Why less is more when it comes to event technology
Every action has an opposite reaction or, in other words, if you push something it may push back. This, of course, is a very simplified description of Newton’s third law. The truth is, this law can be applied to our daily encounters and not just the physical forces surrounding us. Throughout history the above rule proved us right again and again through social and political movements, tendencies in art and literature or trends in fashion and design.
Minimalism, as an artistic movement, was no exception. The style originated with the American visual art in the 1960s and emerged as a reaction against the rebellious and anarchic abstract works of expressionists. Soon it expanded to design and architecture, and finally its core principles became a life choice. Minimalistic lifestyle has evolved in response to consumerism and excessive acquisition of goods and services in the second half of the 20th century. One could argue that rapid globalisation and the change in our life pace has resulted in the emergence of this “opposite force”.
Towards simplification
Minimalistic tendencies not only influence certain social cultures but also impact the modern digital world. This is clearly seen in how the flat graphical user interface (UI) design with its simple elements, typography and colours came to replace the realistic design style, which was complicated by visual elements and textures.
It is becoming apparent that in the world of mobile apps the market saturation has resulted in reduced usage. Smartphone users have a high turnover rate for applications. They do not use most of them after downloading and even paying for them. People are becoming more picky and exigent when browsing through the app stores. According to a study published on Statista.com, the number of mobile apps downloaded worldwide grew drastically from 4.5 billion in 2010 to almost 270 billion downloads in 2017. However, an average smartphone user would only use 26 apps per month and only 5 of them on a regular basis.
Event apps are becoming a big part of event tech today and that’s why it may be important to start considering simplicity and minimalism when choosing an event tech provider.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
This was the early slogan at Apple Computer. Distinctive and user-friendly design together with the clear understanding of the essence of each product and its features were the main contributing factors that led to the company’s success. Maybe it is about time we start thinking about minimalistic aesthetics when choosing an event app? A simple and functional design will make it easier and quicker for the attendees to adopt the new technology. An intuitive user interface will reduce the time needed to get used to the app and will improve the overall experience for your audience.
Maybe it is about time we start thinking about minimalistic aesthetics when choosing an event app?
Concierge-style chatbots could help simplify event technology. Unlike the widespread event apps where a typical graphical UI is used, chatbots interact with the user through a simple and familiar conversational interface. Attendees can submit questions via chat and voice commands and receive an instant conversation-like automated response.
However, just like with any new promising technology, one has to wait and see whether it takes off. It is unlikely that the intelligent bot is going to replace event apps anytime soon, but it can be a useful addition, especially for the less tech-savvy audience. The advantage of chat bots is that they do not require installation and can be accessed through another messenger app already installed on the attendees’ smartphones. This obviously makes the experience even simpler for all those attending.
Getting the most, using the least
More work does not mean more effectiveness and a sophisticated web design will not guarantee a greater user experience. In the same way, a high number of app features neither makes the technology more user-friendly nor guarantees a higher level of adoption.
The Pareto principle states that approximately 80% of output is caused by 20% of input. Hypothetically, 80% of a company’s profit is most likely to come from 20% of its clients or products. Projecting this rule onto the event tech plane suggests that 80% of audience engagement comes from 20% of the features used.
In reality, the fact that an event app has a large number of sophisticated features does not mean this will result in higher adoption rates among the event attendees. As an event manager one should ask: What app features are used the most during my events? And consequently, reduce the number of unnecessary and ineffective tools.
Having to adopt a novel app interface with dozens of features can be overwhelming and instigate the so called “cobra effect”.
Although adding additional features may seem at first like an excellent opportunity to provide a better event experience to all those attending, the results might be the opposite to what was expected. Event attendees are already busy with trying to follow the schedule and planning their networking activities for the day. Having to adopt a novel app interface with dozens of features can be overwhelming and instigate the so called “cobra effect”. The law of unintended consequences will lead to a reduction in the event app adoption rates and you will be left scratching your head about what could have possibly gone wrong.
Remember that the primary reasons for people attending live events are networking and communication, and therefore the fundamentals of your event app must be based on the features that will encourage communication and content sharing, such as:
- Discussion and Q&A boards
- Speaker and attendee lists
- Direct messaging and meeting tools
- Social media integration
In the growing world of event technology event organisers should try to bet on simplicity. Event apps are there to make everyone’s lives easier and events more effective and enjoyable. Certainly not to burden the attendees with complicated visual designs or dozens of unnecessary tools. At TapFuse we believe that simple and intuitive solutions are going to be the ones that will transform the event industry to the greatest extent.
