In 1995, the surfer turned internationally recognized graphic designer, David Carson, boldly declared the "End of Print" as the title of his first collection of printed work. His declaration was true to his flamboyant and misunderstood style which challenged the social norms associated with typography and design of his generation. In a similar style, Wired Magazine has thrown down the gauntlet in their September cover story and declared, the "Web is Dead". The premise? As the internet has evolved throughout the last 20 years of relative infancy, consumers are now less likely to "Surf" the World Wide Web as they are to turn to one of millions of simpler, sleeker services, spoon-fed to consumers by way of the app.
Win/Win
The evolution of our current "app-fueled" society isn't hard to interpret. Consumers have grown weary of the World Wide Web. Yes, there is more information at our fingertips than ever before, but the Web requires a certain amount of due-diligence and work that many are just not willing (or capable) of producing. Savvy capitalists quickly realized that taking the work out of the Web was where the money would be. Consumers don't want to look for information, they want it hand-delivered to them, whenever and wherever they are, and what evolved from there were smartphones, tablets and applications custom built to deliver information tailored to end-user needs, without having to search or even open a browser.
Applying the "App-titude"
What can we learn from this evolution in information delivery and consumption? How can we apply it and how will it continue to influence the buying and selling processes and methods we hold so dear? It's important to remember that "applications" have been around since the dawn of the PC age. What has made the "app" so vogue is the method in which the information is delivered. Apple was the first to really lock into this idea that consumers want simple, easy delivery of information. They perfected the idea of the "dock" and have since brought us the app-centric iPhone, iPad and now the iTV. What these devices have done is put the "app" into our laps so that we can't remember how we ever lived without them. We're seeing apps embraced in everything from medicine to government. Why? Because consumers are attracted to companies that are easy to do business with. Business owners who apply this "app-titude" to their business model will generate real solutions to address real consumer needs. Providing these solutions without requiring the consumer to search them out is key to long-term brand loyalty.
It's important to remember that content will always trump technology. We cannot think that just because we put it out there and apply the perfect Web 3.0 spin on an offering that the consumer is going to take the bait. In a world where social networks and viral content can literally raise or lower our stake overnight, it's vital that we strive to present an authentic and honest representation of who we are, our value proposition and our ability to back up our performance in everything we strive to provide—no matter the marketplace.
