#Facebook mobile guru Erick Tseng formally the Google Product manager for Android has started asking the internet and world what they think could be improved on Facebook Mobile. I started to write my feedback, however I thought I would share it with you all, in the hopes I can open some sort of debate about it and see if I am alone in my perspectives on the product. I personally think that some of the ideas below would be cool to add to other apps and potentially even to integrate in the core android experience.
Currently I feel that Facebook for Android is adequate but could do with some serious improvements.
Phase 1: Catchup and Fixup Stage
Phase 1 for me would be to bring the Facebook android up to speed with its Iphone big brother. Most of the time I want to use facebook on the phone, is when I want to know where an event is happening at and who’s birthdays are coming up. Both are are key so please can we have an events button. Facebook chat is already available via Meebo so that’s not really a priority nor is the need to create notes in facebook so I personally would lose those features.
A key part of phase 1 would be to fix the bridge between email, the app and the web. When I get a response to my witty retort, I am presented with a link. If I click it to view the response, Facebook presents me with the front page of the wap version to the site and not the information I was after. ( and not even the touch friendly site!) This technique called “show me the front door” is one of the most frustrating things for mobile users to experience. Why is it that many mobile sites, respond to a deep link, by redirecting the user to the front page of their mobile site. Seriously stop this now!
At the same time, I would also look at the customer journey throughout the application. Mapping user flows is something that can be done easily and would also bring up other cases where facebook is hurting the user experience. An example would be if a user shares a link to content. When you press on the content, its default action is to bring up the user’s profile- instead of the content. By pressing and holding on the content, you can visit the content which takes the android user to the wap site for Facebook! ( again not the touch friendly site)
Personally given the choice, I can show several other cases where this same behaviour occurs and its these small little tweaks that can turn experience from being a great advantage to the Smartphone to a source of frustration.
Phase 2 Option A: The kinda cool Future
How about having some cool features that twitter for Android has, like the ability to repost content to your contacts? What about location based information? My Phone knows where I am, Facebook knows what I like- why not recommend items? Location based information is a great way to earn revenue. Personally I can envision a point where the mobile version of Facebook becomes the primary driver of traffic to the site. With traditional advertising revenues falling off the chart, Facebook will look to release a subscription based premium version of the Facebook android application, one that is advert free and offers a complete syncing solution within Android’s Calendar Gallery, unified messaging system and Contacts.
The above option for me is a kind of dead end when it comes to the app- which is why I suggest that Facebook look at Option B below.
Phase 2 Option B: The Awesome future
All the above would be great features to add, but how about taking the app to the next level. Turning Facebook into a true mobile 3.0 platform. Why not let Facebook enhance peoples lives? I personally have gained and experienced a great deal since joining facebook, from being inspired by friends activities to gleaning new information or opening my mind to more experiences. At the moment each activity or post to the site can be viewed as a finality or a result. Hey all my friends “This is what I have done”- the end.
People share content to share experiences, to create commonality amongst their social networks. Each experience should be viewed as a potential beginning of an experience. A seed in which to grow and expand ones own perceptions and experiences. Why not encourage and profit from this behaviour? If my friend goes to see a great movie, at the moment I have a “like this “ button- why can’t I have a “do this” button, which will show me the nearest places to go see the movie. The latest incarnations of web software should be able to rudimentally categorize this ( strategies for this can be discussed under a future post) and present it to me as an actionable item. The scope for this is limitless, from overseas travel to visiting your local restaurant. Let me invite friends, send me a discount voucher and then let me share the experience when I am done. A future mobile facebook should be a initiator of content, and not just the repository for the results. A single bit of shared information should be contextual and personal to a user – and should allow people to create an experience flow, one that others can buy into. Let facebook take a piece of the pie as a result of the transactions that occur as a result of this experiential flow and Facebook need never seek a new business model ever again as a users life will be inextricably intertwined with facebook’s revenue streams.
A future facebook that presents its users with options that weren’t previously comprehended by the user, will present the ultimate Unique Selling Point- it will make your life better. How’s that for a win-win situation!
Here is a brief illustration of an experiential flow:
Click to view full size image of experience user flow
Do you have an idea on how to improve facebook? Go to Erick’s Google Spreadsheet to share your feedback
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My thoughts on the Android Facebook app and vision for the future
Currently I feel that Facebook for Android is adequate but could do with some serious improvements.
Phase 1: Catchup and Fixup Stage
Phase 1 for me would be to bring the Facebook android up to speed with its Iphone big brother. Most of the time I want to use facebook on the phone, is when I want to know where an event is happening at and who’s birthdays are coming up. Both are are key so please can we have an events button. Facebook chat is already available via Meebo so that’s not really a priority nor is the need to create notes in facebook so I personally would lose those features.
A key part of phase 1 would be to fix the bridge between email, the app and the web. When I get a response to my witty retort, I am presented with a link. If I click it to view the response, Facebook presents me with the front page of the wap version to the site and not the information I was after. ( and not even the touch friendly site!) This technique called “show me the front door” is one of the most frustrating things for mobile users to experience. Why is it that many mobile sites, respond to a deep link, by redirecting the user to the front page of their mobile site. Seriously stop this now!
At the same time, I would also look at the customer journey throughout the application. Mapping user flows is something that can be done easily and would also bring up other cases where facebook is hurting the user experience. An example would be if a user shares a link to content. When you press on the content, its default action is to bring up the user’s profile- instead of the content. By pressing and holding on the content, you can visit the content which takes the android user to the wap site for Facebook! ( again not the touch friendly site)
Personally given the choice, I can show several other cases where this same behaviour occurs and its these small little tweaks that can turn experience from being a great advantage to the Smartphone to a source of frustration.
Phase 2 Option A: The kinda cool Future
How about having some cool features that twitter for Android has, like the ability to repost content to your contacts? What about location based information? My Phone knows where I am, Facebook knows what I like- why not recommend items? Location based information is a great way to earn revenue. Personally I can envision a point where the mobile version of Facebook becomes the primary driver of traffic to the site. With traditional advertising revenues falling off the chart, Facebook will look to release a subscription based premium version of the Facebook android application, one that is advert free and offers a complete syncing solution within Android’s Calendar Gallery, unified messaging system and Contacts.
The above option for me is a kind of dead end when it comes to the app- which is why I suggest that Facebook look at Option B below.
Phase 2 Option B: The Awesome future
All the above would be great features to add, but how about taking the app to the next level. Turning Facebook into a true mobile 3.0 platform. Why not let Facebook enhance peoples lives? I personally have gained and experienced a great deal since joining facebook, from being inspired by friends activities to gleaning new information or opening my mind to more experiences. At the moment each activity or post to the site can be viewed as a finality or a result. Hey all my friends “This is what I have done”- the end.
People share content to share experiences, to create commonality amongst their social networks. Each experience should be viewed as a potential beginning of an experience. A seed in which to grow and expand ones own perceptions and experiences. Why not encourage and profit from this behaviour? If my friend goes to see a great movie, at the moment I have a “like this “ button- why can’t I have a “do this” button, which will show me the nearest places to go see the movie. The latest incarnations of web software should be able to rudimentally categorize this ( strategies for this can be discussed under a future post) and present it to me as an actionable item. The scope for this is limitless, from overseas travel to visiting your local restaurant. Let me invite friends, send me a discount voucher and then let me share the experience when I am done. A future mobile facebook should be a initiator of content, and not just the repository for the results. A single bit of shared information should be contextual and personal to a user – and should allow people to create an experience flow, one that others can buy into. Let facebook take a piece of the pie as a result of the transactions that occur as a result of this experiential flow and Facebook need never seek a new business model ever again as a users life will be inextricably intertwined with facebook’s revenue streams.
A future facebook that presents its users with options that weren’t previously comprehended by the user, will present the ultimate Unique Selling Point- it will make your life better. How’s that for a win-win situation!
Here is a brief illustration of an experiential flow:
Click to view full size image of experience user flow
Do you have an idea on how to improve facebook? Go to Erick’s Google Spreadsheet to share your feedback
Related posts: