Leveraging Cross Device Experiences

This is achieved by the rigorous process that has gone into the design of the product and the technology that underpins the experience delivered to the audience. However often, these experiences are designed in isolation without a universal design language, making it hard for users to move between them in a seamless fashion, but this is purely on a surface level, when they are built on technology that is independent from each other. This is also often compounded by the way companies organise their internal structure for example App team, Web team etc.

In recent years, companies have made improvements by transitioning from a channel-focused approach to either organising teams around specific product features or aligning with key moments in the user’s lifecycle, such as account management.

In order to create compelling experiences across digital channels it’s essential to think bigger and beyond the surface layer. To truly understand how people interact with a product, it is necessary to gain insight into user behaviour by observing their actions and how they utilise additional tools, workarounds, or low-fi alternatives that they may resort to. The opportunity lies in developing or discovering the desirable features that people would love to have readily accessible.

These features can create a unique USP, a potential for stickiness or purely a moment of delight that gives your product the best chance of being successful.

It’s not simply a case of trying to imagine what a user might do; you need to walk for a moment in their shoes. What do they do already in a clunky way, what would they like to do (but the functionality does not exist), or more creatively, what opportunities can you uncover to connect moments that would elevate the experience.

There are many ways to observe and understand user behaviour including diary studios, ethnographic research, contextual enquiry etc. And, in addition to this, the ergonomic considerations required in a world where hardware, such the Apple Vision Pro, blurs the lines between screen design and physical context and interactions.

Cross platform journeys

How you can continue or pick up where you left off on one device to the next. Example: Where you are watching a video on the web, you move to your console, and it picks up where you left off.

Second screen experience

How you can add to the experience by utilising another device to capitalise or context of use. Example: A tablet becomes a place to purchase products that are being worn on the TV programme.

Utilising device technology

Utilising a device’s specific feature or hardware to perform a certain task. Example: Using a health tracking watch to record and share with a health insurance provider – the black box for humans.

Augmenting your experience

Where you can provide an alternative way of interacting with content that enhances an experience. Example: Using a phone camera to leverage augmented reality, to view a physical product within a given space.

People don’t usually complete their journeys in a single sitting or on the same platform. So, how can we provide them with an experience that eliminates the need for repetitive logins, form submissions, and revisiting the same information?

This is why cross-device experiences are so important. However, it’s not about being creepy or intrusive. We simply want to make sure users can get the help they need, when and where they need it, without needing to constantly repeat themselves.

With the prevalence of personalisation, the idea of one journey or one start point (such as a “Homepage”) are becoming a thing of the past. Data, even at the most basic level, can help shape what the user sees. Knowing how they have interacted with a service elsewhere helps to pick up where they left off.

Not all cross-device experiences are crafted and delivered by the same service providers. Consider the younger generation who access multiple screens at the same time. They might play a handheld console while simultaneously watching a game walkthrough on the YouTube app on a TV. Similarly, gamers might choose to play online against their friends but opt for a FaceTime call instead of using a headset. Having a feature or function in a service doesn’t guarantee that it will be used as intended or frequently used.

Understanding how the touchpoint is commonly utilised and considering the external factors that come into play are crucial in determining the feasibility and desirability of people’s perceived wants and needs. Just because it sounds cool, it does not guarantee it will consistently work in the intended way or in every context.

It needs to work seamlessly to enhance and should not get in the way or be cumbersome in its execution. Therefore, in-context research is essential in fleshing out the moments that are fundamental to the success of the intended idea.

If you’re not thinking about your product or service’s cross-platform experience, then you are leaving your user base with the opportunity to look elsewhere to solve their needs. You are keeping the door open for lost moments that could have been owned and truly give a compelling reason to use your product.