There is a clear market for boutique app stores to complement the massive global app stores driven by the prominent device manufacturers. Ixonos delivered to Intel a mobile AppUp store for MeeGo smartphones with the added benefit of a full UX strategy Intel can rely on and from which they can profit for years to come.

BACKGROUND

With their recent entry into the netbook and smartphone markets, Intel had an existing app store catering to netbooks, the AppUp centre, which they were looking to extend to smartphones as well. Intel was looking for a supplier that could deliver the user interface design, when Ixonos offered a complete UX package. In a comprehensive user-experience design project, Ixonos delivered to Intel a full UX strategy for mobiles as well as concept design of a smartphone app store that delivers superior user experiences.

SOLUTION

Ixonos performed a thorough strategy exploration and analysis, which provided a clear goal for Intel’s mobile app store. Ixonos’ aim was to take the app store user experience on to a whole new level. Most of the currently existing app store solutions are comparable to supermarkets: they offer thousands of apps but treat all customers the same. To counter this, Ixonos came up with a concept comparable to shopping in your corner store or local coffee shop and designed a place where consumers could go to meet friends and other like-minded people. In Ixonos’ UX concept, a superior app store does not push irrelevant advertisements to customers; it offers spot-on deals based on use history. The app store quickly learns to know the customer’s taste and the customer begins to trust the recommendations of the store. Based on this concept, Ixonos delivered to Intel detailed designs, a working demo and UX design guidelines for the mobile app store.

BENEFITS

A thorough analysis of the market situation, the competition and related technologies allowed Ixonos to deliver to Intel a comprehensive mobile strategy that addresses the different variables affecting their app store ecosystem now and in the foreseeable future. A solid UX strategy for mobiles will profit Intel for several years to come and award them plenty of innovative ideas they can utilize in the future. Based on thorough market research and user need assessments, Ixonos’ UX team was able to innovate a concept for a superior app store where consumers can use social networking features to interact and share experiences with one another.