Both Ext JS and Sencha Touch abandon DOM-oriented progressive enhancement and responsive design in favor of a component-based approach to building tailored, optimized desktop and mobile solutions. For the Flex community, working with these frameworks may feel like stepping back to Flex 1.0-1.5, but it's a far cry better than any other HTML5 option in terms of offering a documented, proven, cohesive solution. As Sencha matures (and as more Flex talent migrates to the platform), both developers and users will rediscover a Flex-like experience in the HTML5 world.

At Universal Mind, we have embraced Sencha as a valued partner and their offerings have become pretty popular with our development community. We see Sencha as a proven development solution, ready for enterprise class web-based applications, particularly where a large team is involved. With a sophisticated component model, Sencha is years ahead of the competition.

Both Sencha Touch 2 and Ext JS 4 are impressive offerings from top to bottom. Jump on in, the water’s fine. If you want to build a Sencha Touch 2 app in less than 5 minutes, try out the ST 2 Power Tools, created by David Tucker.

When should you use Sencha?

If you are building an enterprise class web based application with a desktop style UI, Sencha Ext JS is an obvious choice. Ext JS's sweet spot is anything far on the “application” end of the web interactivity spectrum. Ext JS excels for master/detail form-heavy applications. No other HTML application framework is going to come close to Ext JS from a feature perspective.

Sencha Touch 2 is a great choice for HTML-based mobile apps as well. The ease of use and advanced rendering capabilities make development simple and should reduce testing time across devices.

ExtJS and Sencha Touch are built on the same core. Business logic can be shared between Ext JS desktop and Sencha Touch mobile applications. However, you’ll need to write different user interfaces to reach both mobile and desktop because these frameworks provide UI component sets that are highly tuned for their target devices. This isn’t such a big deal since delivering good usability for desktop and mobile applications requires very different user interfaces anyway.

Sencha’s component-based API is feature rich and highly extensible. At Universal Mind we utilize an IoC container for dependency injection in conjunction with an alternative MVC implementation that can scale up to the needs of enterprise class applications and large development teams.

Top 10 Reasons to Use Sencha

1. Components

The Sencha Ext JS Component Library is as impressive as it is useful. The SDK is broken out into logical namespaces, rather than a flat one like jQuery. While the API is fairly prescriptive, it presents options that simply do not exist in other frameworks.

For example, Sencha's solution for managing classes in namespaces in Ext JS 4.0 is very clever. It defines a standard method for splitting up classes into packages and individual implementation files, annotating their dependencies, dynamically loading classes at runtime, and repackaging them in a minified form for deployment. This frees the developer from being concerned about the order in which the classes are defined in their source code, and provides a consistent structure for object-oriented development for large teams.

2. Data Management

In general, Sencha has done a nice job with data management. The genius and flexibility can be found in how they have broken up the data access responsibilities into Model, Proxy, Store, Reader and Writer components. The automatic translation from JSON to Model objects with typed properties is mighty nice. Thanks to the division of responsibilities, where you can easily swap in different types of data sources or destinations, this solution is clearly better than the typical “ActiveRecord” implementation you see in many other frameworks. With the option to use JSON, JSONP, AMF and SOAP OOTB, let productivity ensue.

3. UI Framework

Toolbars, Panels, Buttons, Icons, Cards, Carousel, Tabs… Oh My! There's no other UI framework for JavaScript that provides this much guidance, or components with this level of sophistication and performance optimization. Sencha is the only solution that truly leverages OOP throughout their framework. Mixins are a nice touch too, no pun intended.

4. Grids & Stuff

This is an area where Sencha has outclassed Flex, in terms of capabilities offered right out of the box. The infinite scrolling grid is damn impressive. Grouping, client and server-side filtering/sorting, cell templates, etc… Hard not to love it. It's clever how DataView, ComboBox, Grid, Tree, etc. all leverage Stores. These components offer custom HTML renderers (aka XTemplates) that automatically update when their associated Store changes. DataGrids in all their glory and then some…

5. Graphing

Awesome! Better than Flex. Not surprising, since they bought Raphael (and the talent behind it). Charts and drawing with SVG! Being a vector format, SVG output looks razor sharp both onscreen and on paper.

6. Offline Capabilities

Take your web application data offline in minutes with a simple API. SessionStorage and LocalStorage are easy Proxy types provided ‘right out of the box’ that can be used to toggle your web application into an offline state.

7. Styling & Theming

SASS & Compass provides a powerful and flexible option for controlling the look and feel of your application. I am sure some developers wish Sencha had chosen LESS (for its simplicity) rather than SASS/Compass, but Sass/Compass does bring more to the table. It is refreshing to see that Sencha uses a CSS meta-language, given the sheer amount of CSS and repeated configurable values involved. The 'slice' tool is a very nice and unexpected touch; generating corresponding image files necessary to support older browsers (*cough*IE*cough*).

8. Tools

Sencha Animator, Ext Designer & Sencha Designer provide a comprehensive HTML5 solution that no other vendor can offer (or as have even tried). These tools certainly have a specific audience, but it is nice to see the potential productivity gains and synergy between design and development resources.

9. Testing

Sencha’s frameworks play well with Jasmine, a popular open-source BDD framework for testing JavaScript code.  Sencha uses Jasmine internally to test Ext JS and Sencha Touch, and provides a tutorial for how to use it to test your own applications.

Unit testing user interfaces seems impossible with JavaScript. Wait, take a look at Siesta… Siesta is a testing tool built specifically for Ext JS. Siesta allows you to write unit tests in JavaScript, automate their execution and is specifically optimized for Ext JS. Siesta also comes with an easy to use user interface.

10. Documentation, Training and Support

Sencha offers a rich set of online API Documentation as well as professional training classes. From personal experience, they are quite helpful and enjoyable. More comforting than perhaps any components or feature is the fact that there is a proven successful company behind the products and frameworks offered by Sencha.

Summary

Make your life easier and use Sencha. Should you experience an exception for more than 4 hours, please consult your doctor immediately.

Tags: html5, mobile, blog, javascript, Sencha, Jasmine

While NFC technology will provide exciting opportunities, it is going to take quite some time before it reaches critical mass in the United States. Even buyers of the latest iPhones and most Android phones will find themselves without NFC capabilities. This means we have many years to go before a reasonable amount of users will be able to take advantage of NFC. 

Bummer right? Nope. It is already possible to create a truly exceptional retail customer experience utilizing the capabilities of nearly all smart phones today. Getting a little creative with the GPS, camera, and cellular data connection can produce solid results, and most importantly create experiences which elicit deep brand loyalty. Lets look at a few mobile solutions from Apple, Starbucks, and Square that do just that.

Apple Store Application
Not surprisingly, Apple continues to be a pioneer in retail store experience. Their Apple Store application gives customers a newfound independence while also making it easier to get support.  

{image_1}

Utilizing GPS data, the app recognizes that the user is in or near a store. Then it provides support wait times, allows access to the queue, and provides other information and tools that enhance the store experience. The user can then easily get into the support queue while they browse or run other errands.

{image_2}

Apple enables do-it-yourself checkout from a mobile device while in the store. A user is able to walk in, pick up an accessory, scan it, charge it to their Apple account, and walk out completely independently. I recommend trying this. On one hand it was liberating—Apple earned my trust by giving me theirs. On the other hand, I had anxiety that I'd be tackled by an unseen ninja on my way out the door. Irrational fear of Ninja's aside, I felt closer to the Apple brand after that experience. 

Starbucks Application
The Starbucks app takes a bit of a different approach to mobile payments. Here, the act of transacting is performed by either the customer or the barista scanning a barcode image presented in the app with traditional laser scanners. This deducts the transaction amount from the user's Starbucks Card account and and proceeds to update loyalty points. When combined with an auto-reload of the user's Starbucks Card, the app allows Starbucks customers to carry nothing but their phone into stores and still garner all the benefits of loyalty.

Square Card Case Application

Square has created an impressive solution utilizing primarily GPS and Cellular data. When the customer walks into (or near) a store, the merchant is alerted and provided both their picture and name. The merchant records the purchase via the Square merchant application and the charge is placed on the customer's "tab."  A paperless receipt is then provided to the customer via the application.

While these examples don't provide swipe and go access to payment systems or social networking, they succeed in creating the experience that has many so excited about NFC: a stronger connection to retail customers.

Tags: mobile, apple, retail, blog, strategy, starbucks, customer experience, NFC, Square

I knew about the soft launch of the Apple Store app, but it wasn't until yesterday when I happened to walk in to my local Apple store in search of a new set of earbuds that I realized what's actually happening

Apple just soft-launched one of the most powerful digital wallet services, and few have noticed.

First, let me walk you through the experience: 

1) Walk into an Apple store, Find product, Open the store app.
2) Scan the product. Read reviews, yes - this is what you wanted.
3) Tap to pay with your iTunes card, using your own iPhone.
4) Take your purchased product and walk out the door.

Do you notice the self service aspect? As my friendly blue-shirt Apple store clerk said, "how do we know [you've purchased that?].. we don't, but we trust you guys!"  Certainly, this ethos will endure a few tweaks as the service rolls out, but the approach shows the confidence in how Apple is embracing the disruptive mobile force it itself has been part of creating. 

Why is this so special? In some ways, the move is simply good sense and fitting very nicely into the progression of Apple's dominance in pushing out new features just ahead of other major players (but notably behind the innovators or first movers in the space.)  But, the genius of this app/experience is that Apple has more power, in form of more unique users with a trusted credit card already in place, than any other digital platform. Yes, Google Wallet is launched and Android is currently selling more phones than Apple, but those users are notoriously slow to set up or activate a credit card; nor are they using their phones to buy like the users on iOS. (See the excellent Flurry article from Dec. last year.)

So, with more users already in place, and trained to use and trust the embedded credit card, Apple has managed, in one fell swoop, to launch an in-store payment app with more users ready to go than any other 'wallet' out there (caveat: that I know of…).

The Apple rumors have already talked about this near-field version from Apple, aka Google's digital wallet, but this experience sorts of begs the question of why that is needed. Or at least, it puts in question the experience pro's and cons of using one app to get info/reviews and then the same phone to "tap to pay" at the register; the older metaphor vs new thinking of self-service browsing/reviewing and buying in-store.

In my view, this is bigger than it's humble soft launch begs us to consider, but I'd love your take on it as well.

Tags: apple, retail, blog, strategy, Wallet

Why the iPad?

I think it is important to take a minute and ponder why Apple seems to be having success in the educational sector with the iPad, and why the biggest textbook publishers are on board with this. First, the lack of fragmentation with the iPad had made pixel perfect design possible on mobile. A tool like iBooks Author could not exist in the same way for Android because it would need to support a prohibitive number of resolution and pixel density combinations. In addition, school districts only have to worry with a single device. They buy from one company, handle all maintenance and repair inquiries with the same company, and frankly Apple is spending a lot of money to get many school districts and legislators on board.

In the end, the Apple ecosystem is seeing a lot of success in getting their devices in students' hands. Because of this, this move to empower these same students with textbooks on the device is extremely strategic and powerful.

What is a Book and What is an App?

While I was watching Apple's presentation, I couldn't help but express my feelings about how things are changing on Twitter:

I think we're about to see some of the lines blurred between 'Apps' and 'Books'.

— David Tucker (@mindmillmedia) January 19, 2012

It is true that lines are blurring. What differentiates an app from an iBook? In short, integration points and visual customization.

For now, there are few integration points with iOS in an iBook, and I think that is very intentional. There is no traditional provisioning and deployment process for an iBook, because in the end there is no way that an iBook can execute code that could cause negative consequences for the end user. This brings a tremendous amount of freedom to the content creators. Teachers can create an interactive textbook experience for a new topic they are covering, export it from iBooks Author as an iBook, and email it to all of the students. In turn, the students could install it in a single click from their iPads. The app deployment process is infinitely more complicated because of the risk to the user that is inherent. By allowing easy sharing of iBooks, Apple has actually made themselves an optional (not required) distributor of the content.

As for visual customization, there are certainly limitations with the initial release of iBooks Author. For example, when creating a custom HTML widget, you cannot customize the 'preview' display (beyond just placing an image) and the full version of the widget has the default chrome around it. At this point, those are limitations that designers will have to live with, but unlike the technical limitations described above I think the visual customizations will continue to become more full featured with the upcoming versions of iBooks Author.

Ownership

One sticky issue that has popped up on various blogs in the past day is the nature of the terms of service around iBooks Author. In short, if you develop content with iBooks Author, the presentation of that content (through an iBook) can only be sold through the iBooks Store. Many have decried this as evil, but this seems to be falling in line with Apple's past moves. In this case, they developed a piece of software (iBooks Author) and distribute it for free in order to make money on iBook sales. Undoubtedly, many will not use the software because of this issue, but it doesn't seem to have deterred the 'Big 3' textbook publishers.

Desktop for Content Creation

One interesting trend that we see with iBooks Author is that content creation still resides on the desktop. Over the past year we have seen both web based solutions and tablet solutions start to venture more heavily into content creation. In this case, Apple has reaffirmed their view of where serious content creation should occur. This does however mean that currently only Mac users can participate in the iBook creation process as iBooks Author is only distributed through the Mac App Store.

There was another interesting fact that hit me while watching the presentation:

It is interesting that the tools we see for digital publishing are looking more like Keynote/PPT and less like InDesign/Quark.

— David Tucker (@mindmillmedia) January 19, 2012

I think this reveals that Apple is doing its best to lower the barrier to entry, and get the average user more engaged in the creation process. Traditional page layout tools offer an extremely high level of customization, but Apple is betting that users and designers will give up some of that customization just to be able to get the content to devices.

Extensibility

Not surprisingly, Apple is allowing for a level of extensibility to the overall experience. This will be done with HTML and JavaScript. This allows organizations to easily reuse content that they have used in other mediums. At this time, the development process for these extensions uses Apple's Dashcode to create widgets that can be dropped in an iBook. No official word has been given on any native integration through these extensions. In addition, Apple clearly states in the user guide for iBooks Author that "In iBooks Author, video and audio files used in HTML widgets are not DRM (digital rights management) protected." Presumably most publishing companies will stick with the widgets that Apple has created.

This does bring up one interesting point. Apple has now joined the ranks of the companies who are reaffirming HTML and JavaScript development and its role in their ecosystem. That certainly isn't to say that Apple hasn't done this before, but Apple certainly reaffirmed their support.

The Design and Development Process

Overall, I was impressed with the ease of creating an iBook with the authoring tool. There is no SDK to download or developer portal to login to, but instead a single free application that is downloaded through the Mac App Store. Once this application is installed, you can start from one of six templates for your first book. After selecting a template, it is extremely easy to edit test, add images, and add in widgets.

Once you have made your first edits, you can easily preview your book on your iPad. You will first need to update to the newest version of iBooks. Next, you will need to launch iBooks and connect your iPad to your computer. The preview process is fairly straightforward and quick, but it isn't a live preview. I certainly hope that in future versions you can get a near realtime view of your current book on the device as you make edits on the desktop. After the authoring tool has been deployed to your iPad, you can interact with it just as you would any other iBook.

Because iBooks have somewhat limited integration points with iOS, you don't have to go through the provisioning and deployment process that you do with a traditional app.

Conclusion

I really think that iBooks Author and the new iBooks 2 will create a splash in the classroom. Apple is using the high school market as a testbed, but if it does well I would expect to see it expand quickly into colleges and universities. By creating an amazing ecosystem and quality content creation tools, Apple has set itself up for a big victory.

Tags: ipad, ios, apple, blog, javascript, Digital Publishing, App Store, education, iBooks, iBooks Author

But we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what’s possible in this space. While many industries have dipped a tentative toe in the water, most have yet to take full advantage of all the capabilities of mobile technology, and make the move from paper to digital, from passive to interactive.

{image_1}

We predict that 2012 will see a wave of new digital publishing apps across a wide range of industries. Here are five new types of “digi-pubs” to watch for in 2012.

1. Movie Tie-Ins

There are already apps and games that build on the characters and storyline of films; however, a huge amount of film content has yet to be tapped by a mobile framework. But this is just around the corner.

For example, books based on children’s films essentially contain stills of the movie. With a relatively small effort, studios may start to turn children’s films into interactive picture books enhanced with games and clips from the films.

And considering the amount of work that goes into creating the bonus materials for a DVD, can the “making of” digi-pub for every major film be far behind? Unlike a book or a DVD, this content can also be made interactive and social. For example, an app could enable you to see all the actors’ tweets or to follow them on Facebook.

2. Music Appumentaries

Several musicians and labels have really started to embrace mobile technology to tell a deeper story and share directly with fans, and we’ve seen the early emergence of what some are calling the “appumentary.”

For example, the Jimi Hendrix – The Complete Experience app showcases pivotal moments in Jimi’s life and career, streams his music and offers an interactive approach to storytelling. The This Day in Pink Floyd app contains thousands of music facts, a guide to every one of the 167 studio tracks the band officially released, as well as Pink Floyd images, quiz questions, video footage and more. The Sting 25 app offers access to Sting’s seminal performances, rare photos and personal stories over the past 25 years of his music career.

I anticipate that as more artists and labels embrace this new medium, we’ll see an increase in digital music downloads and an explosion in new types of artist content, maybe even a new fan club paradigm with advanced and/or exclusive access to media or artist-driven content.

3. Medical Exam Apps

{image_2}

How many times have you been to the doctor and had them bring a laptop into the exam room? Probably not very many. While some medical practices have begun introducing some of these basic tools into their patient interactions, there’s still a shocking lack of mobile technology usage in the medical industry.

In 2012, the medical industry will have the opportunity to create a new paradigm for doctor/patient interaction using tablet technology. With the presentation of digital publications and apps that can distill complex medical theories and procedures into consumable bites, our understanding of conditions and treatment options will expand.

Imagine your doctor sitting with you to go over some test results. With a digital records application, she could display your results on an interactive comparative chart that displays the averages of people in your area by age, race, gender, occupation or lifestyle. It could contain embedded videos of procedure descriptions. Your doctor could share access with you, enabling you to request other opinions from physicians across the world. You could tie in social experiences on community boards with people that have undergone similar procedures. All of this could be presented in an interactive and personal publication that embodies your entire medical history.

4. The Digital Textbook

In some ways, the foundational paradigms of education are in transition. There are opportunities in the education market that are huge and potentially transformative.

Should students be carrying four or five textbooks to school each day? Could students purchase only certain chapters of books? Could books include text that is updated by authors in real-time? Could the concept of a “textbook” be a compilation of Wikipedia entries, content queried from Wolfram|Alpha, a professor’s thoughts and musings and social network contributions?

Not only is the content of today’s textbooks ready to be challenged; the way this content is consumed is already in a state of transition. The introduction of e-text and Amazon’s early versions of the Kindle changed how we read. No longer do we need to consume “printed” text in one form. Kindle devices and Kindle applications allow today’s readers to enjoy published works in their choice of context – Kindle device, desktop, mobile app – and seamlessly switch between them. With Amazon’s latest Kindle Fire tablet, consumers are now empowered with the Kindle experience on top of a mature Android platform. This platform of power and functionality will allow for new types of content presentation: interactive charts and graphs, embedded media, embedded discussions, sharing and borrowing, live discussions, etc.

5. Interactive Retail Catalogs

Using mobile technology in retail is practically a no-brainer, since investing in tech to reach consumers can pay off quickly. Brands like IKEA and Lands’ End have already begun to embrace the functionality of interacting with consumers on their mobile devices. In fact, many big-box and online retailers have begun to offer catalog apps that allow you to browse content on your iPad. However, most have simply taken their existing materials and published them in a similar form to their print counterparts.

In 2012, there is a huge opportunity for retailers to bring their catalog experiences to life on the iPad. For example, shoppers should be able to build avatars and virtually try on clothes, making mobile shopping an interactive, enjoyable and functional experience. Homeowners should be able to take pictures of their living rooms and upload them to the catalog app, then “decorate” rooms with the items from the catalog. And forget paint swatches – soon you will be able to take a picture of a room, choose and try different paint colors on the walls, click to buy, and have it ready to pick up at a nearby store in 15 minutes.

What are some digital publishing applications you’d like to see this year?

(This blog post was originally published as an article in Mashable on January 14, 2012)

Tags: ipad, ios, retail, android, blog, tablet, entertainment, Digital Publishing, kindle fire, digi-pub, education

Designers and creative have a pretty good track record (I think) of reaching out to their community and helping others. The same qualities that makes us good designers - empathy, the ability to visualize how to best tell a story or solve a problem, among other stellar traits - makes us receptive to the needs of those around us. And, as a group, more idealistic, and bent on making a difference whether it is social change for the community, or perhaps being part of a project that is set on a global scale.

I feel pretty lucky in having worked on many meaningful projects both professionally and personally, but at the end of the year it still does not quite seem good enough. With this in mind that I started a inspirational tour around the web - get myself geared up for the year ahead. Below is my list, collected with a little help from some great friends, that I wanted to share it with fellow designers and UX'ers out there who need a little inspiration as well. If you have sites or causes you think could be added, please email me and I'll include it here as well (or post a comment).

First on my list was AIGA (and my local chapter in San Francisco.) They are always a great resource for the design profession and I've found that getting together with fellow professionals is a great way to get something started. Nationally, AIGA have a Design for Good section or take a few min to look at the video or jump right in with the Pro Bono job listing.

Speaking of inspiration, I like both TED.com and good.is makers of Good magazine. They recently created the maker.good.is section that follows the now familiar "challenge" and crowd utilization for getting good ideas or designs. This seems to make it that much easier to 'find the time' and also utilize your professional skills by finding a challenge that is inspiring. There seems to be more of these sites coming online, but perhaps my favorite is openideo.com.

Living in a great city, there are many opportunities to be part of a community, but I found both volunteermatch.org or a program like studentmentor.org to be excellent resources for matching time and talent with worthy causes.

I was also made aware of worldchanging.com, a collective of journalists and designers that brings awareness to green future issues around the world. Definitely worth a visit.

Happy New Year!

Tags: ux, Better, Human Experience, Pro-bono

Although starting a prototype on a computer is sometimes easier, it’s not the best way to visually problem-solve. When you need to ideate website layouts or mobile applications or to storyboard workflows and context scenarios, sketching is much more efficient. It keeps you from getting caught up in the technology, and instead focuses you on the best possible solution, freeing you to take risks that you might not otherwise take.

Many articles discuss the power of sketching and why you should do it, but they don’t go into the how or the methods involved. Sketching seems straightforward, but there are certain ways to do it effectively. In this article, we’ll cover a collection of tools and techniques that I (and many other UX and design folks) use every day.

Tags: ux, articles

This is an article that I wrote last year (republished last week) on how our minds interpret a design, and what really makes it good. So many people assume it's just a matter of taste, but there are certain things that can trigger a reaction by our brain. I tied some neurological research on aesthetics to what many designers take for granted; the ability to create a deep connection through design.

Tags: ux, articles

PhoneGap and Appcelerator Titanium are both very popular open-source JavaScript frameworks for packaging and deploying mobile applications. At Universal Mind, we have clients that leverage both and clearly both frameworks have countless successful implementations on numerous platforms. However, there are enough significant differences between the two products that it doesn’t really make that much sense to compare them directly. The fundamental difference is that PhoneGap is a web-based solution where Appcelerator Titanium is a pure JavaScript API that creates native code. At the core, they serve different functions for an organization.

At this stage we see many more PhoneGap implementations than Appcelerator Titanum for a few simple reasons. Appcelerator allows developers to utilize JavaScript to write a mobile application and compile down to native code for deployment. PhoneGap allows you to utilize HTML5 standards to write your mobile applications while also providing a JavaScript SDK to access native device capabilities. This clear differentiator is not one to be taken lightly. Simply put, if you want to re-use the same code that you deploy with your HTML5 enterprise desktop apps across other tablet, mobile and connected TV platforms, PhoneGap is the right choice.

PhoneGap is a web app that runs in a native web browser view. It lets you utilize HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript, as well as all of the frameworks, like jQuery Mobile, Sencha, etc. described above. Appcelerator is pure JavaScript that compiles to Native Code. PhoneGap supports more platforms but Appcelerator may give you better performance in specific instances.

I have dropped literally 30+ HTML5/CSS/JavaScript applications into PhoneGap, which run without issue on the desktop, and deployed them to Android, iOS, and Google TV without changing one line of code. PhoneGap clearly promotes the most re-use and provides the easiest transition from desktop to mobile.

Appcelerator is like writing a native application with JavaScript and the Titanium SDK. Thus, if your goal is to re-use your HTML5 code base across mobile, tablet, desktop and TV then PhoneGap has to be the natural choice. Appcelerator touts improved performance because they compile to native code but truthfully we don’t see many use cases where this is a differentiating factor. Organizations usually choose Native iOS or Native Android over a “Native JavaScript” option. PhoneGap also supports deployments to more device platforms than Titanium because it doesn’t need to compile to a native form. It is probably a more natural analysis to compare Native Platform development to Appcelerator.

PhoneGap:

• JavaScript API that provides access to Native Functions
• Supports HTML5/CSS3
• Supports Web Standards & Re-use Across Enterprise Apps
• Supports DOM based JavaScript Libraries/Frameworks
• Supports the most platforms

Appcelerator Titanium:

• JavaScript API that provides access to Native Functions
• Compiles to Native Code
• Could provide better performance.

Tags: html5, ios, javascript, jQuery, Sencha

jQuery — Possibly the most popular JavaScript library in use today, jQuery provides concise, elegant syntax for DOM element querying, traversal and modification; CSS manipulation; event handling; effects and animations; and Ajax. It also serves as an extensible host for a vast and growing array of third-party plugins.

jQuery UI — jQuery UI builds on jQuery to provide user interface behaviors (including drag and drop, resizing, selection and sorting); animations and transitions; advanced effects; and high-level, themeable user interface controls (e.g.: accordion, auto-complete, date picker, tabs, etc.).

jQuery Mobile — jQuery Mobile is a cross-platform, cross-device, cross-browser user interface framework with strong industry backing from tech titans such as Adobe, Mozilla, Nokia, and BlackBerry. Through progressive enhancement (using CSS3 and JavaScript) it enhances basic HTML content and form elements into a unified set of touch-optimized, accessible, platform agnostic, theme-able controls. Built on jQuery and jQuery UI, it adds Ajax-based page loading and navigation; touch and gestures events; mouse vs. touch event abstraction via virtual mouse events; and integrates well with PhoneGap. It supports all major desktop browsers and mobile browsers alike.

jQTouch — jQTouch is a jQuery plugin from Sencha Labs targeting mobile web development and offering native animations, navigation and history management, and user interface themes for mobile WebKit browsers such as the iPhone, Nexus One, and Palm Pre. While jQTouch is well documented and easy to use, development has all but stopped and initial sample applications show that it is a bit buggy and even the sample applications have some performance issues.

Sencha/Ext Core — Ext Core is a cross-browser JavaScript library with capabilities similar to jQuery, such as DOM element query, traversal and modification; event handling; animation and effects; and Ajax.

Sencha/Ext JS — Ext JS is a cross-browser JavaScript library which enables developers to use an MVC architecture when building their app while also providing some very helpful features and widgets that can accelerate development timelines. Ext JS enables apps to leverage features like infinite scrolling and widgets for high performance grids, trees and menus.

Sencha Touch — Sencha Touch, the mobile counterpart to Ext JS, is a web application framework intended for developing applications that look and feel like native applications on supported mobile devices. Its approach differs significantly from jQTouch and jQuery Mobile: instead of enhancing pre-existing HTML, it generates its own DOM, based on objects created in JavaScript. It provides an extensive library of custom user interface components, optimized for touch input; transition effects; touch and gesture events; application data interchange (AJAX, JSONP, YQL); data bindings; and offline storage. Like jQuery Mobile, Sencha Touch integrates well with PhoneGap.

KnockoutJS — Knockout simplifies the development of complex web application user interfaces by applying the Model-View-View Model pattern. It offers declarative bindings in the DOM; automatic wiring of these bindings to their backing view models; automatic UI refresh based on observable and dependent observable model properties; easy extensibility through custom bindings; and the ability to generate sophisticated nested UIs from templates dynamically based on model data. Knockout integrates with many popular web frameworks, supports all mainstream browsers, and allows developers to use their choice of template engines.

Backbone.js — Backbone.js is a prescriptive web application framework that defines a structure consisting of JavaScript-based models, collections, and views. It offers models with key-value binding and custom events; collections with a rich API of enumerable functions and change notifications; views with declarative event handling; history management via a client-side URL router built on the HTML5 History API; and an implicit API for client-server data interchange via RESTful JSON. It has minimal dependencies and optionally integrates with jQuery or Zepto. It has been used to power the new LinkedIn Mobile app, and an increasing number of web applications such as MetaLab's Flow, FourSquare, Groupon Now!, Basecamp Mobile, the new Pandora website, TileMill, and more.

Angular — Angular is a web application framework similar to KnockoutJS. It provides declarative UI templates; two-way data binding; implements the MVC pattern; integrates with RESTful JSON services; and offers dependency injection. Developed by Google, its ambitious goal is to reimagine HTML markup as if it had been originally designed with dynamic applications in mind. Like KnockoutJS (and unlike Sencha Touch), it does not provide a library of user interface controls, but instead focuses on generating and updating HTML from templates driven by application data.

GWT — Google Web Toolkit (GWT) is a web development toolkit for developing and debugging complex web applications in Java and cross-compiling that code to JavaScript for deployment. Its stated goal is "...to enable productive development of high-performance web applications without the developer having to be an expert in browser quirks, XMLHttpRequest, and JavaScript." Google has used GWT internally to develop their own products, including Google Wave and the new AdWords. GWT is particularly well suited for use with Google App Engine, Google’s cloud computing platform as a service (PaaS) for hosting web applications.

Node — Node.js is a command-line and server-side JavaScript runtime environment based on the Google V8 JavaScript engine. It is used for developing JavaScript based command-line applications (such as the Less.js and CoffeeScript compilers) and highly scalable network applications. Node.js allows developers to write server-side code using JavaScript and leverages that language's event-driven nature to deliver efficient, low-latency, collaborative, concurrent applications while requiring fewer hardware resources. Node includes an extensive API including HTTP and file I/O operations and has spawned a large ecosystem of related JavaScript-based third-party utilities and libraries.

Move on to HTML5 for the Enterprise, Part 4: Mobile HTML5

(Contributing authors: John Yanarella, Senior Technical Architect, and Dustin Butler, Senior Technical Architect)

Tags: html5, javascript, jQuery, Sencha

WebKit is the open-source layout engine that powers Apple Safari, Google Chrome, and the mobile web browsers on nearly all modern mobile phones and tablets, including: iPhone, iPod and iPad; all Google Android phones and tablets; Amazon Kindle; Barnes and Noble's Nook; and RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook.

WebKit includes a set of integrated developer tools for interactively prototyping, analyzing, debugging, and optimizing websites and web applications. Collectively, these tools are referred to as “Web Inspector”.

Web Inspector provides a live view into the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript content being rendered, paired with an advanced JavaScript debugger and interactive command console. Developers can interactively experiment with how changes to these resources will affect the appearance and functionality of the page without modifying the original source code or refreshing the page.

Additionally, Web Inspector provides unparalleled performance tuning insight via integrated profiling tools for measuring and visualizing network, script, layout, and rendering performance. Web Inspector offers performance-tuning capabilities ranging from a quick audit feature that suggests source code changes to an interactive timeline visualization of network requests, script execution and browser layout engine actions.

Web Inspector is available free of charge in Safari, Chrome (and Chromium) and can be enabled in other WebKit-derived applications. A subset of the Web Inspector tools are available in Mobile Safari on iOS devices.

In Safari, Web Inspector is enabled by checking the 'Show Develop menu in menu bar.' option in the Advanced tab of Safari Preferences.  Web Inspector is enabled by default in Chrome. On desktop browsers, Web Inspector appears as a detachable panel below the web page content. Mobile WebKit browser sessions can be remotely debugged via Web Inspector-based tools such as Web Inspector Remote and iWebInspector.

Web Inspector organizes its functionality into a set of tabbed views:

Elements View

Capabilities:

• Inspect and modify a live view of the HTML elements that make up a web page, referred to as the Document Object Model (DOM) hierarchy.
  • Select the corresponding HTML element for anything in the web content area by right-clicking and choosing 'Inspect Element'.
  • View the elements exactly as they are currently being rendered, reflecting any runtime changes that have been made to the original HTML source via JavaScript.
  • View element properties.
  • View element size metrics, including width, height, padding and margins.
• View the CSS rules that affect the selected element.
  • View the order of precedence for CSS rules applied to the element.
  • Discover which CSS rules are canceling others out.
  • View the final set of CSS declarations applied to the element based on matching CSS rules (aka the 'computed style').
• Modify the HTML and CSS for the running instance of the web page
  • NOTE: Does not alter the originating HTML, CSS and JavaScript files.
  • Experiment without requiring changes to original source code and a browser page refresh.
  • Add and delete elements and attributes, modify attribute values.
  • Add event listeners to elements.
• Modify CSS declarations for CSS rules on the fly.
  • Answer the question 'how would this look with a different color, border...?'
  • Create new CSS rules.
  • Alter property values in CSS declarations.
  • Toggle CSS declarations on and off.

Resources View

Capabilities:

• View a hierarchy of all of the resources (HTML, images, videos, scripts, etc.) used by the web page, including:
  • HTML, CSS, Images, Video
  • Databases and Local Storage
  • Session Storage
  • Cookies
  • Application Cache
• Select a resource and view its content inline, with syntax highlighting where applicable.

Network View

Capabilities:

• Visualize network activity for the web page on a timeline.
  • View details for each HTTP request:
    • Resource type
    • Transfer time and latency
    • HTTP request URL, method, headers, query string parameters, data
    • HTTP response headers, response codes and data
  • Filter by resource types.
  • Inline view of HTML, CSS, images, etc. w/syntax highlighting.

Scripts View

Capabilities:

• View all JavaScript script files referenced by the web page, with syntax highlighting.
• Set, clear, enable and disable breakpoints.
• Add watch expressions.
• When paused manually or at a breakpoint:
  • Step in, over, out.
  • View the callstack and scope variables.

Timeline View

Capabilities:

• Record and view resource loading, script execution and rendering time and memory usage on a timeline.
  • Broken down by browser operation, such as:
    • Timer events
    • Mouse events
    • HTTP requests
    • Script evaluation
    • Parsing
    • Layout / Relayout
    • Painting
    • Recalculating styles
    • etc.

Profiles View

Capabilities:

• Profile CPU usage for script execution.
• Capture profile snapshots.
• View function call count and execution time percentage in a sortable table.
• Follow hyperlinks directly to the originating script logic in the Scripts View.

Audits View

Capabilities:

• Perform a network utilization and web page performance audit.
• View suggestions for specific changes to the web page’s HTML and CSS to improve load time and rendering performance.
  • Examples:
    • “Specify image dimensions.”
    • “Optimize order of styles and scripts.”
    • “Remove unused CSS rules.”
    • etc.

Console View

Capabilities:

• View JavaScript parsing, compiler and runtime errors.
• Interactively modify JavaScript VM content.
  • Experiment without refreshing changing source code and refreshing the browser.
    • Execute arbitrary JavaScript functions and expressions.
    • Modify variable values and function references.
      • Change a function definition.
      • Wrap or replace a function definition.
  • Interact via a command-line style interface:
    • Command history (via up / down arrow key)
    • Commands are JavaScript expressions that result in return values
      • Syntax-highlighted
      • Hierarchical objects presented with expandable / collapsible disclosure arrows
• Utilize special console specific JavaScript functions:
  • copy() - copy a variable's content to the clipboard
  • dir() - view the properties of the specified element
  • inspect() - select and view the specified element in the Elements View

Note: The console view can also be shown as a sub-view within any of the other Web Inspector views.

To learn more about WebKit Inspector, check out the following additional resources:

Apple Safari Developer Tools Guide

Google Chrome Developer Tools

Move on to HTML5 for the Enterprise, Part 3: HTML5 Frameworks

(Contributing authors: John Yanarella, Senior Technical Architect, and Dustin Butler, Senior Technical Architect)

Tags: html5, javascript, debugging

HTML5 is not just a standard, it is a revolution. More popular than the Beatles and Elvis combined, it is invading the vernacular of every technologist on the planet and becoming a global strategy for software companies like Dell, Salesforce, IBM, Adobe and Microsoft. We are in the midst of a technology evolution, inspired by the plethora of devices and platforms available at your local Best Buy, and furthered by the core needs of your enterprise.

While recent developments around Flex/AIR and Silverlight (see our blog post: Fall of the Plug-in) have forced the hand of many companies to consider HTML5 as a viable technology for enterprise development, we see this as simply a catalyst of the revolution. There is an undeniable momentum behind HTML5 adoption and development across all platforms; but perhaps the most important and complex shift is in the enterprise space. Enterprise development focus is changing. While others players like “.NET” and “Flex/AIR” currently dominate the market, we expect HTML5 to continue to gain momentum and achieve world domination within the next two years.

What's So Good About HTML5?

In general, HTML5 addresses several major issues of interest to business application developers, the most outstanding being cross platform unity and the ability to re-use features across mobile devices and tablets. Running either in the browser or packaged as a mobile application, HTML5 is quickly becoming the platform of choice because it is accepted by every device that can display a pixel. And with countless device types on the market today, you can see why HTML5 should be playing a major role in your enterprise technology roadmap.

HTML5 offers:

• the most re-use across the most platforms and devices
• the most flexible deployment model, via any browser or wrapped in a mobile/device application
• the most availability, including new offline capabilities afforded by local storage and the disconnected mode
• the most control, since the browser model allows you to update content and functionality without waiting for the app store approval process

HTML5 Compatibility?

Now that HTML5 has captured the attention of every developer with a pulse, we are regularly engaging with organizations to develop an enterprise HTML5 Strategy. One of the initial concerns we always face is support & compatibility. This story has a much better ending than it did even just one year ago. For example, try this HTML5 Test to see how your current browser does with HTML5. Around mid-2010, this was a real competition, as evident in my presentation on the topic at FITC Toronto, but today there are only minor discrepancies across browsers. With a perfect score being 300, the lowest score of any browser on my desktop today is Safari at 293; with many scoring a multitude of “bonus” points. Although this is in no way a perfect measurement for HTML5 compatibility, IE 9 is trailing by a mile with a score of 141 but IE 10 does well at 300. These numbers are sure to change for the better, with every release of every browser on every platform. In fact, it looks like Opera 12, with a score of 346, will leapfrog everyone very soon. Previously stalled, browser competition is alive and well again and all the players converging on a common target.

Take a Seat, You’re Going To Be Here Awhile

Not only will you find HTML5 in your desktop browser, but also phones, tablets, automobiles, home appliances, and just about any other hardware that needs a GUI. And while the browser is probably the most popular tool for viewing HTML5 content, that’s not the only place you’ll find it—HTML apps can be packaged as native desktop, mobile or tablet applications that can be used with or without a connection to the web. These applications can also take advantage of native device features like cameras, phones, accelerometers, and more.

HTML5 applications are also capable of displaying a lot more than forms and static text, and can be designed to look and feel like native applications. Real time, complex data visualization is available with HTML5 charting and data grids. Form input is faster and smarter with broader range of advanced input types featuring autocomplete and validation. File drag and drop makes adding files for upload quicker. HTML5 applications can store data locally. They can also stream real-time data, such as chat/messenger applications and video.

Furthermore, HTML5 applications can provide an “offline mode” so that they are still available and usable even without an Internet connection. The web application is cached in the browser and its data stored locally. When a connection becomes available again, the application syncs offline changes back to the server. Companies like the Financial Times and Vudu are already utilizing this practical functionality, offering great experiences in both online and offline modes. These capabilities are especially applicable across the enterprise in sales force automation, CRM and retail applications.

Significant innovation has already been made in areas like tooling, capabilities, debugging, and especially frameworks. A plethora of JavaScript libraries and frameworks has made development faster and many are based on common standards and design patterns. Organizations can standardize on frameworks like jQuery, Dojo, Google GWT, Sencha, Knockout, etc. Many of these tools are free, have large support communities, and don’t require your organization to maintain them. If you need a new data grid, chart, or mapping component, one is probably already available; your development team doesn’t need to spend time writing a custom implementation. This even includes frameworks that promote and support enterprise class MVC or MVVM architectural design patterns and tools to assist with QA and Testing. There is a thriving marketplace of open-source and commercial components and micro-frameworks available to leverage in your applications.

(See my blog posts on HTML5 Debugging, HTML5 Frameworks, and Mobile HTML5 for details and recommendations in these areas.)

What’s the Catch?

Despite its many enhancements, HTML5 is still just the same toolbox with more tools. The importance of a good enterprise architecture plan is still as critical as ever. There are considerations around applying conventions and standards appropriately to realize the intended experience, balanced against the software and hardware limitations of the target deployment platforms. Selecting the right JavaScript and MVC/MVVM frameworks can also be a daunting task. It’s great to have so many choices, but determining the best tools for the job can be a challenge.

So Now What?

At this stage of the game, across the enterprise, the benefits of HTML5 applications far outweigh the limitations. The future of the browser plug-in has never been more uncertain while the velocity of HTML5 adoption across every capable viewing device is staggering.

We would however be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the reality that HTML5 cannot accomplish everything that other current enterprise tools can offer. For these use cases it is important to consider a hybrid model with a clear technology roadmap for maintenance, future migration and replacement. While a hybrid model may include native processes and/or a mixture of technology to satisfy your enterprise application requirements, it is important to recognize the long-term benefits associated with an HTML5 strategy.

Developing an HTML5 support strategy is crucial for enterprises right now. HTML5 tooling, at least in the near term, will continue to evolve rapidly, but is already more than adequate to please enterprise IT departments.

The leading tool vendors in this space have already attracted a significant enterprise following. Take a look at Sencha, an HTML5 tools vendor with an impressive customer list and a loyal development community. The same holds true for Appcelerator and PhoneGap. Expect the number of mobile developers using HTML5 to grow quickly. It's no surprise that HTML5 is predicted to dominate enterprise mobility by 2013. In short, the immediate future for enterprise IT will have a heavy dose of HTML5 with a mix of hybrid technology where required.

Debugging tools, frameworks, mobile considerations, and architecture are just some of the initial decisions that need to be addressed as you forge your enterprise HTML5 standards. Over the next few blog posts we’ll take a look at the landscape of these critical areas.

HTML5 for the Enterprise, Part 2: HTML5 Debugging

HTML5 for the Enterprise, Part 3: HTML5 Frameworks

HTML5 for the Enterprise, Part 4: Mobile HTML5

(Contributing authors: John Yanarella, Senior Technical Architect, and Dustin Butler, Senior Technical Architect)

Tags: html5, blog, javascript, Flex

If Adobe’s recent Flash Mobile and Flex announcements didn’t make it official, it’s the closest thing to it. The plug-in model is over. Creators of the two main viable products Adobe (Flash) and Microsoft (Silverlight) have both publicly stated that they view HTML5 as the future. While each continue to pay lip service to their respective technologies, the writing is clear. The war is over.

PR repercussions and developer fury aside, the announcement by Adobe makes some sense.   The proliferation of a fractured smartphone and tablet market has made it costly and clumsy to maintain Flash ubiquity across such devices. Add in the fact that Adobe’s efforts were delivering questionable ROI, it appears that the math didn’t add up. They had a choice of paddling upstream with Flash or going with the HTML5 flow. They went with the flow and we imagine Microsoft went through the same thought process.

The Pickle

Whether these decisions make sense or not, a certain reality exists. Many organizations either have a large investment in extensive plug-in based applications or are in the planning stages of creating one. The plug-in model provided mature development tools, reduced quality assurance needs, and very solid performance. While HTML has made marked improvement over the years it has not reached parity in any of these areas.  

This leads us to the pickle. Organizations are seemingly left with the choice of investing in what will be a legacy technology or embracing the promise of HTML5. The latter can often mean increased costs or less flexibility while the former may seem futile.

In anticipation of such an issue, Universal Mind has long been working with many of its clients on creating a strategy for moving forward.  

A Few Common Scenarios

Existing Enterprise PC Based Applications

We have seen scores of these. They are often multi-year herculean efforts that combine many different systems and services. Many of them are built on the Flash Platform making last week's news particularly concerning for the owners of such initiatives. What we would council here is a bit of calm. There is certainly a good bit of runway before this investment is in jeopardy. With that in mind, starting to integrate other technologies such as HTML5 where possible is certainly a good approach. A great place to start is with mobile companions.

From there, take a good look at your project lifespan, overall shelf life, and internal skill sets. Start planning now for the inevitable future. One bonus with this approach is that in the next few years technologies such as HTML5 will have become much more mature and easier to work with.

New Enterprise PC Based Applications

This scenario is the most likely to encounter the pickle mentioned earlier. Invest in legacy technologies or face the challenges of an immature one. In many cases we have recommended biting the bullet and going down the HTML5 route. We have also found that there are opportunities to utilize a hybrid approach that will lessen the impact of HTML5 weaknesses.    

New and Existing Consumer PC Based Applications

Here the runway is shorter. With often less control over the end user and a heightened need to be present on all mobile devices, the time is now to start moving away from plug-in based solutions and content.

Pure Mobile/Tablet Initiatives

Mostly our recommendations focus on native development, HTML5 browser development, or HTML5 app platforms like PhoneGap. There are however certain exceptions where compiling Flash to native code may also be a good approach.

The fall of the plug-in and its effects will be felt for many years. Understanding the options and best approaches will be key to avoiding serious issues.

Tags: html5, blog, tablet, smartphone, flash, Adobe, Flex, Silverlight

With a move to streaming music and digital downloads, we’ve lost some of the connection and back-story we used to get from vinyl and CD albums. It seems like the only time we can really connect with an artist these days is by going to a concert or through social media – and even those methods seem impersonal and often contrived.

The good news is, artists and music labels are now beginning to embrace mobile technology to develop powerful new ways to connect with their fans that will even surpass the original experience of the album cover.

To that end, Universal Mind has partnered with Sony Music, Legacy Recordings and Experience Hendrix, LLC to create Jimi Hendrix – The Complete Experience, the first of many immersive digital experiences to come for the music industry and beyond. This particular app showcases pivotal moments in Jimi’s life and career, streams his music that revolutionized the world and offers an interactive approach to story-telling unlike anything we have seen before. (Some are even calling it an “appumentary”)

Our own back-story around this app started with a survey of the music space and seeing what kinds of tools are being employed to connect artists and fans. We noticed that with streaming music and digital downloads, the artist-fan connection had devolved into a relationship that was almost entirely transactional – the experiential piece was missing. Pay $0.99 and get a track – and then you’re done. It was clear that having some other vehicle in this space to drive a connection and a relationship was ripe for the picking. 

We built out our own way to do this, starting at the drawing board (literally) with hundreds of sketches -- talking through page navigation, incorporating a “swiping” motion from page to page and chapter to chapter – really setting out to create a platform that would resemble something like a digital coffee table book… but with deeper interaction.

By creating digital immersive tools in this landscape, we are fostering an environment that allows artists to have more than just a transactional relationship with their fans. Artists can now curate, share and express themselves to their fans in a way that was never possible before.  

We're already seeing quite a bit of momentum around this approach. For example, Pink Floyd and Sting both released apps to the AppStore this week. Sting said in a recent interview with Billboard Magazine:

“I think the app is the new model. People are going to stop buying CDs. People are going to stop selling and making them, so I am looking for different ways to get music to people, and the application at the moment seems to be the favorite."

We anticipate that as more artists and labels embrace this new medium, we’ll see an increase in digital music downloads and an explosion in new types of artist content, maybe even a new fan club paradigm with advanced and/or exclusive access to media or artist driven content. We look forward to adding these types of rich features in the future that allow increasingly deeper interaction between artists and fans.

Tags: ipad, ux, ios, blog, Digital Publishing, music industry, Sony Music

"Jimi Hendrix – The Complete Experience is a powerful new way for fans to immerse themselves in the world of Jimi Hendrix and discover great music and other special premium content," said Michael Paull, Executive Vice President of Global Digital Business for Sony Music Entertainment. "We are pleased to be working with Universal Mind to develop mobile interactive solutions that offer consumers new opportunities for experiencing our artists."

Tags: ios, blog, tablet, video, Sony Music

Smartphones are what younger generations know as just phones. The iPad (aka the tablet) is giving your grandma’s PC a run for its money. You certainly are holding some amazing futuristic technology in your hands. It will be even better tomorrow, though, so why does it matter to us or to users? Moore’s Law tells us, in effect, that these things will continue to become capable of more than anything our minds can think up.

Read More...

Tags: ipad, ux, mobile, articles, tablet, smartphone, mobile apps

Numerous pieces have hailed him as the Thomas Edison of our time. I don't think that does Jobs or Edison justice. We tend to reach for comparisons we can understand in trying to grasp the greatness of someone that we can't quite define otherwise. Jobs was a genius of design and detail that will come to define the early 21st centrury's influence on the technology of the future. 

If we must reach for comparisons to past geniuses, I think as accurate as we can get is to say that Jobs was equal parts Edison's genius, Ford's leadership, Disney's creativity, and Lennon's charisma. Despite these comparisons, he was, and always will be, uniquely Steve Jobs.

Tags: blog, steve jobs

The news was hard to avoid last night. The conjecture on the future of Apple without Jobs steering the ship will go on for longer than I care to pay attention.

This is the beginning of Steve Jobs’ departure. Apple will never be the same.

Most of the sentiment is that people are sad to hear the news and are taking the time to reflect on his career and his impact. However, there are a lot of folks reminding us that Apple, and the talented people there will still be making great things without Steve. As if to say, there are never any star players, it’s always a team effort.

I think that is a load of politically correct talk, and I disagree.

The influence of one person on many others is what makes change happen. Steve has influenced many tipping points. He’s taken us into the PC era and right up to the starting line of the post-PC era. Amazing.

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” — Dalai Lama XIV

Most have said that Steve’s greatest achievement is Apple. I do agree, Apple will continue to be great. However, for me, his greatest achievement remains in bringing more value to design. He was a CEO who sweats the details. One who cared about the yellow gradient in the “o” of a logo that wasn’t even his.

“I think back to the call I received from Steve Jobs on a Sunday morning in January. It was a lesson I’ll never forget. CEOs should care about details. Even shades of yellow. On a Sunday.” — Vic Gundotra

I personally attribute much of the growth and attention in user experience and design to Apple, under the guidance of Jobs. Without it, I’m sure it would have eventually grown, but not as exponentially as it has in recent years.

“My philosophy is that everything starts with a great product. So, you know, I obviously believed in listening to customers, but customers can’t tell you about the next breakthrough that’s going to happen next year that’s going to change the whole industry. So you have to listen very carefully. But then you have to go and sort of stow away—you have to go hide away with people that really understand the technology, but also really care about the customers, and dream up this next breakthrough.” — Steve Jobs

A lot of our work is in educating clients in what design can do for them. Helping them to understand that through listening to people and creating a great design, they not only can create a great product, but one that is actually meaningful to the person using it.

This is a tough problem, because we are not selling something in the package, neatly placed on the shelf. Essentially we are selling the road to get there. We are telling the client: “We’re going to take you on a journey, building the story of your product, and it will result in something great.”

From the client’s eyes, I can see why this is really a huge leap of faith.

A lot of that perception has changed through Steve Jobs over the years, being like that mosquito, making the business world notice what he was doing, and that design matters. Apple products give people (our clients) the vision of what a great product can be. One that is beautifully designed, simple to use, and powered by some sort of magic.

He also reminds me as a designer that great products don’t end at the design phase. The design phase never ends. It’s so easy to stop at the milestones set within a project, or, when it ships. This is where I think Apple really shined. They weren’t afraid to focus on making the core product fantastic, and as perfect as it could be, even though it would be limited. They were late to the game with a cell phone, but they were first to get it right.

Steve’s focus has always been on the experience, rather than the measureable specs that the technology media love to debate about. His reality distortion field has convinced many that there is something more special and desirable about an Apple product, versus a competitor’s — which in reality might have had better technical specs.

Since my first Apple IIc, I’ve been enamored by what Apple has done with products, marketing, and design. It’s been exciting to see the “one more thing” revealed each time. I appreciate what Jobs has done for Design, and fueling my passion for it.

So, for that, I thank you Mr. Jobs.

Tags: ipad, apple, blog, iphone, steve jobs

How could one man change the way we think? How could one man change our expectations and our dreams? How could one man have married technology and design so seamlessly together? How is it that one man could have forseen incredibly complex technology would become simple and beautiful, and magical?!

Steve Jobs' visions form the cornerstones of several people's careers here at Universal Mind. In many ways, our work is a homage to his beliefs: make the complex simple, push ourselves to 'think different', fight the status quo, make people the center of our work. Today, it feels as though we have lost a mentor. We are all a bit taken aback by our sadness for a man that most of us have never met.

Thank you, Steve. Thank you for your passion, your pursuit of excellence, your vision. We will miss you.

Tags: blog, steve jobs

This is quite the difference between what at a first glance can seem like very similar touch-screen experiences and it got me thinking about the reason behind the numbers, and if there was more to it. 

The obvious difference is the size of the tablet screen, which makes reading and general interactions easier compared to the smaller smart-phone. This corresponds with typical content activities on the tablet, like browsing Internet (93%) and reading emails (84%). The largest gap in satisfaction — Internet (26%) shows that publishers are not hitting the mark for the smaller screen quite yet. In contrast, Email Satisfaction is much closer between the tablet and smartphone, meaning smartphone apps have overcome the screen-size barrier by creating highly user-friendly email applications.

Of course, this does not answer which device you'd rather put in your back pocket, or which provides a better experience for making calls. Still, the takeaway is straight forward; we have to understand the difference between the tablet and smart phone experiences and even though they are similar in nature, they provide quite different experiences for different usage. For now it seems tablets have a big leg up on anything that deals with consuming content, while smart-phones still are the true mobile device.

Tags: blog, tablet, smartphone