The minimalist approach and simplicity of Google and the feel and look of Apple software has revolutionised software design. User interface design is a critical driving force behind their success.

OK, you are probably happy to accept that we are in a world where user interface design is should be determined by user experience.  But how do we take this on board?

The process starts with talking to a UI expert, reviewing your existing site through researching and talking to users. What does the user want? How do they interact with the software to get what they want? How easy do they find the process? From there you can start to look at how you adapt the process to be more successful? For some organisations it is all about sales, for others it is about interactions and engagement, but whatever your key drivers your success will be determined by user experience and confidence.

It isn’t difficult to see how important this process is, but it is all too often ignored and companies start redesigning their website / user interface without talking to a single user.

This ‘we know best’ attitude can work but often it is a risky business. How many clients have asked us to talk to their users before setting off on a major piece of software development  – there was one.  How many clients have been really pleased with the results when we have done some UI work – all of them.

As we move to ever more complex software and spend more of our lives looking at screens, the design, navigation and visual appearance can be critical to a businesses success, so do at least give it some thought!

For more general info see Wikipedia’s overview – it is worth a read

If you want to find out more about User Interface Design and how it can help your organisation please contact us.

We are offering a free overview of websites/software interfaces in which we will show you how UI could help.

Cheers

Martin

The M Training site will be an Umbraco CMS driven website, utilising the power of .Net for future scalability and functionality.

The Impact partnership site will utilise the functionality and cost effectiveness of Word Press.

Both these content management systems are becoming the industry standards for open source websites. Word Press has a huge number of plugins and per-designed templates that can be utilised to create highly attractive sites with considerable functionality.

Umbraco is probably the best open source CMS based on a .NET platform. It has considerable functionality and can be integrated into other .NET applications and legacy systems.

If you want to talk to IC-e about the options for a content managed website, please call Martin or Ian on 0161 226 6032 or email enquiries@ic-e.com

The scheme is a voluntary scheme in which catering establishments from Fish & Chip shops to Fine Dining restaurants throughout the region will be assessed for their practices and commitment to providing healthier food.  There are three levels; Commitment, Achievement and Excellence.

We will be helping Greater Manchester Public Health Network and the participating Local Authorities to create the literature and promotional material for the Award and we will be producing a simple website where the general public can find out which catering establishments have won an award.

If you want to find out more we will post up a link to the website soon.

The conventional way around this problem was to  create a separate mobile site or to have a mobile app.   The latest solution to enter the world of website development is Responsive Design; but which option should you go for?

Here is a basic overview of the options: (This is not meant to be a full guide to all the issues but a quick overview).

Option 1: A dedicated mobile website to complement your website

From the mobile phone users viewpoint this is the ideal solution. A website designed purely to be viewed on a mobile. If you have the budgets and/or if your products and services are ones which users are likely to want to consume on the go, (e.g. news/magazine sites, shops, advice sites, venues, hotels, restaurants, retailers) you should be seriously considering taking this route.

A dedicated mobile website is designed to meet the needs of mobile visitors. This is often not the same as those who visit your site on their PCs. Phone users want their information in bite sized bits, simple navigation, quick downloads and finger tip sized buttons.

If your site design doesn’t cater for this then your visitor may go to a competitors site which is more mobile friendly.

The main disadvantages of having a dedicated mobile site are:

Cost and time: You have to fund the development and maintenance of a separate website just for mobile visitors.

Flexibility: Mobile sites are designed for a small screen size, so this solution does not work for the larger mobile devices such as ipads.

adidas iphone recruitment app courtesy of Attido Mobile

Option 2: A mobile app to complement your website

A mobile app is downloaded onto your mobile device and uses the processing power of the mobile more effectively than a mobile website. Apps, therefore, can process data faster and are great for games or applications which need more processing power.

Generally you should consider developing a mobile app where you have a specific purpose/task in mind, or where it is likely to be used where there is poor/no internet access.

The main disadvantages of a mobile app are:

Cost: A mobile app is not a replacement for a website and therefore is an additional expense.

Compatibility: You need a separate app for Android, iOS, Windows and Blackberry devices.

Access: Finding a mobile app is harder than searching for a website and when you find it you have to download and install the app. (but once it is on someone’s phone it tends to stay for a long time)

Updating: To get app users to see the latest information you have to push the data to them, whilst you can just update a website.

Linking/sharing: It is easier for users to share a website address than an app.

Responsive websites by IC-e.com

Option 3: Use responsive design techniques in the development of your website

This solution is the right solution for companies who should have a site that can be viewed on a mobile and tablet pc but don’t have the resources to have a dedicated mobile website. A ‘responsive website’ is designed so that it changes according to the size of the browser window. This solution means that you only need to develop and maintain one website and nearly all users can get a decent browsing experience of your site whether on a smartphone, tablet or pc.

Sounds great. Where’s the catch?

The technology: The code used to create responsive sites is quite new and is not compatible with all browser versions. Some visitors will only get the ‘non-responsive’ version, whilst users with very old browsers may not be able to access your site at all.

Cost: It takes longer to code a responsive website than a standard website and therefore costs more (Our coders reckon about 30% more on average – but this depends on how fluid the site is made)

Design: Responsive website design needs more consideration and time.  You should mock up (wireframe) the site as it will appear on each device and design from the mobile up.  There will be compromises in the design as you are attempting to design a site that will work on screens that vary considerably in size.

Option 4: You bury your head in the sand and hope it all goes away.

Whilst option 4 does sound very appealing, there are some things you should check out first.

Take a look at your website on a mobile and a tablet and see what you think of your site.  Unless you have a mobile website or responsive website the chances are it will not be a user friendly experience!

Have a look at the general figures on mobile useage (Click this link to see my previous article on mobile useage)

Then check out your analytics to see how many mobile visitors you are getting.  Compare this with 12 months ago.  If the numbers are very low and not growing much you can probably afford to wait.  However, you should be careful. If your website is hard to use on a phone or 7” tablet, mobile browsers will not bother to return and so your mobile visitors will remain low.

Mobile visitors account for 9% to 47% of our clients website traffic and the numbers are growing fast.

In summary:

If you don’t already have a mobile friendly website you should:

• Understand the implications by reviewing how many mobile visitors your website is getting

• Plan on having a mobile friendly website very soon.

• If you have the budget for a stand-alone mobile site this is likely to be the right solution for your organisation and customers.

• If you don’t have the funds, make sure your next website redesign is responsive.

Author:  Martin Woodfield FCIM, Strategic Marketing Consultant

The IC-e Group is a website development company who specialise in the development of websites and user interface design.

If you want to discuss how your business can go mobile please call us for some advice 0161 226 6032, enquiries@ic-e.com.

Choosing to ignore your mobile customers could have serious implications for your business 

Note from the author: I have written this article to provide some figures and explanation on the current situation regarding the need to make websites mobile friendly.  I hope you find it of interest. I will post this article on the News page as well and I will shortly upload an article on the choices available.

The use of smartphones and tablet computers to access the web has grown exponentially over the last few years.  This is not a passing fad, it is the new reality facing any organisation that has a website.  If you are not already convinced have a look at the figures below.

The figures:

Global mobile data traffic grew 2.3-fold in 2011, more than doubling for the fourth year in a row. (Cisco: Global data mobile traffic forecast)

In the UK, 84% of smartphone owners look for local information on their mobile and 80% take action afterwards such as calling or visiting the business. (Google: Our online planet)

1.2 billion smartphones and tablet devices to be sold worldwide in 2013 (Gartner)

Black Friday 2012 – Mobile purchases soared with 24 percent of consumers using a mobile device to visit a retailer’s site, up from 14.3 percent in 2011.  Mobile sales exceeded 16 percent, up from 9.8 percent in 2011 ( IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark)

By 2014 mobile internet is set to overtake desktop internet use (Microsoft Tag 2012)

64% of smartphone users use their phone to shop online (eDigital Reasearch)

Ebays  global mobile sales generated over $2 billion in 2011.  Paypal takes over $10million a day from mobile sales. 50% of Pandora’s user base  subscribed on their mobile.  (MobileFirst)

So where have the world’s leading technology companies been placing their resources?

Apple 2012 – launch of a new iPad4, the  iPhone 5 and the new mini iPad

Microsoft 2012 – launch of their first computer – the Surface tablet; launch of Windows Phone 8  with Office pre-installed; launch of Windows 8 platform with touch screen interface

Google – Android mobile devices continued to proliferate – 98 million units sold in Q2, 2012 (up from 46 million in Q2 2011); Google mail, Google docs and Google wallet all mobile friendlier – driving additional functionality for those on the go.

Next year is set to be yet another phenomenal year for mobile web access with the expansion of 4G phone network.

In 2013, fourth-generation (4G) mobiles are set to make a significant difference to the speed of growth of mobile browsing in the UK.  A 4G connection generated 28 times more traffic on average than a non-4G connection. (Cisco: Global data mobile traffic forecast)

The facts speak for themselves. Mobile website traffic is already big and it is about to get a lot bigger.  So most companies are no longer asking “why develop a mobile website?”, what they are asking is “How do we get a mobile friendly website?”

Note from the author: I have written this article to provide some figures and explanation on the current situation. I hope you find it of interest. I will post this article on the News page as well and I will shortly upload an article on the choices available.

IC-e is no different to anyone else. We have a website with a lot of pages and recoding all of it so that it is responsive isn’t a quick task. In fact, we have decided to change the site completely to cater for the change in devices and technology. It may take us a while as we always ensure our clients work comes first but we know what we must do if we don’t want to miss out on potential customers. We have already delivered 4 responsive websites and have another 5 in the pipeline and we are developing a new mobile site

If you want to discuss the options and how you can deliver a good experience for your mobile visitors please call Martin on 0161 226 6032 or email enquiries@ic-e.com

The recipes we’re designed by dietitians on behalf of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) and the booklets designed and produced by IC-e.

If you want to receive a copy please email us.

The site incorporates full content management and is fully responsive, adapting to the size of your browser.  So whether you are on a phone or a wide screen pc monitor, you’ll get a great experience of the site.

Attido Mobile is a small, creative and dynamic company with a great client list.  This site is a showcase site to give potential clients a taste of the work they do.

It has already helped them to secure new contracts.

If you have any questions about website design or ‘responsive design’ please feel free to contact us.

A new website for the innovative baby mattresses using responsive design techniques to ensure visitors get a great experience whether they are on a mobile or wide screen monitor.

With the help of IC-e and BrandAlert this could be a very successful new product.

Click here to see the site

Take a look at  look at the video on the Benefits page if you know anyone with a baby.

My younger brother could of done with one of these – he used to scream the place down!

The main aim was provide a good looking website to showcase her talent.  We think we have achieved this and we have thrown in some extra SEO and general advice to help her make the most of the site.

The website is a Word Press site that allows her to maintain the content of the site herself.

Click here to take a look

As the new site will be consumer orientated and potentially viewed on a range of devices we have created a responsive design solution that will adjust to the size of the browser window.

This is the first of a few responsive design solutions we are implementing.

I will post an article about responsive design when I get a moment.