There are two trains of thought when it comes to app development. One, the bundled approach where all app features are combined into one gigantic app (for example, Line and WeChat). Two, the unbundled approach where the core features are split up into multiple apps (for example, Facebook, which aside from the main Facebook app, has Pages, Groups, Messenger, and so on).
What’s the rationale behind both approaches? WeChat allows users to basically do plenty of things, but the problem is that certain features can get buried deep in the user interface and not get the appreciation they deserve. On the other hand, having an app chock full of features increases its usefulness and reduces the need for users to download new apps.
I can see the logic behind unbundling too. It allows developers to zero in on each group and create features that cater specifically to them. It simplifies the UI considerably.
Of course, it must be said that for most startups, it’s a moot discussion because their products won’t be full-featured enough to demand an unbundled approach. Though as the startup grows, unbundling could be a topic that will come into discussion. It’ll be useful to have some rule of thumb to determine when an app gets too cluttered. Perhaps a “two taps rule”, where anything that needs to be done must be accessible within two taps after opening an app (as articulated by Marissa Mayer)?
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