The past several years have been nothing short of a technological boom. From drones that carry passengers to autonomous vehicles, technology has taken society by storm. The technological expertise that is present today is beyond impressive, and more than one could have imagined a few decades ago. While these developments are all well and good, what we’re lacking is that expertise in product design. Developers have been so absorbed in software and applications that the fundamentals of product design has been left on the table. The Harvard Business Review recently released an article which reflects on why we’ve seen such shortcomings on the product design forefront and why the scale needs to be readjusted.
One sector in technological industry, which has been more prominent in recent quarters, is home automation. In a recent blog of mine, Amazon’s Voice Service Products, I discussed Amazon’s voice-recognition system, Alexa. Amazon refers to Alexa as an “intelligent personal assistant”, and operates from cylinder form speaker, the Amazon Echo. While the concept of an “intelligent personal assistant” is certainly appealing, especially in a society that revolves around on-demand services, the product design is lacking. The concept behind the voice service product is for it to act as “a natural interface for the connected home”. While Alexa might be able to activate security systems and adjust the lights, “she” is still an advanced voice-recognition software that operates out of a less than ideal product.
The consumers of today are used to efficiency. These technological developments have made it possible to order groceries, book a flight, and pay a bill all in a matter of minutes, at the touch of a button. That’s what our society seeks in new products, that same level of accessibility and efficiency. In the article for The Harvard Business Review, authors Nelson and Metaxatos, reiterates the disconnect here. Developers have been so fixated on the Internet of Things that they’re so far removed from product design. While these advancements in network connectivity are certainly valued, its not transferable to consumers without the proper product design.
The article shares an appropriate conclusion, “Customers do not buy IoT”. The Internet of Things enhances a product’s value, but if that product doesn’t have an effective design, it’s essentially irrelevant to consumers. Consumers need products that have integrated the technology into a simple and well thought out design. For home automation technology to truly infiltrate the market, several things will have to be considered. Consumers will need a product that is simplified, perhaps smaller devices with a greater range. Developers will also have to be mindful of product to product connectivity. It could be some time before we see an appropriate balance between technology and design, but until then, visit The Harvard Business Review for “five ways that technology and design can build successful partnerships”.
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Mark Cohen NYC 