The Cost of Free Apps

The Inner Workings of an App

An ‘app’ is a program and an interface, akin to a person’s mind and personality. The program processes the user’s commands while the user interface (UI) escorts them through the journey. A well-designed UI jives with the user in quite complex choreography, avoiding stepping on its users’ toes and knowing exactly when to catch their dip. The best UI designers reference psychological research in order to design activities around the abilities of their actors. As a result, app interfaces feel intuitive and innate — we always seem to know what to do next.

The Age of Appnosis

Have you ever found yourself mindlessly swiping through an app, losing track of time and unable to pull away? Instagram's randomized feed, Tinder’s deck-inspired interface and TikTok’s autoplay feature may come to mind. Each time you open these apps you will find completely new content. The same algorithms, familiar symbols and notifications that excite an app user may also result in psychological dependencies. Mattha Busby of the Guardian addresses these hypnotic systems, calling them “Lucid Loops.”

“You get drawn into ludic loops or repeated cycles of uncertainty, anticipation and feedback — and the rewards are just enough to keep you going.” - Mattha Busby, The Guardian.

If some apps are designed to hold mildly addictive qualities, we must ask: are we being used by the apps we use?

Are Apps Designed “Too Well?”

According to world renowned design philosopher, Dieter Rams, “good Design is unobtrusive.” He explains that when a product is needed it should be visible, otherwise it should take a back seat. This is a fundamental concept in design education, but many of our apps clearly violate this principle. Why would Facebook ping me to suggest friends I may want to add, when I could’ve done it on my own accord? Why does Instagram notify me that a friend has posted for the first time in a while, when I would’ve found that post by scrolling the feed anyway? It’s become obvious that design briefs are valuing screen-time over actual user benefits. Apps should be designed to provide their intended benefits without competing with other enriching experiences. After all, we are supposed to be the users, not the used.

The Cost of Free Apps

In 2019, free apps generated 98% of the revenue of the entire app industry, because in today’s world, data is a currency. The Economist recently hailed that the world’s most valuable resource will be data, while Marketwatch forecasts Big Data to exceed $118.52B by 2022. So it’s no wonder apps are designed to compete for our attention, to interrupt our day-to-day lives and to incentivize our extended use. The more time we spend on apps, the more data we generate, the more money there is to be made.

The Future Looks Bright

Thanks to a ripple of media coverage of data scandals, people today demonstrate a much greater interest in protecting their data and are demanding government intervention and regulation. In 2019, Facebook was hit with a hefty $5 billion fee from the US Federal Trade Commission for privacy violations. This growing pressure should influence companies like Facebook, TikTok and Tinder to find less invasive ways to collect data while setting healthier expectations of use. With apps that truly work for us, the possibilities are endless.

Aryeh is a Toronto-based design student, researcher and inventor who solves complex problems using systems thinking. He envisions a future where people are more connected, better understood and have a better quality of life. Learn more at www.aryeh.ca/.