Opting for Innovation in Mobile Applications

In this paper we are concerned with innovation in the development of mobile applications. In particular, we address how we may come to think systematically about innovative aspects of mobile applications. We suggest that there is not enough support for this in the mobile systems literature and we hence suggest a framework that supports the thinking about the possible innovative features of a mobile application in a systemic and systematic way. The framework is inspired by the theory on scenario planning. In this framework we see mobile social arrangements of node, dyad, and group as fundamental units of analysis. We apply the framework to a case where the mobile users are truck drivers in a long-distance haulage business. Our use of the tool illustrates how we can arrive at a consistent and systemic view of a possible scenario for innovative mobile applications. We continue with a discussion of to what extent and in which ways the framework gives raise to innovative thinking by relating to a common theory of types of innovation and innovation processes.