biology of design: future of web design

Richard Banfield

You Have a Great Mobile Strategy But Nobody Cares

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What’s next for mobile design?

“…the things I’m going to be working on haven’t been invented yet.”Rhys Banfield, age 10

Is there anything we do know about the future?

Source: Alpha Designer

Source: Alpha Designer

Biology is an exquisite designer

Constraints

Beautiful

Adaptive

Empathy

Billions of years of user tests

Cycles of near wins that lead to more attempts

Big innovations happen when big stress occurs.

Rule #1: Innovation in products happens suddenly, not gradually

What do our bodies tell us about the future?

Why do we even have brains?

“Movement is the only thing you have to affect the world around you”Daniel Wolpert, Neuroscientist

Mobile is a state, not a technology

It’s the biology, stupid.

Beware the tech that forces you out of your natural state.

#convCon @freshtilledsoil

Rule #2: Mobile is our default state

Source: The Telegraph

“A wearable device is just one more thing to manage during the day. I don’t think people will want to deck themselves out with all that in the future,”Amal Graafstra, adventure technologist

Source: The Telegraph

The future of mobile product design looks a lot like you.

Physiological

Safety

Belonging / Love

Self-esteem

Self- actualization

Physiological

Safety

Belonging / Love

Self-esteem

Self- actualization

WIFI!!!!!

Rule #3: The best products simply extend our biological powers

What about content?

If tech conforms to us…

…then content should follow us too.

Always on…but not always on the same device

mon tues wed thurs fri sat sun

Easy with smartphones…

…we forgot the tablets…

mon tues wed thurs fri sat sun

mon tues wed thurs fri sat sun

…and, more…oh boy…!

brains

“We are not seeing a substitutional effect. People reading across multiple devices increase their consumption…”

Tom Betts, FT head of data

Rule #4: Mobile experiences, and thus products, are not created equal

Let’s talk about drugs

We need dope

We need dopamine

We are emotional first and logical second

Emotions are required for decisions.

Source: snowlife.co.uk

Environmental Psychological Social

Environmental Psychological Social

Our physical experience influences the chemicals we release.

Brain chemistry drives engagement.

“What’s in it for me?”

People use your product because it makes them feel good.

Make someone feel good and you win.

Make someone feel good in front of their friends and you win big time.

Recognize me!!

Car safety and soccer moms.

What does safety look like to your customer?

Physiological

Safety

Belonging / Love

Self-esteem

Self- actualization

Rule #5: The best products make humans feel more human

#1 Innovation trumps iteration #2 Mobile state is our default #3 Extend biological powers #4 Mobile is not created equal #5 Make them feel good

#1 Innovation trumps iteration Agile and Lean are better than waterfall, but nothing beats big breakthrough ideas.

Learn to prototype and test.

#2 Mobile state is our default It’s not ‘mobile first’, its mobile always. Build for the human state not the tech state.

Great tech = great experience

#3 Extend biological power Tech should enhance who we already are. It’s not a new you - it’s you with superpowers.

…but not at the ego’s expense

#4 Mobile UX is not equal Context is everything. Get out of the building and build the most relevant UX possible.

Your user has already moved on

#5 Make us feel good Build products that make humans feel smart, safe, recognized, and loved, and they’ll return the favor.

Thank you!

Q&A