Transforming Through Experience

Frog Design posed an intriguing set of predictions for technology trends in 2017, the most powerful of which is that we will live in a world where the spaces around us will become active participants in our world. Far from a prediction this is a certain reality, but it’s interesting to examine what the true blockers will be in achieving that ambition.

This is a natural evolution of what we’ve seen over the last decade… that the environment becomes an active participant in your life; not only through displays but through every element that controls part of your experience. Lights transition to a setting that fits the current situation and preference, considering the time of day, atmospheric conditions and entertainment elements that may be in play as well as what the system knows about the individual in the room. Temperature, humidity, accessibility functions, localization and even preferences related to capacity and amount of people physically in the space are adjustable and controlled through environment detection and relatively simple machine learning.

The dream of a completely responsive space, one that understands us and adapts to us is a reality, and closer than we think. In 2017 we will see significant advancement in this area. The technology building blocks are in place, and by and large have been for some time. The costs of producing and installing such systems have dropped to the point of being reasonable, lowering the barrier of entry to the mass market. The adoption of technology has hit the mainstream; people are comfortable engaging in far more sophisticated devices and experiences than even a decade ago… thank the smartphone and social media for forcing that change.

The real determination between success and failure for companies wanting to play in this space will be if they can get over their own predisposed views of how devices and technology should work. If they can embrace that it is the experience that matters… not the technology.

Because this isn’t a technology driven world, but an experience one. Technology is the enabler, but in many cases too much emphasis on technology has a greater tendency to hamper the result rather than enhance it. Technology, applied incorrectly, creates solutions to problems that don’t exist and transform the experience from a fluid, natural one into something that requires learning and investment.

There is a temptation when inventing products to re-examine how everyday items function and alter the user experience in fundamental ways. A hairdryer, one could reason, has had little change in the last fifty years and changing the form factor in dramatic ways could be appealing given what technology can now bring to bear. But unless it serves an enhancement of the user experience, such changes are meaningless and unlikely to drive adoption. Dyson, in attempting to drive the technology and experience hand-in-hand understands this and that is why their entries into the market feel additive in their transformation, rather than superfluous.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the label “The Internet of Things” has been met with a cooler reaction outside of the tech industry. The typical consumer doesn’t think in terms of “things” but rather in terms of “experiences”. To connect the home, and by extension all the items inside the home, is all about the user experience of these different elements coming together… not about bringing new gadgets into the house.

To place such an emphasis on “things” leaves behind what those things are for, and the importance those things have on our lives. We were never intended to have a deep, personal relationship with a router. It is designed to perform a specific function in an invisible way; to serve as an enabler to other experiences in our lives. Having to interact with it breaks the illusion of the experience and forces us into places we never wanted to be. We want our relationship with the coffee maker to be about making coffee… not in understanding the mechanics of how it performs its function or how it relates to the refrigerator. Connected devices that force us to contemplate those connections are missing the point and are likely to be rejected. By contrast, experiences that are natural to us, that extend our normal behavior are quickly embraced.

None of this is an argument against technology; quite the contrary. Technology and innovation are the building blocks that make these experiences happen. But it is the intent of how this technology is used that is the real magic in the equation, that is serves the higher purpose of driving an experience that makes life more fulfilling. This is what is meant by delivering the user experience, and why that mandate is more relevant and important than ever. It is a temptation for people who work within the technology and product space that must be overcome… that we solve problems that need solving and that we learn from user behavior and customer experience rather than try to bend it.

Put a simpler way… to truly transform the world we must live in it.

Image credits from Nordic Semiconductor and Dyson