz-Walter | http:/ /eatmorepixels.com.au | @zacfitzwalter Brisbane Mobile App Meet
2. Hello! My name is Zac. App Designer & Educator
3. EAT MORE PIXELS http://eatmorepixels.com.au
4. Apps
6. Education
7. Engagement Design
8. Why engagement design?
9. The ability to engage people is one of the most important things in app design & development.
11. https://www.statista.com/statistics/268251/number-of-apps-in-the-itunes-app-store-since-2008/
12. Last year… 397,721 app submissions https://www.pocketgamer.biz/metrics/app-store/submissions/
13. ~33,143/month https://www.pocketgamer.biz/metrics/app-store/submissions/
14. ~1,089 per day https://www.pocketgamer.biz/metrics/app-store/submissions/
15. How do you stand out?
16. Value Motivation Usability
17. Value Motivation Usability Three pillars 
 of engagement.
19. Use it to guide/review your app design and development.
20. 1. Understanding your value
25. Apps are a means to an end.
28. “There’s an app for that.”
30. Value
31. 1. Can people easily identify the value your app provides? 2. Are you delivering the value that you promise? 3. Can people easily share that value if they like it?
32. Simple ways to get started
33. 1. Explain your value clearly.
35. Advertising. Website. App Store. In the app.
36. <Advertising.>
37. “Officially accepted in NSW.”
38. 2. Make sure you check-in with your users and get feedback.
40. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
44. 1. Ask for a rating only after the user has demonstrated engagement with your app. 2. Don’t interrupt the user, especially when they’re performing a time-sensitive or stressful task. 3. Don’t be a pest. Rating Guidelines https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/ios/system-capabilities/ratings-and-reviews/
45. 3. Allow people to share the value with others.
49. What's the value for you?
50. 2. Improving Usability
51. Good usability is a necessary condition for survival.
52. People will leave if… 1. Your design is difficult to use 2. If it is unclear what it offers 3. If it’s easy to get lost
53. Don’t wait until after you've developed the app to start thinking about usability.
60. You can get away with average usability if you’re the only app that provides a particular value.
61. But it’s a dangerous game to play though.
62. Usability is all about friction.
63. The easier something is to do, the more likely we’ll to do it.
64. How long will it take someone to reach their desired value?
66. Download Sign up Pay Wall Tutorial
67. Simple ways to get started…
68. Minimise download size
69. Photo Credit: 9to5mac
70. Photo Credit: Twitter/ Mike Beasley
71. Streamline sign up
72. Do users need to sign up?
75. Provide a free trial
77. Minimise tutorials.
79. Test early and often.
81. You only need to test 
 with 5 users https://www.nngroup.com/articles/why-you-only-need-to-test-with-5-users/
82. 3. Increasing motivation
83. Various ways to motivate
84. Gamification Habit Forming Behavioural Economics Design 
 Thinking Rewards & Incentives Intrinsic Scaffolding Behavioural Psychology Emotional Design
85. Gamification
86. To do list Exercise tracker Social network
87. To do list Exercise tracker Social network
88. Fitness Zombies, Run!
89. ~4 million downloads >29 million km run 3.7 million zombie chases Hon, A. (2017). Five Years of Zombies, Run! Available from: https://medium.com/@adrianhon/five- years-of-zombies-run-6e090ef3fe4 (Accessed 22 August, 2019).
90. Education Duolingo
91. Pajak, B. (2016). Which countries study which languages, and what can we learn from it? Available from: https://making.duolingo.com/ which-countries-study-which-languages-and-what-can-we-learn-from-it#fn:courses (Accessed 22 August, 2019). ~120 million users 19 distinct languages
92. One of these is not like the others…
93. But gamification can be hard to get right.
94. Simple ways to get started with motivation
95. Notifications
98. Discounts/Promos
100. Empathy/Community
102. Value Motivation Usability Three pillars 
 of engagement.
103. Inspire your future apps
104. Review your existing apps
105. Want more?
106. Engagement Workshops http://engagebootcamp.com Dr Zac Fitz-Walter | @zacfitzwalter | hello@eatmorepixels.com.au | http://eatmorepixels.com.au