The device market is, at its core, limitless. From smartphones to tablets, laptops and PCs, there are surely numerous gadgets on the horizon that we can’t even begin to fathom. For the consumer, this means more choices, more mobility and more improvements. But what does that mean for the developer? In a scenario in which new devices are popping up each and every day, what happens to design?
At BogotaConf within PulsoConf, Joe McCann discussed just that. In his presentation, To Be Future Friendly Is To Be Device Agnostic, McCann made the case for a new way of thinking in development and design.
What makes him an expert? McCann is the Director of Mobile Strategy and Architecture at Bazaarvoice as well as the Founder and Curator of Austin JavaScript. He also works as an advisor to a handful of technology startups and a blogger on subPrint.com.
McCann opened his talk going over the evolution of websites and the internet over the last 12 years. Today, we have arrived at a situation in which desktop web is thriving. But mobile? That’s another story. This relatively new sector has got designers, programmers, entrepreneurs and executives scratching their heads as to what to do.
Mobile: A Head-Scratcher
The mobile sector is brand new territory, and it entails much more than the web – it’s got to do with native features, too. Last year, U.S. mobile users spent more time using apps on their devices than surfing the web.
Mobile is changing the world of computing, driving us towards action-driven computing, casual computing and more. We’ve got tablets, smart TVs, digital signage, in-store kiosks, smart appliances, wearables, etc., and a plethora of devices that haven’t even been invented yet.
This in mind, device-agnostic design is more important now than ever. Software cannot be solely bound by the browser without risking alienating consumers. While it may favor a browser, it should be flexible for any type of client.
How to achieve this? McCann advocates service-oriented architecture, testing, and the utilization of exposing and consuming services as well as decoupled content and presentation layers.
In closing, McCann left his audience with the following message: “You, your code and your business need to support an ever-changing landscape of internet-capable devices.” If you want to be future friendly, you’ve got to be device agnostic.
You may find a link to his presentation here.
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