Intercom Survey Results

In 2007, STC conducted a member survey of its publications. I've listed some interesting data that I believe relates to the Intercom magazine app I'm prototyping for the iPhone:

Three-fourths of subscribers save Intercom and refer back to it.
Pass along: typically, 2.1 people read the copy delivered.

Level of interest in the following electronic enhancements to articles or online formats (first number=extremely interested, second number=interested):
Online chats and forums about articles 5%, 20%
Online chats with authors 3%, 16%
Blogs related to features or other content 8%, 22%
Podcasts of articles 7%, 15%
Online additional content related to articles 16%, 41%
RSS Feeds 10%, 18%

Survey respondents rarely go online to read/search for article in Intercom.

Preferred access online:
PDFs 32%
HTML 16%
Digital version 21%
Combination of PDF and HTML 26%

Q: If there were no difference in the cost for members to receive the online version and/or the print version, which version would you prefer for Intercom?
Online only 24%
Print only 24%
Both print and online 51%
Don’t want it 2%

I bet if we conducted this survey again today, there would be some variation in the results due to the technologies that are now available and more widely used. It would be really interesting to see the difference two years makes. But these results are still valuable to me.

An Experience with Digital Natives

I had dinner last night with a friend who is fostering two children from Columbia for 6 weeks. The kids are 9 and 12. They do not speak English, and I speak very little Spanish, so communication was a challenge. About halfway through dinner, I reached in my purse for my iPhone and felt them watching me. They knew exactly what it was and asked their foster mom if I would let them play with it. That was it for the rest of the meal. I was amazed at their ability to instinctively use it, and my hand was even pushed away when I tried to show them how to "bowl." They'd never played the game before, but they knew exactly how it worked. It was cool.

More App pictures

Creating an Intercom App Prototype using OmniGraffle

Success! I have started building my prototype using the stencil program OmniGraffle. I don't have the authority (or developer chops) to make a "real" Intercom app, so I thought I could design a prototype that shows the potential of the mobile mag instead (Rich, do let me know if this is OK!). I've started with a front page that lists the topics of interest:

Next I plan to create the sublevels with the ability to communicate/participate with authors/editors/office staff/other readers. I've also been thinking about Rich's question about the mobility of the device through GPS, and I hope to incorporate that into the design as well. Anyway, it's exciting to have something to look at!

App Update

This week has been hell for me workload-wise, so I'm behind with my app development, but I plan to use a template source for testing my app idea because, like Arthur, I am no developer.

I've found some interesting stencils, some I shared last week during class:
http://graffletopia.com/stencils/413
http://iphoneized.com/2009/03/roundup-iphone-stencils-graphics-templates/
http://www.designcommission.com/shop/iphone-stencil-kit/

Others I've recently found these templates: http://pineappleiphone.com/themes/free-iphone-templates/

Since I'm focusing on a blog or forum format, something like these Blogger or WordPress templates might work. I need to do what Arthur and Julie have done and organize my content. You might even see a paper prototype first!... Feels like usability.