Mobile Blog -Mary Genrich
Buffalo Bills App
I have used the Buffalo Bills App for several years now as the Bills are my favorite NFL team. The App has a bunch of main features where I can view new articles/news, the teams schedule where I can see future games as well as scores from previous games during the season, you can also purchase tickets through the app. There is a side feature where I can view the live radio, team roster, depth chart, bills store, stats, the stadium, sports betting, and more. Anything that I need to know about the bills can basically be found in one place on the Bills app.
Best Practices
On the Adobe website they explain what makes a good app design [App Design]. The main difference between a good app vs poor app is the quality of the user experience.
They explained that:
“Fast loading times, ease of use, and overall customer satisfaction during an interaction should be integral parts of your design (“App Design).”
“Great app design is clearly laid out, efficient to use, and aesthetically pleasing (“App Design).”
“App design combines the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). While UI lends itself to the overall style of the app (including the colors, fonts, and general look and feel), UX focuses on the actual functionality and usability.”
They expressed that it is “essential to invest time and effort in creating a great user experience. The better the design, the better the chance that a user will engage with it and thus keep using it (“App Design”).” When you're deciding to create an app, you need to understand what your users want. The Bills added all those features because that is what Bills fans (the Audience) want when they go into the app. The design of the app has all the features a Bills fan would want and that’s why fans continue to use the app and engage with it. They also have the most important features, the most accessible, making it easy and quick to find what you might be looking for.
From the reading assignment the article Designing content for the mobile-first index I think it is important to include that “content on mobile needs to make it easier for users to get to the main points without cutting out the content, as users might want to dig into the details more at times. More than ever, the structure of your content is important, and your content needs to be navigable, skimmable and digestible.”
Common Pitfalls
It might sound easy to create a good app but according to article from toptal.com “The average app has a churn rate of 57% in the first month (users who don’t open the app more than once during the first 30 days after downloading it) and a whopping 71% after 90 days.”
Some of the common mistakes the article included were:
A Poor First Impression
Designing an App Without Purpose
Failing to Optimize User Flow
Disregarding App Development Budget
Cramming in Design Features
Dismissing App Context
Abusing Notifications
Overcomplicating App Design
Design Inconsistencies
Under-Utilizing App Beta Testing
I feel that one of the common mistakes I have experienced with the Bills app and other sports apps is having an absurd number of notifications. But as a user that can easily be controlled by turning off notifications if you prefer to have less notifications. Die-hard Bills fans most likely want as many notifications as possible and updates they can get. The Bills know their audience and know that they can send out lots of notifications without annoying users. But an app who sends out lots of notifications without knowing their audience most likely be annoyed and may delete the app.