The problem with mobile apps

by Alex Cowell on Tuesday 8th May 2012

I read with interest a recent article by Technology Review about their experience with rolling out mobile apps (full article).

The story describes vast development budgets, very low returns and immense production frustrations, even resulting in good people leaving the company. The result being that the publisher has ditched apps entirely in favour a mobile Web strategy based on HTML5 – a strategy that the Financial Times very successfully led the way on in 2011.

“App or mobile website?” is a question that we get asked a lot at Cubeworks, when there are new projects on the table. We definitely noticed a fad for apps 12-18 months ago, but increasingly people are realising the closed, expensive nature of native mobile apps and are becoming more interested in HTML5 mobile websites and, in particular, asking a lot of questions about the responsive design approach – which Danielle, from our design team, discussed recently on this blog. That’s not to say that mobile websites are a one-size-fits-all approach but it’s always telling for to observe where the hot topic of conversation is moving to.

Jesse Speak

I read the full blow-by-blow account and sympathise with the author’s frustrating experience. There’s something alluring about a brand new format for content, especially one with a touch screen that can be carried around easily and promises a great reading experience.
However, this shouldn’t get in the way of a sound project approach – understanding goals, ratifying the business model and testing costly assumptions about audience interest before fully committing to it.

I’m glad people are starting to realise the strengths and potential of a more universal format like HTML rather than being wowed by the app gold rush. It’s all about using the most appropriate tool for the job, which involves understanding what the job really is in the first place!

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The problem with mobile apps

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