• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, June 7, 2011

One of the themes emerging from the OMMA Mobile conference Tuesday, amid all the discussion about apps, 2D codes, geo-fencing and mobile payments, was the human factor. That is, the importance of focusing on the end user -- from the start of the mobile development process through to the consumer's response to mobile projects.

That sounds intuitive, but it's a maxim that often gets overlooked as technology developers, marketers, and wireless operators scramble to come up with new initiatives designed to benefit them -- but consumers, not so much. It's the bright shiny object syndrome -- exemplified by, say, Augmented Reality and QR codes.

This point was also underscored in a Nielsen Norman study that found navigation on many iPad apps is confusing, leaving users unsure about which gestures to use and where to access content through the touchscreen.

Oops. Because mobile -- whether in the form of tablets or phones -- tends to be a more personal device, it's all the more crucial to get the user experience right before launching new features or mobile products.

At one OMMA Mobile panel, digital and marketing executives from companies including FedEx, Kraft, and IBM discussed increasing effort to include hands-on testing by consumers from the start of development. Chris Brown, VP, product management for Apartments.com, said that as the company is building a new Android app it's getting user feedback even at the early wireframe, or prototyping, stage.

Ed Kaczmarek, director of innovation, consumer experiences, Kraft Foods, talked about putting app concepts in front of consumers early on to make sure products are useful and relevant to customers' lives. That's especially true when mobile teams within organizations are still likely to be small, with only a handful of dedicated staff at most. Kaczmarek, for instance, noted that Kraft's mobile group consisted essentially of himself and one other user interface specialist.

For its part, FedEx is creating a specialized mobile group to be able to respond more quickly to changes in technology and mobile user habits than its Internet or software groups would be able to.

The human factor is also key when it comes to driving uptake of apps. MTV's Colleen Fahey Rush presented research showing that word-of-mouth is the way most people find apps. Does that mean putting a big promotional budget behind a new app a waste of money? Let's just say advertising wasn't one of the ways people cited as a major sources of app discovery.

But Rush said companies could help drive word-of-mouth through their online properties and social media presence. And building an app that puts the emphasis on being user-friendly rather than flashy is an even better way to build mobile fans.