Recognizing that an increasing number of visitors were coming to their website using mobile devices, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) was keen to create a mobile website to better meet concert goers’ needs – and so were we. While the website is currently under development, Usability Matters and the TSO are excited to share some of the design insights from our efforts to date.
To ensure we achieved an engaging, fun and useful user experience, we began by building upon Josh Clark’s terrific “mobile mindsets” framework (Tapworthy: Designing Great iPhone Apps). The aim was to sharply focus on the tasks of TSO enthusiasts on the go.
Iʼm microtasking…
- Find out what concerts are coming up
- Purchase tickets
- Get answers to common questions such as “what should I wear?“
Iʼve got a little time…
- Find out about pre-concert chats and other concert-related events
- Listen to TSO concert excerpts, recordings and podcasts
- Watch TSO videos
Iʼm local…
- Get directions to the performance venue
- Find out where to park
- Find nearby restaurants and discounts
Far from being restrictive of the design, this disciplined task focus was an utter delight – sloughing off the barnacles that too often get affixed to a website was liberating. Over-burdensome display ads were replaced by discreet sponsorship provisions. Stakeholder efforts to put a slice of everything on the home page were rendered impossible.
The result? It has been a delightful collaboration with the TSO and I eagerly await the launch of the website in the coming months but in the interim, I know that all my upcoming design efforts will reap the benefit of this project’s task-focused influence.
In subsequent posts we’ll unveil some of the design solutions.