Brian Fling is the man when it comes to mobile design. This is why he will be speaking at the online DIY summit that takes place on 9/17 [http://www.environmentsforhumans.com/diysummit/]. His talk will be about designing for the iphone, the pioneer device for truly experiencing the web while being mobile.
Brian is a mostly self taught web and mobile design developer who lives in Seattle, Washington. He has done work for large and small scale companies, co-founded his own companies, and is currently part of sixsites.com. This website shares their experiences on trying to create six different mobile and web products.
What really strikes a chord with me about Brian is that even though I have not physically met him, his online demeanor seems professional yet approachable. The manifesto for his company pinch/zoom, formerly Fling Media, is what gave me this impression. I think its something that all designers no matter what medium they choose to work with should hold themselves to.
Their Manifesto
1. Always set and reset expectations.
2. Charge what it costs, not what you want to make.
3. The client should own what they hire you to do.
4. There is only an A-Team, no B-Team.
5. Maintain a low overhead. Pass savings on to your client.
6. Focus on what you excel at.
7. Never use smoke and mirrors to win a client.
8. Always be honest with yourself and your client.
9. Do what you love. Love what you do.
10. Don’t Lie.
11. Don’t be a Prick.
One of his articles on his site, flingmedia.com, discusses how it is important to let your users be involved in the product. I feel this is particularly important given that hundreds of new mobile devices come out in the US every year. All with different browsers and screen sizes. Designing for the mobile device takes research but at the same time a design can be enhanced by the users experiences and suggestions for improvement. This is also reflected in his recent publication dotMobi Mobile Web Developers Guide. This guide was the first free publication that covered mobile web design and its development from beginning to end.
Brian knows the importance of resetting yourself in the professional world. He decided to leave the company he helped co-found, Blue Flavor, to start Pinch/Zoom, an interactive agency specializing in mobile and web applications. Under this company they have designed mobile site interfaces with such names as Best Buy, Lonely Planet, and Twitter.
He sees the importance and the increasing possibilities for mobile websites. With cellphones like the iphone the masses are beginning to experience the web mobile like never before. Designing for the mobile device takes on new challenges that aren’t really factors in traditional websites, however basic principles stay the same. But what quirky challenges arise for designing on a device with a screen the size of bar of soap (or possibly even smaller)? What design elements need to be present and what functions need to be implemented to make this website a success in the mobile world?
I find it so ironic that Brian is forerunner for one of the largest online communities focused on mobile design and his first job was… at a mobile store! Designing for the web is very exciting for me, so being able to hear about how to design for a mobile device like the iphone is no exception. I think it is important for a designer to embrace the mobile design. With the popularity of the iphone, the market for these type of devices will only increase and this may change how we design and market on the web.
