[Updated 14 July, 2009: Blackboard has purchased mobile app/site builder TerriblyClever, creator of MobilEdu's iStanford and other iPhone- and Blackberry-friendly software.]
There are many creative uses for the iPhone, many of them utterly useless. On the other hand, there are times when a web site optimized for mobile devices could be quite useful.
During alumni reunions for example.
Princeton University has created such a site. I don't know if it's the first such effort, but it's the first concerted one I've heard about. Andrew Gossen (who has guest blogged twice for Alumni Futures) shared some information about it. The basic rationale was rooted in the convergence of
- increasing costs (nearly $10,000) to print 9,500 brochures, listing reunion events and activities, and
- the large fraction of alumni carrying electronic devices (like iPhones, iPod Touches, and browser-enabled "smart phones").
Also, the site* (called Reunions Mobile) would convey the message that alumni programming is responsive to broader trends, and it would enhance the reunion experience for alumni. Attendees would optimize their participation, increase their ability to connect with friends and classmates on campus, and simply keep track of "the what, where and when of events" to get the most out of their reunion.
So how did it work? Andrew sent along some metrics and observations. Here are the highlights:
Between 22 May and 31 May there were:
- 4,170 visits to the mobile site
- 1,590 unique visitors
- 15,368 page views
For context, about 9,000 Princeton alumni (and about 20,000 total visitors) are on campus at the peak of the Reunions weekend.
As for the mobile web site: 53% of visitors used the Safari browser on an iPhone, and 65% of users were on some kind of Apple handheld device. "63% of site visitors returned at least once," says Andrew Gossen, "suggesting that they were using it as an online reference tool." He draws these conclusions:
- Reunions Mobile worked well enough to serve as a primary source of information about Reunions for users of iPhones and other higher-end mobile devices.
- Others visited to check things out, but used the traditional printed schedule in the end. "This is pretty much what we expected, both in the abstract and after testing the site on a number of different devices," says Gossen.
- He adds, "As smartphones garner a larger share of the market, sites like Reunions Mobile will become an increasingly realistic alternative to, or replacement for, printed brochures and schedules."
Finally, Andrew notes that his team received positive feedback and constructive suggestions for future versions. Graduating seniors used the site, as did alumni at least back to the classes of the early 1970s. "I wouldn't be surprised if there were some from the '60's, as well, but unfortunately, Google Analytics can't track class year. [Google Chairman and CEO] Eric Schmidt '76 will be hearing from me about this!" Gossen joked.
I asked a (non-Princetonian) iPod Touch user to review the site's functionality and design. She found it useful, well-designed and nicely-displayed. "It seems well-thought out for the device. If I were an alum on campus, I'd think this was pretty cool," she said. There were minor interface quibbles, but overall it was a positive experience.
And Andrew Gossen's final verdict?
Well worth the time and effort. For alumni interested in this type of technology, the added value went beyond the utility of being able to access the info on their smartphones. They were also really happy to see that Reunions is evolving in response to changes in the broader social and technological environment. We're signaling that we love and honor our traditions, but we're not bound or blinded by them.
OK, the time and effort were worth it. What about the cost? Princeton spent "approximately $7,000" to build, test and roll out the site.
In a final, poetic twist, 2009 is the 150th anniversary of class-year reunions at Princeton. Gossen again: "We didn't plan Reunions Mobile to coincide with this anniversary, but launching it this year illustrated the potential for interplay between the old and the new."
For many alumni traditions to remain relevant, universities will have to mix the old and the new productively. Princeton's mobile site for reunions is an instructive example of how we can do just that.
As of this posting, the 2009 site was up and running at http://m.princeton.edu/reunions/
[Updated 2 July: There are native iPhone apps for schools and colleges from MobilEdu]
* For readers who are technically inclined, Princeton web developers describe the Reunions Mobile site as "a website developed for mobile browsers, with special attention paid to the iPhone and Android platforms."
