Designing Multi-Device Experiences

Chapter 4. The Complementary Design Approach

The third approach in the 3Cs framework—complementary design—involves collaboration among multiple devices operating together as a group. While in the previous two approaches (consistent and continuous), user interaction at any given point takes place with a single device, the complementary approach involves interaction with multiple devices as a connected group, which together create a complete experience.

What Is Complementary Design?

The complementary design approach introduces a new multi-device experience, where different devices complement one another, either by collaborating as a connected group, controlling one another, or both (see Figure 4-1). This means that the full experience involves interaction with at least two devices—usually simultaneously—at any given moment. Up to now we’ve focused on experiences based on interaction with a single device, either throughout the entire experience (consistent) or before the user moves on to the next device in the sequence (continuous). With complementary design, we are entering a new space of concurrent multi-device usage. While there are use cases in which the user interacts with the devices asynchronously (as we’ll see), the essence of a complementary approach remains that of devices that work in concert.

Figure 4-1. With the complementary approach, the different devices work together as ...