The reality is that it seems to be something that switches spontaneously as you go about your things.
“Lean Back” and “Lean Forward” are the descriptors that have been coined to characterize the focus of your attention and overall demeanor when processing information. In the “lean forward” mode, you are at a traditional desktop setting. You are at a desk with a physical keyboard, and you have a task-based mentality. There is a something that you need to get done. When you go to the web, you are driven by your task and will be looking for specific information tied to that task. It’s very much the same as men shopping in a retail setting. They get in, get what they want, and get out. No loitering.
In “lean back” mode, your goal is more along the lines of infotainment. That is, your mind is not heavily pre-occupied with the task at hand, and you have time to stop and smell the roses. And in fact, within your chosen areas of interest or exploration, you enjoy the process of allowing serendipity to help steer your attention. Traditional media is very much positioned to cater to your “lean back” needs. Even with the decline in print ads, there is a much higher value that is placed on them, simply because they are in the “lean back” zone of the reader. Much larger amount of wandering attention is available, and hence the print ad has a better chance to capture that attention.
So traditionally we have associated the computer with the “lean forward” mode, and traditional media with the “lean back” mode. But it is no longer a clear dividing line. Brought on by the increasing power of mobile computing devices, i.e. iPads, tablets, smartphones, and the increasing wireless internet speeds driven by both 802.11ac and LTE, people are now able to comfortably consume a larger breadth of digital content in the “lean back” mode. Reading electronic copies of a business or trade magazine is now made quite comfortable.
Conversely, there are now also increased interjections of the “lean forward” mode, as people treat their mobile computing device as a “second screen”. Which really means that it is a supplemental screen of information to their primary area of attention. And there is a whole new phrase, “content grazing”, which now describes this activity. So if people are in a “lean back” mode, there is now minimal effort to pick up a handheld computing device, and briefly switch into a “lean forward” mode (without actually going to a traditional “lean forward” setting).
This is why it becomes more important than ever to ensure that your content is created for all those different screen sizes. And this is about more than just resizing. You have to have content that can fit the screen for someone that is either in “lean back” or “lean forward” mode. Just as peoples’ behaviors are evolving to be interwoven between the 2 modes, so should your content. It means that those one-line display ads displayed on mobile devices may be effective. Conversely, it is possible that your target customer will want to have a more in depth read on mobile device as well. So you better make sure that it is readable.
Lean back, or lean forward. You don’t know for sure which is going to happen, in which setting. It really is a mixed bag. But one thing is for sure, digital content consumption is increasing. And your task is to ensure your message is positioned where and how it needs to be, in order to effectively reach your target customer.