We have discussed on several occasions how mobile tagging is really a vehicle to enable mobile user experiences. One small part of this experience that I like with Tag is knowing that there is a consistent scanning experience on all phones. This is a huge comfort when taking into account both production issues and user experience factors. Note: With extreme customization examples they do have minor issues, but that is outside the scope of this piece.
Production Perspective: I am often asked if a designer code will work on every combination of scanners and handsets. As a designer, I am rest assured that I only have to test a customized Tag with one app on several phones, rather than several apps on several phones. This cuts down on my QA process significantly.
User Perspective: I personally still assume that most people will have both a QR reader and a Tag reader. However, it’s nice to know that a user only needs to pick between one Tag app rather than several Tag apps. From handset to handset, and user to user, we can assume that everyone is going to have a similar scanning and UX experience. There is nothing worse than having to explain to a user or VP that they downloaded the “wrong” app to access a 2D barcode campaign. Even after the scan, we can assume that everyone will interact with UI elements in the same manner so as to not create disruptions in user flow.
There are many complexities that go into creating a successful integrated marketing campaign using mobile 2D barcodes. When using Tag, it’s nice to know that we only need to design for one app, freeing up time to focus on other parts of the creative process.
Patrick Donnelly is a Mobile Solutions Architect at 2ergo. If you liked this post, check out some of Patrick’s other blog posts on the Tag Blog here.
Do you think that having one reader enhances the user’s experience when scanning? Let us know with your comments below or on Facebook or Twitter.