**1. Introduction**

We can only see the future as far as our societal limits allow, but once an idea has entered the world it is impossible to imagine the future without it [1, 2]. Electronic Commerce (e-Commerce) is one such concept. Initially it was treated with scepticism [3, 4] yet has grown to be a powerful juggernaut of retail. In 2018 for example Mobile Commerce (m-Commerce) accounting for 14.7% of all UK retail sales [5]. This concept of e-Commerce could not have been envisioned in the mid-1990s [6], in line with Clarke's concept ones limited ability to imagine the future. Therefore design's evolution and the way we create consumer technology interactions in retail is a constantly

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Traditionally only luxury brands had the resources to create seductive experiences in their physical stores [14]. However times have changed. Fast fashion brands Zara and H&M now claim the third and sixth positions as the world's most profitable fashion brands [15]. These multi-billion dollar companies eclipse the capabilities of almost all luxury brands in their resources to create exceptional m-Commerce offerings. Therefore, we should consider all design and interaction opportunities as equally available to all retailers. The future offers a democratisation of the m-Commerce experience. But just because you can do something, it doesn't mean you should. Therefore, it is important for designers and marketers to understand how consumers can be engaged for maximum impact. It is important that current retail channels are preserved, but at the same time it is clear that the notion of what an app can be

Reimagining m-Commerce App Design: The Development of Seductive Marketing through UX

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.75749

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The objective of this chapter is to explore new design paradigms of m-Commerce to foster new conversations in the UX Design community. In order achieve this, the following aims

**1.** We need to *uncover the key dimensions of consumer interaction with m-Commerce apps* in order to build a UX Design Paradigm Framework that describes different sectors of user

**2.** We need *to explore how current m-Commerce apps relate the sectors of the UX Design Paradigm* 

**3.** We need *to explore concept designs for under-exploited sectors of the UX Design Paradigm Framework* in order to present new ways to connect with consumers for marketing and sales

To uncover the key dimensions of consumer interaction with m-Commerce apps, this section reviews the contemporary literature concerning m-Commerce and retail engagement

With the internet nothing is new, only online and interactive [16]. As Parker and Doyle [17] point out, high street retail brands cannot operate in the same experiential sphere in physical stores as luxury brands can. While a luxury brand can present a highly hedonic experience within a flagship store due to high profit margins and relatively low footfall, a fast fashion or high street fashion brand cannot reproduce this; even if desired. This is because of a fast fashion business model based on high turnover of low profit margins. While the virtual space of m-Commerce removes all of these limitations, consumer expectations still exist. For example, luxury fashion brands by their definition must only be accessible by a small group of affluent customers. Through this the vast majority of consumers are actively excluded. If a fast fashion

*Framework* in order to reveal under-exploited areas of consumer interaction

**2. The dimensions of consumer interaction**

**2.1. Brand communication vs. sales focus**

needs to be expanded further.

need to be addressed:

interaction.

purposes.

motivations.

**Figure 1.** Translation of e-commerce website to m-Commerce app designs.

evolving concept. While we cannot know the future, considering different opportunities of interaction design (design paradigms) allows us to consider what the future may be. Currently 85.3% of all UK sales come from physical retail stores [7] at a time where m-Commerce design is considered to be mature [8–10]. This relatively low market share highlights that the approach to app design and consumer engagement is needed to increase the revenue m-Commerce platforms. This chapter therefore addresses this need to reimagine m-Commerce app design.

After the release of the iPhone in 2007, m-Commerce apps have focused on translating the 'tiled view' of products as developed for websites into the smaller smartphone screen; see **Figure 1**. It should surprise any designer that despite exponential advances in smartphone technology (including native augmented reality capabilities [11]), there have been limited advances in m-Commerce UX design since the iPhone's launch [12]. This is exemplified in how retailers seek incremental additions of app features over revolutionary rethinking of the underlying retail concept [8].

Besides the holistic limited variation in m-Commerce app design, consideration needs to be given to how retail markets are divided. One of the clearest examples of market segmentation is found in fashion retail; global worth over \$2.7 Trillion [13]. However not all fashion retailers are equal in their market sector, which Jackson and Shaw [14] describing four sector levels:

	- **a.** Mass Market (e.g. H&M, New Look)
	- **b.** Mid-Level (e.g. Top Shop, M&S)
	- **c.** High End (e.g. All Saints, Coast)

Traditionally only luxury brands had the resources to create seductive experiences in their physical stores [14]. However times have changed. Fast fashion brands Zara and H&M now claim the third and sixth positions as the world's most profitable fashion brands [15]. These multi-billion dollar companies eclipse the capabilities of almost all luxury brands in their resources to create exceptional m-Commerce offerings. Therefore, we should consider all design and interaction opportunities as equally available to all retailers. The future offers a democratisation of the m-Commerce experience. But just because you can do something, it doesn't mean you should. Therefore, it is important for designers and marketers to understand how consumers can be engaged for maximum impact. It is important that current retail channels are preserved, but at the same time it is clear that the notion of what an app can be needs to be expanded further.

The objective of this chapter is to explore new design paradigms of m-Commerce to foster new conversations in the UX Design community. In order achieve this, the following aims need to be addressed:

