I recently had the pleasure of acquiring a MINI Cooper Clubman. The car is zippy and fun. One of the things I noticed was the way the controls in the car were thoughtfully designed, making the experience of driving the car absolutely top-notch.

For example, behind the steering wheel to the left, the paddle controls the headlights. The paddle to the right, controls the windshield wipers. On the steering wheel itself, the left buttons the CD player and cellphone interface, while the buttons to the right serve as the stereo system’s volume control.

While this seems like pretty simple stuff (that you can find on other cars), there is something about the way MINI has implemented these features that actually increases the net experience when you drive.

The MINI’s user experience got me thinking about the optimal mobile user experience, since mobile is quickly becoming a ubiquitous channel for directly delivering health-related content. For pharmaceutical companies, mobile offers a much wider reach and anywhere/anytime interaction for the 65% of all physicians carrying mobile devices on their hip.

To create an optimal mobile user experience, companies need to be aware that development for mobile is not always straightforward because of a variety of devices (BlackBerry, iPhone, Palm, etc.), number of browsers, platforms and a number of networks that may or not be compatible. In other words, merely adapting desktop applications to mobile devices isn’t going to work.

Mobile users want faster, shorter transaction times, a secure environment and a user experience that is simple and positive.

There is no question that developing for mobile can be a challenge, but one approach is to develop a personalized user experience that takes into consideration the device being used, where it will be used and how.

That means, one size does not fit all, but – with a little investigating – you can uncover one best approach that works specifically for your target audience.

From Seth Godin’s Blog

I’m about meeting-ed out. I remember working at a pharma company – we met from dusk until dawn – how the hell we accomplished anything, I have no idea (oh yeah, I got home at 10 p.m.) It’s nuts. Except when our hosts serve food – that’s a different gig, then I’ll meet with you, no problem.

Here’s the deal: we have great ideas, and everyone agrees the ideas are great around the table – and then…nothing. And you meet again, only to agree, yup, the ideas really are amazing – this is cutting edge stuff – let’s schedule another meeting. I need to figure out a business model that gets us paid to meet, eat and spew great ideas – anyone game for that?

Seth Godin has done it again. I love his blog – it truly inspires me (sign up at www.sethgodin.com) – every day brings another gem. Today, he blogged about mediocrity and how truly brutal it is to be a visionary – not only in pharma, but in life. Remarkable thinking and ideas are always met with resistance by those who want to keep things status quo. I do get it. I’ve been a pain in the ass rabble-rousing demander of change my whole life – and believe me, it is NOT always the path to popularity! I had a boss early in my career who did everything she could to help guide me back to the path of mediocrity – bless her heart, including sending me to the company psychiatrist to find out how to help me be “more like the others”. Brave soul that he was, he sent me on my own path and I’ve never looked back.

The truly new, innovative ideas will be beaten down – by your own colleagues (unless you surround yourself with like-minded thinkers), by your clients, by the industry – but without the challenge, what fun would it be to actually make it through the muck of mediocrity? Seth’s challenge to the innovators is to persist – stay the course you believe in and maybe you can be the one to bring about a change.

My mother tried really hard to understand why it was I had to take the path with the most resistance, but I think she appreciates the need to rise above mediocrity, no matter how hard it is or how long it takes. Look around – overnight sensations take years – ask Steve Case about his 7 year overnight success -and I read somewhere that it took the Beatles 8 years to become a sensation in the U.S. – I have hope for One Eleven Interactive – my mom does too.