1. Authentication
Check a users identity. Based on email or social logins.
2. Authorization
A way to control access to resources. Most of the time we need to restrict access to specific resources.
3. Provided Content Delivery
A way to deliver content we, or our service partners, create. Like maps, videos, music etc.
4. User Content Upload and Delivery
A way to gather content from the users and deliver it back to them. Like blog articles, comments, images, videos, etc.
5. Monitoring
Monitoring isn't a feature, but every app needs a way to tell us when it has problems.
6. Analytics
Not a feature we can sell either, but it's always nice to know which parts of the app are used, how often, by how many users, etc.
7. Offline
Networks are patchy, and many connections are metered, so we need to give users a way to use the app without being online.
8. Real-time
Often it's crucial to let users know about updates as fast as possible, especially in IoT or chat apps.
9. Onboarding
It's important to give users a way to understand why we created the app, especially if it's not apparent. If we execute this well, people feel taken care of.
And that's it!
What's your opinion?
Top comments (4)
Hi K! I think you nailed it, at least in general terms.
Onboarding is especially lovely. I installed Alto's Odissey yesterday to try it and in a few seconds you learn how to use it, while playing the game. Thank you UX people 😭❤️
1, 2 and 4 depend on which type of mobile app, am I wrong? It's true that the majority of apps have the concept of user, but not all do, especially "utility" apps.
side note: I really, really, appreciate apps that make login optional. Citymapper for example is such an app. I don't have an account, I use it everyday. I have no idea what you gain by registering, probably premium features.
What kind of utility apps do you have in mind? Could you list a few?
Do you think Citymapper uses some technique to be able to still identify you?
Apps like audio recorders, barcode scanners, camera apps, calculators, flight trackers... none of them log the user into anything.
I'm not sure it needs to "identifies" me. The app requires only the location permission and its main use is to send me from A to B :D It allows you to save things like "home address" and your trips.
I just uninstalled it and installed it again and it forgot all of those info, so I think they are saved locally and maybe synchronized to their server if you setup an account.
Edit: well, I dug into a little bit, the apps still remembers the last few addressed I searched for, so there's something else going on :D
Good point. Camera apps and audio recorders just need to create user content.