Design Viewpoint: The development of mobile device field

The weekend book club will talk about some of the current and development of mobile devices, for designers, looking to the future of technology and fantasy is a common thing, can be expected to future mobile devices will have a higher integration, cheaper, more features, more beautiful appearance ... But these things are already mentioned in sci-fi movies, and as a mobile device UI designer, I'm more focused on the product trends that can be judged within 5 years, which involves the changes and learning that I need to make.

For many mobile devices will change, we have been concerned about, but found that always fall behind people. Most of China's mobile terminal manufacturers (including, but not limited to: mobile phones, MP3, MP4, MID, E-book, GPS, tablets) have been struggling to innovate, in the status of the follower, in addition to the need to satisfy the first meal before the pursuit of quality, The fatal problem lies in the lack of "design awareness" in the middle managers of Chinese consumer digital companies, which always equate innovation with risk and cost, but rarely takes into account the added value of innovation and the power of speech. This situation in our import and export trade environment deteriorated further today, will not be any change, and even become a collective consensus in the industry.

And these ideas are unscientific, and will not have a positive effect, in the OEM and ODM process, more and more user complaints, more and more customer customization requirements, has forced our traditional manufacturers to update ideas, change the logic of product design. Once a friend asked me: "In China to do consumer digital products, the status of the UI designer has been unable to improve what to do?" "I think this is a period of inevitable suffering, but also because our designers in the face of product design can not be more mature, more business-minded vision to judge the cause." If you want to ask me how the next mobile device industry will evolve, I can see how you might look at the next step in your career orientation. The answer is yes, a rising industry environment, there will be a corresponding rise in the professional ability to serve, I hope we can reach that level as soon as possible.

In the next 5 years, for the mobile device sector (where I only talk about mobile phones), I personally think that there are some important points to consider:

1. Industry trends

There will be more giant enterprises covet the carrier of mobile phones, to further occupy the lives of ordinary users, whether it is to make their own mobile phones for retail, or binding department stores, online shopping channels distribution, or just the introduction of an app, the next will enter the mobile phone industry chain Enterprises may be: INTEL, IBM, Wal-Mart, There will even be Mercedes-Benz, PetroChina and so you unexpected, eight poles can not hit the field platoon, national team;

Smartphones will definitely replace the current status of Fearture phone, today's high-end is tomorrow's midrange, today's middle end is tomorrow's low-end, in manufacturing costs and hardware prices become increasingly transparent today, the same price of smartphones will be faster occupancy of the user's sight, a friend asked: " If I don't need a mobile phone with so many features, why should I buy it? "– The answer is simple, you have to buy when all your friends around you are using a smartphone." So at present, the brand handset manufacturer should increase the input for software development and UI design as soon as possible;

Low-end and high-end will be polarized state, each earns huge profits, the annual production of large amounts of electronic waste, China's shanzhai business days will no longer be better, because with Nokia's strategy has changed (some people think that Nokia is accustomed to the boss, will not be interested in the low-end market- I can only tell you that in the face of commercial interests, there is no so-called face problem, 2010 years to launch the S40 platform with dual sim card, low-cost (through the Supply chain control), strong brand effect, integrated cottage function (the possibility to join the flashlight function, etc.) of the mobile phone has been expected, Smart mobile phone manufacturers should transform other products as soon as possible, or do high imitation to make quick money;

From the manufacturer's product value and media value, APPLE is stronger than the Google,google black BERRY, while other brand manufacturers, Moto will be the first myth, Samsung and Sony Ericsson need to adjust the design strategy as soon as possible, not all want to get a vote. Why didn't I mention Microsoft? In my opinion, Microsoft has not been able to do mobile phones since 2008, and Zune is passable.

2. Product trends

About the full keyboard and full screen touch, who has a stronger life of discussion is meaningless, however, from my own habits of use and user research, full screen touch the prospect of a broader, full keyboard value only to serve the text input, in the increasingly rich application today, the charm of text input is still how much, is an uncertain question mark. If you want to ask me whether I will choose a full keyboard mobile phone use, I would like to see: at least I will buy a black berry products for the use of;

App application is undoubtedly the most critical product tool, in addition to the App store 150,000 applications, the domestic process developers the fastest way to make money is 3: first, directly copy the idea of foreign app, change skin and language; the second is to pack better apps, make a coat and integrate them. Third, according to the Chinese daily life custom small function but high frequency of use of the app, such as the purchase of vegetables software;

The demand for customized UI design is getting lower, and in turn, the need for functional expansion and interactive conceptual design, in fact, is what Korean DNA and current tat do in the past, and good conceptual design can transform an app into a more commercially valuable version (like the Convertbot in the app STORE). With the application level of PS and the Fool of skin tool, the right of pure theme design will be transferred from designer to user's own hands;

MP3, MP4, GPS products, such as a single function, sales will continue to decline, gradually by the phone with a function of one of them, such as we now use the phone instead of the alarm clock, instead of Notepad, instead of the calculator ... The integration of simple functions will turn these low technology threshold products into non-essential, but beautifully designed, innovative features of the product will still have a market, such as gifts or home furnishings, (using RFID technology, such as the realization of the daily life of the recognition function, is the same embodiment)

The design principles of good products will be simplified as follows: lightweight, strong endurance, open platform, larger memory, perfect network application, good screen, elegant appearance, efficient operation.

3. Career trends

UI designers will be transformed into ued direction product managers and designers, from the overall product logic involved in the design process, some UI designers because they do not have the ability to become a simple GUI designer or user researcher;

The work of the designer will include: Product definition, keyboard key definition, ID design usability evaluation, interactive design, graphic design, prototype design, user testing, software implementation test, full process user experience assessment;

The design team will be upgraded to the product design department by the Simple UI design department, which is based on: Design manager, product Manager, ID engineer, MD engineer, software engineer, user experience specialist, interactive designer, GUI designer, interactive model developer, software tester;

The attention point of the designer and the product manager, in fact, also reflects the market concerns, from the icon, interface, transfer to the degree of functional integration, application richness, Internet access level, the designer team building will need interdisciplinary, cross-media design talent, mature design team, should have the sociology, Psychology, media, marketing and other fields of knowledge management system, internal sharing system;

In recent years, more Cross-platform app development teams, entrepreneurial nature, and graphic designers who have been phased out by companies or designs house, can still glow in this group and help boost sales through better design capabilities. If you are unlucky to encounter plants and zombies and other macho app, you can also make good profits;

Mobile advertising, mobile business vertical platform, mobile gaming, mobile media consumption, there will be many traditional designers of the second spring.