Archives / Design

A report card on Irish mobile banking: An outsider upstages them all

September 18, 2011 by Brian Donohue

A few months ago the UX Alliance asked its members around the globe to evaluate mobile banking applications within their country. The result was a unique insight into banking apps from over 20 countries across 5 continents.

There were lots of detailed observations about what makes a really good banking app, but fundamentally what it showed was how far behind the Irish banks are when it comes to mobile.

And it’s not just the countries who you’d expect to have good mobile banking, even the less usual suspects — Chile, Russia, South Africa and Poland — offer their customers more than the big banks here in Ireland:


 Continue reading →

A mobile call to action

September 12, 2011 by Laurence Veale

Every year since 2006 has been heralded as the year of the mobile. With smartphone penetration in Ireland at over 50% in some segments, perhaps the prophecy has finally been fulfilled (or is likely to be very soon). But what does … Continue reading →

Is Google+ full of rubberneckers?

August 12, 2011 by Colman Walsh

Are people really using Google+? During one of my intermittent visits I noticed the threadbare nature of my “stream”. Whereas my Facebook account has a never ending flow of news, the last update from friends on Google+ was four days … Continue reading →

The EU Cookie Directive

July 27, 2011 by Colman Walsh

Anybody familiar with certain UK newspapers will know that the EU has a track record of poorly drafted legislation, leaving itself open to dramatic misinterpretation. The most famous was probably the “bent banana directive” which ruled that bananas must be … Continue reading →

“Er … have you ever broken the law?”

July 1, 2011 by Shane Diffily

Ever feel you want to ask an awkward question in an online survey – but think everyone will simply lie in their response? This article from Scientific American shows how – with a little simple maths – we can get the insights we want. For example… “Have you ever cheated on your husband / wife?” … YES or NO. Continue reading →

A multichannel stroll down Grafton Street

June 24, 2011 by Colman Walsh

When times are tough, retailers are usually the first to feel it. And Irish retailers have been getting hammered, with the market shrinking by 20% since 2007, according to IBEC. So you would imagine that hard-pressed Irish shopkeepers are working … Continue reading →