When it comes to delivering a great experience via mobile, in general you want the experience to be uniform so that you can maintain the integrity of your brand and users identify with you, says Ajay Waghray, mobile product manager at HomeAway.com.
However, that is not to say there shouldn't be some variations and openings for cross-pollination. "Your iOS team can learn a lot from your Android product decisions and vice-versa. That's critical for moving your product offerings forward," he says.
On that note, here are Waghray's top tips for addressing UX.
1. Pay close attention to detail
"One of our biggest do's has been evaluating UX issues across the stack and not just thinking of them as user interface (UI) issues," explains Waghray, who argues that it's important to think about UX problems as ones that affect everything you do. So what may at first seem to be a UI problem, it could also simply be that your app is not responding fast enough, or that the service is failing. "It's a holistic problem that requires a holistic mindset when trying to solve it," says Waghray. One common mistake is the failure to address common typing errors that are made, for example, when entering email or web addresses.
2. Keep 'form factor' in mind
According to Waghray, each platform has its own unique issues. "On iOS you can have sticky bottom buttons, but on Android you can't without messing with the view container a lot. The UX problem is the same: we need to clearly demarcate the button! But the execution of that can change between platforms," he says.
As for tablets, Waghray says users want fuller functionality and more expansive viewing areas that are built to touch. Across all devices, considerations include the number of pages and the density of the content. For mobile apps, it's especially important to keep it simple by getting rid of redundant text or unnecessary graphics without impacting core functionality. Similarly, screen size, and orientation (portrait or landscape) are important factors to consider.
3. Refine your offering and test all the way
Whenever a new feature is introduced in any mobile app, it is important to introduce it across all mobile operating systems. Waghray says having great backend services can smooth this process, but great design that works for the platform is just as critical. After that, it's testing all the way. A common set of test cases that consider the same functionality across devices should be done with knowledge of the platform differences in mind.
On a final note, Waghray stresses: "Don't underestimate the power of testing with your users. There's nothing more powerful than that."
Ajay Waghray, mobile product manager at HomeAway.com is speaking at EyeforTravel's Online Marketing Strategies for Travel 2014, to be held in Miami this year (June 2-3)
