Sometimes the best ideas are not only the simplest, but come from those that are approaching a problem for the first time. The so called experts in a field sometimes over-think or have clouded judgement or think too small. Only sometimes. As a strong believer in meritocracy, we have an obligation to support those ideas that truly can make a difference AND contribute to social good.
This is part of a crowdfunding campaign.
Doing something once is often innovative, doing it twice is disruptive.
House of Cards was a smash hit, but Orange is the New Black shows that the model works, rather then just a show. After all, not too many people remember the 2nd major Netflix program Hemlock Grove. Even better, its a sequel.
Whether you like the show or not, one has to watch how programming will change in the next 2-5 years. On one side we have companies like Aereo who are taking existing content and putting it online ( paid services recaptured as digital ) and then on the other side you have online SAAS models who are making original content (Neftlix, Amazon Prime, hulu+, and even Youtube ). Netflix is ten bucks a month, where Comcast might be 100 easily – that’s a huge delta.
Pending strategic business development deals ( eg. Apple + Comcast ) and changes in copyright laws / policy (Aereo getting sued ) this space will be very heated and interesting to watch for the short and long term. Content is expensive to create, and opportunity costs for who loses out on the syndication make this an very strange space. Content distribution is a big part of why people are concerned over the Net Neutrality legislation as well. If the best content is not allowed to be accessed and shared, it doesn’t really matter who good the content is. Who is at the strategic advantage here.
Models are changing, and expectations are evolving. It may be just a sequel, but its part of a much bigger conversation.
#goNetflix!
And with that, I will see if I can join the thousands of others who attempt to binge watch an online show because they can – another way this online medium has changed the user experience.
Sometimes you teach people one thing when you ask them to do another. Think creatively about how you market your product or services. Making people care is the key.
WWDC introduced a number of features on monday that really showed off some impressive applications of responsive user experience ( I feel like I should coin that term ). Several things stood out, but one thing in particular – “handoff.” A lot of apps were designed to run the same content in multiple browsers and device sizes but the experience always had to be saved, and then reopened in another window. The fact that you can do this in a ubiquitous way is huge. This represents a new way of working where you never have to pause or exit while transitioning between devices. Instead of responsive consumption, we can finally have responsive production.
Another interesting question is if this will support cross device cookies for advertising? I could imagine if that if you could track a mobile website going to a desktop version, you could also track conversions between different iOs and web browsers for retargeting and digital ads. This could be really powerful for advertisers and marketers alike.
Windows 8 created an experience that allowed for windows to be scaled across devices. iOs has taken that to the next level where they can truly be used across devices without interruption.
I cant wait for fall to come so we can try this out in person, but I am more excited to see how this changes workflows for everyday people. Gone are the days of emailing a photo to yourself, or saving something to a google doc just so you can open in at your desk. When we can actually take things with you, how will that change how we act and plan?
Coke as a brand has been very successful at sharing how its brand is about getting people together and sharing experiences.
For the last 5 years they have performing experimental marketing campaigns, often at the vending machine level, and then sharing those video moments on digital marketing channels to activate their base. It shows that for many brands, after one has been established, your identity can transcend branding elements / identity, and become more metaphorical about the essence or feel of the product itself.
The most recent campaign requires that two coke consumers have to engage together to open the soda itself. The result of documenting this action creates user generated content, when curated appropriately tells the larger story about coke being used to bring people together for a more full life.
Here is another example they came out with in the last few years that asked users to dance to get a coke. This had a bit more “viral” because it attracted crowds, thus became a larger spectacle.
Although Coke has a lot of capital for developing campaigns, really any brand can come up with creative ways for users to use their product and tell that story. Their are always emotional and rational bits of a brands story. It is up to the creative and marketing team to find fresh perspectives to tell a brands story and how to engage their prospects and fans.
Many brands are relying more on earned media to make waves within their community. The two main reasons for this is because consumers are tired of traditional media, but also creative content is also more sharable, and thus has a wider reach.
Either way, if Coke can put a smile on your face while you are looking at their product, they are one step closer to getting you to remembering their product the next time you are faced with a choice of what beverage to buy.
I love seeing how mobile ux designers rethink and look at existing OS and how it could be improved. Recently this concept video of live tiles appeared on the web that showed a widget / live tile version of iOs for iPhone / iPad.
When windows developed live tiles, it was a shock, but it made sense. People wanted access to their content faster. The buttons to access those feeds were really just a formality. However, hitting those buttons were a legacy interaction that was baked into the system, but also expectations of how a UI was “supposed” to work.
It has been universally agreed upon that as many user experiences are based on feeds, that it starts to make more sense for UI elements to simply be viewing windows of data rather then buttons that view that data – skip a step, right? There are many ways to express this. I personally believe that the windows phone UI was a very elegant solution to this, however it is worth noting that Android introduced some widgets that addressed this early on as well. Not everyone agreed this was a good solution, but many people have embraced it.
Apple is currently using push notifications to bring feeds to your screen while asleep. In essence, it performs the same utility, but with a less sexy interface. The design question at hand is at what point in the mobile experience do you want to access what type of data? Both have advantages.
Where I am fascinated by this suggested UX idea, I am even more interested in the areas where IP law overlap with Mobile UX. Even if this solution maybe be better for a significant amount of users, there starts to be areas where a manufacturer cannot go due to threat of infractions on another companies idea or IP. Even if people love this, apple may not be able to innovate here in fear of legal action from Samsung or Microsoft.
I question as creator, are there areas where the law should not limit the evolution of design progress. I understand the need to protect an artists work, but I also fear that legal can in some instances prevent UI from growing, thus decreasing overall utility of an entire system / generation? I am not a lawyer, but its a very interesting debate, in many verticals and progressions. At some point, lessons learned should be shared with the greater group if they benefit all users.
Even though I have a few critiques for this specific design solution, I applaud any designer who puts their work out there for the public to judge. We need creators more then ever in this time of automation and optimization. We always need both, but new ideas are rare, even if they are heavily influenced or recycled. The first step is to attempt to create something of value and improve the human condition.
Smart Objects are taking over. And why not? They represent what data is supposed to do, make us more aware of our actions leading to better performance. Traditionally its just been in the B2B space, but we are seeing more in the B2C space.
Looks like the internet of things has finally caught on and started to be more then just a buzzword.
http://www.quirky.com/shop/752
AROS represents a partnership between GE & Quirky ( crowdsource design innovation agency ) to create a smart AC unit. As a bonus, if you are in NYC, Uber will deliver it to you.
Other Smart Appliances to check out:
There is a point where many technology features start to look the same – a buzzword is not something that stands out. Everyone is innovative, scalable, customizable, and on the latest build. Sometimes you need to use story or design to stand out. If you can move a consumer into the emotional state of mind ( inspiration, humor, etc. ) for just a second, you have a chance to move them down the funnel and truly discover how great your product actually is. What makes you stand out. If you don’t, make it happen through one way or another. People no longer want to settle for just good. They want to be part of something bigger.
All it takes is 30 seconds:
Samsung’s new HD Curved TV ad is a huge success. I am curious on how they will translate this campaign to digital marketing as well.
Using snippets from movies and TV is an old trick, but it goes over very well when done right – which it is here. The key learnings for how to do this take into account infotainment and Brand transference.
Infotainment is rather simple, it’s when we are both educated and entertained with a message. By using entertainment clips for a new product, this is done by default.
Two, brand transference employs that by seeing Amy Adams or scenes from Jurassic park, the emotional feelings from that movie are carried over to this new product launch for Samsung. A consumer gets to transfer feelings from one experience to a new product, rather then having to start from scratch.
Using these two methods, they have crafted an effective and beautiful ad. Im sure they had to pay a lot of licensing fees, but I assume they will have plenty of awareness for their product. We will have to see if consumers flock to retail establishments to consider it for purchase. The TV market in general has been undergoing fragmentation between which next smart features are needed for 2015 and beyond. The curved form factor of the TV also may be problematic for families who wan multiple best points of viewership.
ps. As an aside, I find it fascinating that TVs have gone from convex to flat to concave in the course of 10 years.
Phones got a lot smarter in the last 10 years – now its time for cars. Dumb Feature Cars, will become smartcars in the next 2 years. I say Cars will become a Platform for Technology, because there are so many options. From self driving, to touch wheels, to sensors that have yet to become developed.
Lets consider cars the most beautiful and fast computer that happen to sit in – what would you want it to do. Let’s go beyond satellite radio and an iphone dock. Mini is making some great strides, apple too with CarPlay, and lets not forget Tesla who has the largest display of any manufacturer and their system is a full operating system, not just an entertainment kiosk.
The larger trend here is that the internet of things will continue to innovate on top of analog machines, and technology ecosystems will continue to overlap – leading to some exciting user experiences and great uses of contextual data.
Good vs Better 