Every few months a new app appears on the market, word spreads and before you know it, everyone is on the buzz. "Topsee" is one such app. A fun and simple way to find “a mixture of things to eat, drink, see, do and buy in central London”. Lastminute.com (the engineers behind "Topsee") has decided to eliminate the idea of "user search"… That’s right, no more searching!! They have released an iPhone app which shows the user all bars, clubs, restaurant within close proximity without the user having to search for them. As the online world is driven by this function, this is a remarkable turnaround on the concept. Users no longer decide what to look for but instead are given a selection.
We all rely on trawling through the pages of our preferred search engines to show us the freshest, newest and best places to go to, eat and explore, but now we can have others do this for us: Introducing the world of “no user search”.
So, the search options have been scrapped; does eliminating search really work??
For me the idea works as it provides places to go to almost instantly, eliminating the issue of finding and choosing new places on the fly which is great. The user interface helps push the concept further; rather than numerous lists, there are simple graphical images that show the user the distance from their current location to the specifically chosen venue. At any given time, there are only ever 9 images of possible options – chosen by top bloggers in and around central London. Thus, the user will not be overwhelmed with choices and an alternative selection to choose from can be bought up by simply shaking your handset. It is also proven “the more options available, the less chance of a user choosing” this app reduces the risk of the user becoming fed-up and giving up on finding a place, but enthuses the user with immediate options.
The engineers have not only thought about the single user, but have considered the media crazy society we live in. With mobile and social networking being the most popular tools for communication the creators of “Topsee” have incorporated this factor with communicative sharing tools for twitter, facebook & email users.
I am certain, if this app proves to be a success advertisers will begin to pay a fee in order for their venue to be on the top of the list of the first options users see, as they do on Google in the online world. However, I do believe expert bloggers will still have a major input as this is the integral concept of the app.
We've all been in the situation of last minute client visits or over running meetings that calls for post drinks or dinner and this app is great for looking savvy with the best places at the touch of a button.
Learn More about the Topsee App: http://www.lastminute.com/site/labs/topsee.html