I don’t specially need to say what smart phones’ role in current world is.  Those days are gone when a mobile phone (featured) was merely meant for communication. Now communication is only a feature of mobile phones (smart phones). In addition to it, mobile phones are loaded with lot of attractive features, which significantly turn everybody on.

As smart phone users are increasingly growing, all the businesses bringing their presence to users by building app & mobile websites. I am not selling smartphones here, but this is imperative from where we realize why we need to look at best user experiences!!

It’s always proportion with end users/audience, more users the more apps, more apps more competitors.

Well, in the massive competitive market and user choices, how do you stand in race?  What does it take to become successful and why do users seem to embrace certain offerings when most lack behind?

The one key differentiator is user experience.

People often get confused user experience (UX) with user interface (UI), User Interface design is mostly been done by graphic designers who just design visually appealing interface based on provided UI story boards (by UX designers). Whereas user experience (UX) involves understanding many factors, from human behavior and interaction design to an appreciation of the technical constraints that mobile brings.

My recommendation is, don’t let graphic designers to decide application flow, layout, elements and their placements etc, unless they have foresaid qualities. They are good at their colors; let them design prototypes with an attractive look and feel.

User experience design

User experience is what a person feels about the relevance and effectiveness of the apps they interact with. User experience is about the meaningful aspects of how people see, hear, and touch it. This means the focus is on how the user enjoys and perceives worth when interacting with an apps. It’s about making solutions easy to use, valuable and effective for people.

When using a computer to access the Internet, users are typically more kinda relaxed, for example sitting at a desk, and have a larger viewing screen and more traditional input methods. Mobile devices are just opposite, where you’re faced with a small screen, limited input methods and environment.

When we use our mobile phones we are more prone to interruptions than when we are sitting at a desktop. A good design approach needs to pay obvious attention of the user and the interruptions they are likely to face. It needs to reduce the hiccups and allow things to be as straightforward as possible.

Common user guidelines:

There are few common design guidelines can be employed in order to bring best mobile user experience. 

Identify

Identify why and how your product will be used. Are you going to offer your target users something they actually want? If so, is your mobile proposal useful and relevant to your target audience?

Only by having clear knowledge of your target audience and understanding what they’re looking for will be able to meet their expectations and provide a convincing experience. Once you’ve fully understood your users’ “wants and needs”, you should map these against your business objectives (requirements/goals). In the end, your mobile offering should contain the right content in the right way and right place at the right time.

Simplicity

More than on any other platform type mobile platform’s goal should be to minimise any confusing points and allow users to perform the tasks they wan quickly and easily, without making them jump through lots of hoops.

Considering constraints such as limited screen size, the user interface needs to be clean, free of clutter and easy to use. One key question to ask is, whether the user will be able to navigate and use an application without instructions? This is known as discoverability - users do not want to have to think about what they’re doing; they just want to be able to do it.

The more options you show a user, the more you make them think and the less they will actually do. A good mobile designer will prioritize what’s important and remove any unnecessary elements that can clutter. It’s also advisable to provide relative, practical guidance that helps users make good decisions. For example, use clearly labeled and logically positioned buttons that takes user to desirable elements quickly.

In summary, every aspect of the user interface design must be justified; anything that doesn’t need to be part of your mobile offering shouldn’t be. Even if you think a feature is essential, reconsider if it really is.  Simplicity, efficiency and elegance can set you apart from the competition.

Innovative

Innovation is not just doing new things; it can be old or new but doing in a new way.

Innovations must tightly related with business objectives while at the same time addressing a real user need or benefit and should never be technology for technology’s sake. The goal is to enhance the user experience by making it more convenient and efficient for the user to get their task done.

Innovative apps often use native device features like location and direction services based on the GPS and compass technology, video camera or motion detection for interaction.

Knowing what competitors are doing helps to differentiate your offering from theirs, but also it’s crucial to look out of the box. Look beyond your competitors to grab inspiration and seed ideas that surprise and delight your audience. Comparing the best mobile experiences along side of what your customer needs makes you to stay ahead.

Go Social

Mobile devices are at the centre of how people communicate with their friends and colleagues, whether by phone, text, email or increasingly, through accessing social networking sites. We have seen a dramatic rise in the number of people using social media. Mobile usage is now fuelling the popularity of social networks. Facebook alone claims that 480 million people access their accounts via mobile, performing a range of activities, posting comments and shares, uploading images. This is proof enough where mobile users now spend more time on social networks than PC users do.

Businesses need to understand how to dive into this socially connected world and create opportunities that can drive revenue by building tighter bonds with users.

Evolution

Continuous evolution is imperative to keep applications up to date, it can be advances in technology, new industry trends, differing business requirements and last but not least, feedback from your users.

Listen to your users and be able to respond quickly to their feedback and their needs. Keep them happy and engaged by creating an agile deployment strategy, introducing new features as they become ready.

Most mobile users are familiar to receive the benefits of the latest technology and love to experiment with it. If bugs or security flaws are found, release fixes immediately to correct them, making sure to be clear about the new features you’ve implemented, the bugs that you’ve fixed, and whether or not you’ve fixed any security issues.

Faking work experience is nothing wrong in the present (tough) job market. But it needs some further attributes to be added to our traits. It's like "chicken or egg, which came first?" . Companies are not ready to employ inexperienced people,  but unless somebody gives opportunity from where experience comes? Well, this tricky situation makes people to think beyond rules.

I have seen cases, people study ahead of their financial abilities, and their parents are ready to do everything possible to make them graduated, thinking that their son/daughter would get good opportunities n therefore they get some support. This case is applicable for those who feels responsibility of their parents(unfortunately not everybody)

Another case, We see our friends getting in corporate jobs through campus interviews, references, luck and backdoor..etc. And they always (even during sleep) wear an ID card, formal dress code, team outings, posting office cabin pics on fb. Having seen all that, who wouldn't want to be the same?

Different cases, different requirements.. few wants to support their family, few wans a luxury life, few for girls (trust me), few for onsite, a few just to flee away from their wives.. and so on...
Although requirements are different, but the goal is same "Get a Job". Well, each individual chooses a different approach. Few they genuinely try without fake initially, then they decide to.. and others dont fake at all, not that they want to be genuine, but they are scared.

Breaking interviews, and entering into jobs are not at all tough matters with a fake experiences, but the real defy is afterwards. How do you manage companies expectations? thatz foremost, and how do you work/behave with your team?
Well, here are few common mistakes done by fakies, which let to doubt:

1. They don't speak/mingle with teams, cause they are scared if the other may catch, out of their talk. (especially in meetings)
2. They work around the clock, even on Saturday & Sundays we can find them in office (somehow want to meet the timelines).
3. They fumble, when their manger/HR calls them in
4. They hesitant to use keyboard when team member/managers stand by.(Experience of a person can easily be figured out by their keyboard usage) 
5. They are always on calls/messengers taking help from their friends. Etc..

Above mentioned are mostly to do with your behavioral changes, in addition to that you need strong SUBJECT(technical skills). If you have subject(infact more than a real experienced guy), and you are proved to be fake, there are few companies they consider you(by your skills). Even after that if somebody fires you, that's your hardluck.

So, if you are decided to fake, get your skills sharpen and bring your personality(like I said) along with. If you think I am encouraging, YES I AM. EOD every company wants their work to be done... that's it, as simple as it is. For those who think this is cheating... I dont give a damn ****. Career is lika  race, you need to run even after limbed.

Good Luck!

It has been a trend in Indian film industry again for parallel films, I don't know who has started it(must be kollywood), but for sure it is kinda drilling. That too with the same story line, hero(must be poor and young) and heroin( may or may not be poor but too young) fall in love in an unbelievable manner (Ex: A rich girl with an established family background falls in love with a street side mechanic), and their parents come to know this at a later time, heroin's parents(if has brother/father) intimidates the hero, but he doesn't care. Next option , they beat him to death, even then he doesn't care. That makes two of them to elope and settle in a secluded places with the help of their friends, for few days happy n romantic life with one or more duets... in between hero/heroin's parents or hired rowdies finds this couple. Again they beat him to death (this time even harder than before) n take her home back. And hero's parents also... Time for a sad version song randomly showing both hero and heroin's situations (If Yuvan sings it, It rocks! His voice best suits for tragedy). In the above scenes sometimes there are chances for deaths(of hero parents/friends). Well then, heroin forces to get married to a guy who chosen by her parents, may hero too. That's it! story ends.. oopps, forgot to mention, sometimes hero possibly goes mad.

This is the same story, but locations, characters and dialogues change. As it genre claims it is a Parallel Movie, it has to be realistic and natural. For obvious reasons, movie is made by talented crew(director, cinematographer, star cast). They make this sucha way, we completely indulge in it.. we feel that itz happening around you, at least more than twice we watch this movie. Minting money for producers. You know why producers chose this kinda movies, because they are less than low-budget, no indoor shootings... no expensive sets, pick a village, select school passed out kids(for hero, heroin and others). That's it, Your are tru!.

Although the same routine story, without fail we watch it, even I been watching every single movie. Undoubtably they are good, nicely made. But there is hardly any entertainment in it. Completely serious, violent and tragedy. Why do I pay and watch myself or my friends on a big f*****g screen? That we are anyway facing in our day to day life.. correct? There is not even one single scene which I can recollect and smile once I am out of theater  It completely against to our purpose of watching a movie. With the current jobs, round the clock work, uneven timings people are literally pissed off.
We need a break in between, just to change our routine stuff.. to add little entertainment we watch movies.
But even there the same serious faces... sometimes we tend to correlate few scenes with your past experiences. huffff... that's pathetic. A movie has to be artificial, unreal, fiction n funny, only then there is hope for entertainment.

This disease is already spread in Tamil industry, and Malyalam, Kannada industry is getting infected slowly now.. not sure about bollywood, I haven't watched any recent.

I know what you guys are goin to suggest me, I know... "Dammit, If you want entertainment go watch of that kind, don't dare to say anything about our REAL films. We love to watch them".

But folks, for now I can manage to, but the kind of hype these movies have, in future nobody makes any entertainment movie.. :(

Title of this post sounds weird, doesn't it? who would want to work with a bad management.. and screw their career? Well, lemme break it down for you. It's been over 11 years I have been working, and I got to see all kinds. What I learnt in bad managements is more than in a good ones, working with good managements is always been a smooth sailing, in which you don't even think of hard storms. But the journey of career is expected to have storms, troubles, difficulties, well then how do you overcome them, if you ain't experienced? Don't worry bad managements teach them all.

Well, dont mistake me, I dont mean that one should not work with good managements at all! What I mean, it is equally important to work with bad too.  

Good ones: Teaches how one should be (in a way, how to be successful)

Bad ones: Teaches how one should not be (in a way, how not to be unsuccessful)

Now, Don't you think how important is a bad managements too?

Well then, Let's see what it does to you:

1. Doesn't let you learn
2. Doesn't believe you
3. Doesn't let you grow
4. Gives false promises
5. Plays monopoly

There are many other things, but they kinda sub categories of above four.

Let's see what we learn out of them

1. Doesn't let you learn

They are scared of your extra(more than what they/their project require) knowledge, because you might seek for a better opportunity elsewhere. They peep what you are reading/browsing/googling(with the help of IT teams). Poor, we do not know this, and we continue reading... and one bad morning you manager calls you and jumps up n down. Well, You dont have any clue what happened to that money suddenly!!!
This becomes a regular, gradually that makes you realize your mistake(not really). Now you become a smart a**. It's a learning curve for you, You don't read at office or you would find a better way to read which they cant catch.

2. Doesn't believe you

They give you responsibilities according to your role, but they never believe you. They appoint spies with in your team who you cannot even suspect. Poor we discuss every damn thing with everybody. That's it, they smoothly carry all that u uttered(including personals) to management, further management takes actions upon. In this regard learning line for us is, DO NOT OPEN YOURSELF COMPLETELY TO OTHERS. Keep your intimacy in limitation. Prioritize matters which are necessary to share or not to share with others!

3. Doesn't let you grow

Of course they don't, they don't allow you to go out of their lil valley and grab something better. They block all job portals, they ask you to come to office on Saturday's & Sundays too, just to stop giving interviews. These Sought of cheap techniques challenge us to react more. We strive constantly and finally pick the best opportunity. Even then they make it hard to release you, they don't provide necessary relieving documents. They loom stories, sometimes they try to buy you back. This time you become a real jack a**. Either you take advantage of their situation by demanding for more money(huge salary hike)... or you pick the other option(to join other company).

4. Gives false promises

There are different kinds of promises based on company's ability/volume. This happens in small companies mostly. They give exciting promises to impress you as a result they can leverage more work from you. But what we unaware of these promises, they are like our regular supermarket offers(*conditional apply)... conditions here are not transparent. Means, as soon as they obtain your work offer invalidates.
And few say, we won't be able to pay you much right now, but after we become popular we will give golden eggs. Well, normal human tendency, we get turned on by these. But this happens in everywhere, this makes you bold enough when next time somebody offers you, you can put your foot down and give your opinion.

5. Plays monopoly

Last but definitely not least, this is the ultimate thing a bad management can do, they intimidate you that they would fire!!! Anybody initially gets scared(to death) of it, but by on.. and on.. and on your are seasoned. That makes you a complete professional person to say "Thanks go ahead, I have been waiting" .

That is all, Hope the above points make you believe how important is it to work with a Bad Management and get Well Worst with all circumstances.

Thanks for reading, n thanks your patience :)