Sensorial’Org

Skipped out on work to attend Idea 2009! Loving my internship. First, to summarize the big ideas (to be reflected on when I have the time to internalize and digest it, and possibly apply those tactics):

The Dawn of Perfect Products

• Presented by Tim Queenan
• Will we interact with less and less inferior products over time because of the influence of social media?
• Products will always have flaws, whether they are perceived, or inherit via some conscious decision (e.g. volume, physical decay, usability, usefulness–think products sold by amount, accessories, preservatives, product features, new releases).
• The latter thought is a bit scary. It makes business sense; however, we know that companies are not designing products to the best of their capabilities because it’s not in their best interest to do so.
• Social media rightfully puts sucky experiences in their place; it weeds out products that suck, and promotes products that are good.
• If you have a shitty product, social media can’t fix it.
• Business breaks down the product into pieces because they want consumers to buy more; it builds momentum, enhance and extends the product lifecycle.
• Twitter is not a service in which you sell products, but to share points of views. Don’t see it as a different channel for the same behaviour.
• Social media isn’t a tactic (?); it’s a fundamental way to rethink how the business operates. Recall Michael Jackson’s death. Most of us learned through Twitter as it happened, not through the news hour. News stations were following Twitter feeds because that’s all that they could do. They didn’t have access to the information.
• Rise of end-user prototypes => better products; see Quirky.com; it’s about products that we co-create so that when the market appears, we advocate (step above promoting) for it.
• Traditional way to think of products–it (mostly from the manufacture’s POV, not the user’s):
  • fulfills a need or want
  • has either a niche or mass-market appeal
  • has high margins
  • has high perceived value => rise of brand and brand awareness
  • must be replenished or repurchased by the customer often
  • need multiple products and services in order to stay competitive
  • is easily upsold or crossold
• Old way of thinking: Understanding the need; new way: understanding the behaviour
• Experiences increase in value as more people interact with them; harness the network effect. Recall Dove’s True Beauty campaign. It was not to settle the debate of True Beauty once in for all; the conversation increased the perceived value of the product.
• Experiences live as part of a network in real-time to stay relevant, and encourage more authentic interaction. Organizations are passive unless they interact with their clients in real-time because the platform is already out there, and people are using it.
• Think of behaviours we want to incite and organize for it vs. feature-itis or user preferences.
• Social media challenges perfect products to be intuitive, elastic, intelligent polarizing and enterprising.
• Designing for the masses means designing for no-one => small is beautiful.

The Fly Me to Canux contest, i.e. the entry I wrote a few days ago? I won =)

Hey Banff: incoming!

Hello World (and people of nForm and organizers of Canux)! My name is Veronica, and this is why you should fly me to Canux:

Who I Am?

In a nutshell: while I’m not necessarily starving (and it’s difficult to find me without a snack), I am a student studying computer science at the University of Toronto specializing in software engineering with a minor in economics.

Currently, I’m four months into a year-long IA internship. I’ll be back in school to finish up my undergraduate career next September. After that, world domination–owing to the fact that Canux is going to show me how to take the world by a storm with unrivaled user experiences. No?

Why I Care?

About UX. About Canux. When it comes to UX, I believe in the Invisible Hand. I care because I have aesthetic, emotional and functional needs. Businesses care because I care; so in theory, the process should be self-regulating.

Except it isn’t. Businesses don’t care, or don’t care enough to invest. At the end of the day, my needs aren’t met, so I’m not going to hand over what’s left of my dollar. Everyone loses; nobody’s happy.

What’s Important to Me?

I need to wake up each morning and be excited about my work. I’d love to sketch by the lake with a pack of M&Ms everyday. But until that becomes a recognized job description, I’ve found a neat alternative in design where I’m still eating sweets. In front of a screen, but with the comfort that the lake is 20 minutes away, polluted though it is. And I get to tell businesses how they can satisfy my demands. How awesome is that?

What Will Canux Mean?

Towering mountains, undisturbed waters, hot springs, caribous and mountain goats? I don’t need to be convinced.

Oh, and then there’s the opportunity to be in the company of people who are passionate about user experience design, take pride in their work, and really believe that it’s the beating heart of any project that wants a fighting chance in spite of especially in today’s economic landscape. That’s a bonus.

Not Convinced?

In seriousness, I can bring together a unique set of perspectives. From technical to creative, and not necessarily all related to the web, I’ve been involved with conceptualization, engineering, design, production, and quality assurance. I’d like to take this opportunity at Banff to dive deeper into user experience because I see it as the centerpiece and the glue that ties everything together, and it’s fascinating.

Fly me to Canux!