How can we design an internet of things for everyone? (not just alpha geeks)

- by Carla Diana (8/2013)

week 11. understanding expressions of IOT - Chen Ching Heng

SUMMARY

How do we design for everyone?

Makers and alpha geeks have found meaningful applications for the internet of things but there is still a big gap between them and the average user who doesn’t want to hack.

We are in a “blank slate” moment.

We know that connected devices are possible, but we’re not exactly sure why we need them.

Ninjablocks and Twine

Ninjablocks Twine

Young startups such as Ninjablocks and Twine offer kits that let us connect our own sensors to measure and track values.

Commodore 64 computer

AVGN youtube.com/watch?v=km9vYa2GIUI

in the ’80s

Many people played with the limited games that were offered on it but then couldn’t really find a need for such a thing in their lives.

A magic box or a bewildering toy?

What will people do with the new connected devices and tools that have just become available?

How should those tools evolve to best suit people’s needs?

What businesses will grow from the desire (and eventually the need) for them in our lives?

Watching companies who create the building blocks for today’s

“everything machines”

The 3 categories

Knowledge of myselfAbout myself

Knowledge of othersAbout Others

Knowledge of the worldAbout our surroundings

Training

Self control

Mindfulness

Behavior change

Identity

Knowledge of myselfAbout myself

Twine

Virtual

Sharing

Team dynamics

Health care

Knowledge of othersAbout others

Good Night Lamp

Lively

Exposing the Invisible

Remote monitoring and controlAccessing the inaccessibleMicrosopic/macroscopic

Knowledge of the worldAbout our surroundings

sparkfun-Geiger Counter-Geiger Counter+ Arduino+Xively Shigeru's project in its enclosure

DIY Geiger counting

Kickstarter

Smart Citizen

Pulling it all together

While the maverick manufacturers and alpha geek tinkerers have managed to find meaningful applications for the internet of things through new tools and devices, there is still a big gap between them and the average user who doesn’t want to hack or discover.

“About Myself”

We have a glut of health trackers to measure steps walked or run, but few truly user-friendly products that go beyond that.

“About Others”

We have products that provide some vague sense of presence, but if they begin to go further, the challenge of balancing vigilance with a respect for privacy is a big one.

“About Our Surroundings”

The effort towards standardization tackles one hurdle, but the meaningful interpretation of that data can still require an editorial leap that makes it challenging to build a persuasive case around the numbers.

We have to design products that are intuitive to install and easy to understand, giving us feedback in a human language that tells us things that matter in our everyday lives.

Designers

Related research

GigaOM Research highs and lows from CES 2013January 2013

Analyzing the wearable computing marketJuly 2012

How can we design an internet of things for everyone (not just alpha geeks)?by Carla Diana (8/2013)