Why mobile UX could bridge the digital divide for Canadian youth

If there was one reason why more software developers should consider a “mobile-first” approach to user experience design, this is it: failing to do so may increase the digital divide in Canada and beyond.

Last week on CBC Radio’s technology program Spark, host Nora Young cited research that suggests mobile technology is bringing access to young people in almost every economic sphere. That should be considered progress, right? Maybe not:

“Here’s the thing: while the prevalence of smartphones makes it easy to connect, it’s possible that an over-reliance on them is causing some low-income youth to fall behind,” she says. That’s because desktop programs are often the ones used for content creation and in-depth research. Smartphones, Young said, are “great for e-mailing and posting to Instagram, but not for writing essays.”

Though she doesn’t necessarily spell it out, Young’s observations could be considered a call for the UX community to ensure that if low-income youth don’t have desktop Internet access at home, they should have access to mobile apps and sites that allow them as full a range of digital literacy skills as possible. Listen to the Spark podcast for more (begin at around 13:00).

Successful gamification begins with tapping into users’ motivations. In an article on the Huffington Post Canada last week, Toronto-based entrepreneur Giovanna Mingarelli suggests the top three include love, money and glory. The best way to harness those drivers, however, is not necessarily setting up users for an epic quest or a mammoth undertaking.

“Satisfying work always starts with two things: a clear goal and actionable next steps toward achieving that goal. A great way to break down this work is by dividing our goal into bite-size, actionable items,” she writes. “Gamifying a process with microactions is not only fun and rewarding, but can also be incredibly useful.”

Read Mingarelli’s post to learn how she uses IfWeRanTheWorld as an example of how powerful microactions can be.

It’s a good sign the digital signage market is growing when a distributor the size of Tech Data Canada gets serious about it. As ChannelBuzz noted in an article last week, the company has formed a relationship with Samsung Canada to carry a number of its display lines. Tech Data Canada’s senior vice-president of sales and marketing Greg Myers explains the business trends behind it:

“As digital signage has become an expected feature at many large retail chains, airports, malls, and other public outlets, Myers said ‘secondary markets’ are starting to turn to the technology, making it an opportunity for smaller solution providers.”

Read the full piece to hear more about where Myers sees the opportunities for interactive displays emerging in Canada.

Elsewhere:

The creative director at Samsuung and others will be converging in New Zealand on Oct. 10 for UX Design Day.

A post from Ernst & Young on Forbes provides more insight into how retailers are embracing gamification.

The Point of Sale News focuses on ways hotels are making strategic use of digital signage.

On The Drum, David Young debates whether it’s better to be a UX generalist or a UX specialist.

Just like their Canadian counterparts, Egyptian entrepreneurs are taking note of gamification, a local paper writes.