The “Always On – A Global Perspective of Consumer Mobile Experience” study was released at the 2017 IAB Mobile Symposium in New York, where I designed the 20-part infographic which was displayed to participants.

The report was compiled from 18 countries around the world with respondents from North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Our job was to ‘arrange’ the data – often called ‘Information Visualisation‘ or ‘Information Design‘.

In human–computer interaction, the field of Information Visualisation studies interactive data representation. Unlike data visualisation, which is generally static, and information visualisation allows users to manipulate the visualisation in order to get to different aspects of the data.

Information and data visualisations can reveal patterns that might have been difficult to discern from numbers alone. 

We then used the visualisations to create an infographic, which is a multimedia graphic aiming to present this complex information and data in a way that is easy to understand –  in the form of illustrations, facts, quotes, and captions. The concept we used was to make the infographic look like a mobile app, so I combined a bit of Android and Apple UI.

Dominique is a master of visual projection and understanding complex data, and arranging it in a way that’s easy for even a 5th grader to grasp.

Jane Fowley

The study shows that consumers from around the world access the internet via mobile web and mobile apps to engage in different types of activities—with use of mobile web leaning toward functionality and utility, whereas use of mobile apps is skewing toward entertainment and social. For example, search, purchasing a product or service, or booking a service online are predominantly mobile web functions. The mobile web environment is also clearly preferred when it comes to accessing information about educational/work, travel, and current events, among other topics. Mobile apps, on the other hand, are favored for consuming entertainment content such as videos, movies, music, and gaming, and are also preferred for communications activities, including email, messaging, social networking, and making voice and video calls.

“These findings confirm the fact that omnipresent mobile usage is a worldwide phenomenon, which creates a tremendous opportunity for marketers,” said Anna Bager, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mobile and Video, IAB. “Digital advertising is making an impact and motivating consumers to action, whether they access the internet via the mobile web or mobile apps.”

“While we have heard that digital technology has broken down borders, it is interesting to see real research that confirms that smartphone users around the world are in sync when it comes to mobile,” said Chris Kuist, Senior Vice President, Research and Impact, IAB. “The similarities we see in this study persist when it comes to the ways that consumers leverage the mobile web or apps—and marketers should take notice.”

About IAB
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) empowers the media and marketing industries to thrive in the digital economy. It is comprised of more than 650 leading media and technology companies that are responsible for selling, delivering, and optimizing digital advertising or marketing campaigns. Together, they account for 86 percent of online advertising in the United States. Working with its member companies, the IAB develops technical standards and best practices and fields critical research on interactive advertising, while also educating brands, agencies, and the wider business community on the importance of digital marketing. The organization is committed to professional development and elevating the knowledge, skills, expertise, and diversity of the workforce across the industry. Through the work of its public policy office in Washington, D.C., the IAB advocates for its members and promotes the value of the interactive advertising industry to legislators and policymakers. There are 43 IABs licensed to operate in nations around the world and one regional IAB, in Europe. Founded in 1996, the IAB is headquartered in New York City and has a West Coast office in San Francisco.