Mobile Trends for 2013: Services and Experiences, Big Data and Design

As we zoom towards 2013, we thought we'd ask mobile experts the world over what surprised them about the past year, what they expected in the coming year and what they think needs a bit more attention. Todays interview is with

Roger Wood, Founder of the (ART+DATA) Institute.

What surprised you about the mobile advertising industry in the past year?

For all of the talk of big data, there has been a consistent lack of focus on Data Driven Design. More companies should be exploring how Design and Big Data/Analytics affect and enhance one another. We call this principle (ART+DATA). Apple created the most valuable company ever by leveraging (ART+DATA) Principles. Apple uses Big Data insights to make better products and experiences which, in turn, are designed to collect more useful data. Each and every Apple product communicates back to the Apple data warehouse about its usage seamlessly, with the customers tacit agreement. The oceans of data gathered through the Operating System, Genius, iTunes, and AppStore are then used to craft elegant, useful products like MacBook Air, iPhone, and iPad, which then provide even more extensive insights into how people use them. Apple created a virtuous circle between Big Data and Big Design.

What do you think will be the biggest mobile trend for 2013?

The biggest trend in mobile in 2013 will be the intersection of big data and design. Big Data will have a design purpose. Top performers in mobile will have an Apple-like organization that avoids direct competition, and is focused on re-imagining products and services based on Big Data insights. One after another, industries are being transformed by the concepts of Better Design, Deeper Insights. Governments and non-profit organizations have felt the impact, too. Singapore is the first (ART+DATA) government, with virtuous circle between data collected and the urban planning design of the city itself. The Gates Foundation is a shining example of applying a data-driven approach to the design in humanitarian programs.

What is another 2013 mobile trend that you feel is being overlooked and not given enough attention?

"What data do we need to make a better product, a better service, a better experience?" All research, product development, technology infrastructure, distribution methods, even accounting decisions, flow from that question. Companies that live by this question will likely outperform their competitors. Mobile promises to become one of the most vibrant arenas for experimentation with new technologies that extend big data and design potential beyond anything we have ever seen. Mobile, as Malcolm Gladwell so poignantly coined, is at The Tipping Point.

About Roger Wood

Roger is the Founder of the (ART+DATA) Institute, and author of the principle. As a product designer and statistician, he has made contributions to a wide range of digital media, including text messaging, ecommerce, and digital advertising. He has led groundbreaking applications of Bayesian game theory and Kahn scenario principles to decisions about product development. At Motorola apex in 1993, he led the groundbreaking industrial design and software development for the IDEN product line, which was the first mobile social network. He was on the founding team at Omnipoint, the first text messaging service in America. As the first chief digital officer at Reebok and Ralph Lauren RLX, he further applied Game Theory principles to competitive models. Learn more about (ART+DATA) via Twitteror via Facebookor their site http://www.artplusdata.com/. Read more mobile predictions and trends for 2013.