Many paths to the top of the (mobile) mountain

As the internet proliferates beyond the PC to myriad devices - from iPhone to smart-phone - anyone delivering digital products deals with complexity: varying form factors, cultural differences and contexts of use. In this workshop we explore the implications of this complexity, discover through collaborative experience where the pain points lie, and identify strategies for dealing with them... simultaneously examining how creativity can flourish within tight time constraints.

he workshop will start with a short 10-minute introduction to mobile, from the first voice call to iPhone, to set the stage before moving onto the workshop proper. Attendees will also be introduced to some examples of the multiple constraints experienced across different mobile platforms. (10m)

Attendees will then be split into small groups and (in a homage to the genesis of the Palm) each will be given a set of materials (foam, wood, plasticene, felt, velcro, etc.), a form factor (tablet, cellphone, PDA, etc.) to work with, and a persona (e.g. a teenage in India, working mother in Spain, executive in the US). The groups are given the task of designing a specific mobile service using the materials available, for the device they’ve been allocated, targeting their persona. Every group works as a team to design the same service, within a 20 minute time-box. (20m)

Each group then presents its design to all workshop attendees for a couple of minutes, and we note how inherent limitations and contexts influenced the end products. What strategies did different groups adopt as a result of the constraints they were given? How was the final product affected by these? How have different groups attacking a similar problem arrived at different end-points? (15m)

We return to groups, and re-run the exercise in a slightly different form. This time each group is given the same materials, tasks and personas, and works towards the same goal. A couple of additional constraints are applied from the world of mobile (consider the impact of battery life on the product, or how it might operate when users are paying by the kilobyte for their data usage, for instance). The groups again work together to design the product. (20m)

Again the groups present their findings, and we examine the impact of these additional constraints and the similarities or differences between the resulting products. We compare the results of the two sessions, and as a group draw conclusions from them. (15m)

We close by comparing the findings from groups during the session against our experiences working with multiple constraints for mobile development, and argue why taking an agile approach has enabled us to embrace complexity in both design and development and allowed us to take on projects which are substantially more complex and demanding. (10m)

This workshop has been run at Agile2009 in Chicago, OverTheAir2009 in London, and a few private events.