I don’t have multiple personalities. I may operate in seemingly different worlds at times: marketing executive, hockey fan, avid jogger, but that doesn’t mean I need or want very different experiences when accessing content. In fact, I would argue the opposite. If I’m accessing content on my iPad while at the airport, I want to see the content as it would appear on my laptop at work. I want to find what I need quickly so I’m not wasting time and money on a potentially fee-based WiFi connection.
A cross-platform approach would give me a nearly ubiquitous experience no matter where I am or what device I’m using. I don’t stop caring about work just because I’m not in the office. I want to quickly get in and out of my content so I can get back to what’s in front of me. Thus, a fast, familiar view is preferred.
Companies that want to offer different user experiences depending on the device are going in the opposite direction from users’ natural desire. It’s a technology developer’s mistake not to think of rule #1 for user experience – make it intuitive. What’s more intuitive than what I’m already experiencing on other platforms?
User experience is king, queen and the rest of the regal family. It’s also key to end-user adoption and loyalty.
