What if your favourite apps turned into little machines? What makes physical objects more emotionally engaging than apps? How do we connect to them through our natural senses and cognitive abilities?
Together with 13 student we broke down some of our favourite apps to their elementals and re-imagined them as physical machines. We examined aspects of experience which can bring us closer to the services we use everyday.
How? With a few short hands-on exercises, we explored the jobs-to-be-done behind popular apps. Quick prototypes and scenarios of how these might exist as machines helped us to uncover what a new design field of the future looks like.
Taught by Hannes Jentsch and Martin Jordan at University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, Germany in October 2014.
4. Definition
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the
interconnection of uniquely identifiable
embedded computing devices within the
existing Internet infrastructure.
“
”
— Wikipedia, Internet of Things
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_Things
5. Definition
It seems to mean everything and nothing.
Like, is it RFIDs in airports to track
luggage, combine harvesters driven by
town-wide WiMAX, or web-connected
receipt printers for the home? Too much.
“
”
— Matt Webb / @Genmon, BergCloud
http://blog.bergcloud.com/2014/04/02/four-types-of-iot/
14. • expanding the definition of ‘machine’:
a physical thing that does a job, that fulfills a need
(apps generally do the job of something we had before)
• something tangible, which affords us more opportunities
for engagement
15.
16. • engagement with a broader spectrum of our senses
• which in turn engage a broader spectrum of our cognition
• which build deeper, richer memories
17.
18. • breaking down popular apps, finding the jobs they do
• imagining those jobs being done by a ‘machine’
• capturing the experiences these ‘machines’ produce
and dwell on how we can bring more of those experience
to the Things future
19.
20. As we start to make Apps as
Machines, what are the building
blocks of rich physical experiences
we can draw from?
Hypothesis
A physical experience offers us
so many opportunities for cognitive,
and thus, emotional engagement.
21. Setting
their jobs to
be done into
context
Agenda
Solving
the job by
leveraging
more human
capabilities
Pitching
your
machine
Discovering
what apps and
their services
do for us
23. • in order to translate the apps into useful machines
we need to understand what apps & services are doing:
- car2go gets you from A to B
- a drill hammer helps you to hang a painting on the wall
- Pinterest supports you in collecting and remembering things
Uncovering what Dropbox does for us …
24.
25. Dropbox’s jobs-to-be-done*
— Jobs-to-be-done describe the tasks that a product or service is
carrying out. People don’t just buy products or just want to use a certain
service. They ‘hire’ them to do a job.
For example: Car2Go gets you from A to B. The drill hammer helps you
to hang a painting on the wall. Pinterest supports you in collecting and
remembering things. — @ClayChristensen, http://www.christenseninstitute.org
have my documents always with me
retrieve my documents wherever I need them
secure copies of important documents
show photos to my friends & family
collaborate with my colleagues
store my memories of important moments
26. Definition
— @ClayChristensen, Professor for management
http://www.christenseninstitute.org/
Jobs-to-be-done describe the tasks that
a product or service is carrying out.
People don’t just buy products or just
want to use a certain service. They ‘hire’
them to do a job.
“
”
28. Source: Laurence Veale / ‘The jobs wine is hired for’
https://medium.com/@laurenceveale/the-jobs-wine-is-hired-for-272a929ea8be
How most wines are organised in wine shops
29. Source: Laurence Veale / ‘The jobs wine is hired for’
https://medium.com/@laurenceveale/the-jobs-wine-is-hired-for-272a929ea8be
Organising the retail space around a specific job: to make dinner a little better
30. Source: Laurence Veale / ‘The jobs wine is hired for’
https://medium.com/@laurenceveale/the-jobs-wine-is-hired-for-272a929ea8be
Organising the retail space for a second job: to look neither cheap nor foolish
33. Interview for Empathy
Ask why.
Never say “usually” when asking a question.
Encourage stories.
Look for inconsistencies.
Pay attention to nonverbal cues.
Don’t be afraid of silence.
Don’t suggest answers to your questions.
Ask questions neutrally.
Don’t ask binary questions.
Only ten words to a question.
Only ask one question at a time, one person at a time.
Make sure you’re prepared to capture.
A.school (2010): bootcamp bootleg
http://dschool.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/BootcampBootleg2010v2SLIM.pdf
34. APPS AS MACHINES — Your first task
Investigation JOB
YOUR USER:
Satis
Satis
Satis
Situa
Situa
Situa
over age of 55 and using a smartphone daily
grew up outside of Europe
young mother or father
under the age of 18, still going to school
flying more than 3 times per month
small business owner with a physical store
handicapped (with impact on everyday life)
35. NAME OF THE APP:
JOBS OF THE APP:
Satisfaction:
Satisfaction:
Satisfaction:
Situation:
Situation:
Situation:
Great
Great
Great
Just right/ok
Just right/ok
Just right/ok
Not really satisfying
Not really satisfying
Not really satisfying
36. — Theodore Levitt, American economist
http://hbr.org/web/special-collections/insight/marketing-that-works/
marketing-malpractice-the-cause-and-cure
People don’t want to buy
a quarter-inch drill.
They want a quarter-inch hole!
“
”
37. Who is your user?
Which apps is s/he using?
What are their ‘jobs’?
Tell
40. Focus
The product analysis, design and sale should focus on:
developing the product
asking what users want
matching market trends
understanding the jobs that users try to get done
Source: Clement Génin, Jobs-to-be-done – A goal-driven solution framework
http://www.slideshare.net/ClementGenin/jobstobedone
41. Focus
The product analysis, design and sale should focus on:
developing the product
asking what users want
matching market trends
understanding the jobs that users try to get done
Source: Clement Génin, Jobs-to-be-done – A goal-driven solution framework
http://www.slideshare.net/ClementGenin/jobstobedone
42. Rethink
Video shop A Video shop B Video shop C
Who’s the competitor of a video shop?
43. Rethink
Try to see beyond the obvious, direct competition
Concert FriendsTelevision
44. Rethink
What do you people like or dislike about them?
Why are they preferring other solutions over yours?
Concert Friends
Live Social
Television
Free
45. Rethink
Jobs remain valid over time.
What changes is the solution people use to get it done.
Entertaining
in the evening
47. • use new ways of thinking to get to fresh solutions
• trick yourself, surpass your habits
• start with user needs, not product solutions
48. Setting
their jobs to
be done into
context
Agenda
Solving
the job by
leveraging
more human
capabilities
Pitching
your
machine
Discovering
what apps and
their services
do for us
49. View
We frame every design problem in a Job,
focusing on the triggering event or
situation, the motivation and goal, and
the intended outcome.
“
”
— Paul Adams, @Padday
http://blog.intercom.io/the-dribbblisation-of-design/
51. Goal-directed task analysis
to investigate needs depending on situation and goals
Situation
Raining outside
Goal
Getting to
the office
Need
Getting there
in time
Need
Staying
dry
Situation
Hellish hot outside
Goal
Getting to
the office
Need
Not getting
sweaty
52. + + + + +
Situation
M
onday
M
orning
Rain
Alarm
didn’t
ring
Usuallygone
atthattim
e
Carin
repair
Contextualise
The better you can define the situation,
the better you can design the solution against
53. When
Where
Who
How
What
season
month
weekd
ay
daytime
occasionlocation
type
category
attrib.prole/mode
social
device
motion
useract.routine
trac
facebook
c
ollec.
weather
Routinely used route
Routinely visited place
First time visit
Unknown area
Known area
…
Historical tra c around location
Congestion/incidents on route
Congestion/incidents around loc.
…
Visited by friends
Visited by me
Popular on facebook
Liked by friends
Liked by me
…
In
popular collection
In
m
yfriendscollection
In
m
ycollection…
FreezingCoolMild
Warm
Hot
Night
Day
Stormy
Snowy
Rainy
Foggy
Cloudy
Clear
Wetseason
Dryseason
Winter
Autumn
Summer
Spring
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
AugustSeptemberOctoberNovember
December
MondayTuesday
Wednesday
ThursdayFriday
Saturday
Sunday
Morning
Noon
Afternoon
Evening
Night
Sunrise
Sunset
…
At a planned appointment
Appointment scheduled in x hours
Leaving
In transit
Arriving
Early in month
Late in month (f.ex salary)
Commute
Travel
…
Outdoor
Indoor
Near POI of cat. XNear POI cluster of cat. XMoving towards X
Distance to destinationDistance to POI
…
On streetIn building
In/at venueIn park
On mountain
On water
…
Airport
Departm
ent store
Hotel
Cafe
Restaurant
ATM
Leisure
PTstation
Sight
Mall
Parkingspace
Junction
Highway
…
Pricerange
Openinghours
Availableparking
…
…
Commuter
CityDweller
Traveler
Age30-39
Age18-29
Age<18
Male
Female
…
Withanonymouscrowd
Withknownpeople
Alone
…
Roamingactive
Via3G
etc
ViaBluetooth
ViaWiFi
Desktop
Tablet
Phone
…
Ascending/descending
Trajectory/bearing/direction
DrivingWalkingStill
…
Using app since 1d/1w/1m
Calculated a route to/from
Reviewed
Shared to/byCollected
Searched for
…
Routine follow up action when x Situation
Retool
Source: HERE 2013
56. View
Often, because people are so focused on
the who and how, they totally miss the why.
When you start to understand the why,
your mind is then open to think of creative
and original ways to solve the problem.
“
”
— @AlanKlement
https://medium.com/the-job-to-be-done/af7cdee10c27
62. APPS AS MACHINES — The right machine for …
31, European traveller on a trip through South Korea
JOB-TO-BE-DONE
STORY*
Adam
show photos to my friends & family
63. STORY*
When (situation)
I want to (need)
So that (goal)
— “Job Stories are great because it makes you think about
motivation and context and de-emphasizes adding any particular
implementation. Often, because people are so focused on the who and
how, they totally miss the why. When you start to understand the why,
your mind is then open to think of creative and original ways to solve the
problem.” — @AlanKlement, https://medium.com/the-job-to-be-done/af7cdee10c27
I am on my island round trip
where I travel with a lot of stuff in a small backpack
and only unreliable connection to the Internet
I can share my photos with friends
and family.
easily pick photos I took that day and
sync them whenever connected to a WiFi
64. What is your main job?
What is the situation?
What are the needs?
Write
67. Setting
their jobs to
be done into
context
Agenda
Solving
the job by
leveraging
more human
capabilities
Pitching
your
machine
Discovering
what apps and
their services
do for us
68. View
Those digital updates have little sympathy
for any divisions of time or space we might
to impose upon our days. We may find
that we are ranking the ‘needs’ of our
machines above our own.
“
”
— @TomChatfield
http://tomchatfield.net/2012/05/09/how-to-thrive-in-the-digital-age/
72. Consider
• Think touch, scent, vision, sound, taste – and beyond
• How can your machine be superior to an app that does
the same job?
• How can they make use of our natural senses and
cognitive abilities?
76. • fulfills same job, yet as focused single-purpose device
• lives in the kitchen where it’s being used
• is less private than a smartphone, can be used by various people
• performs well in low-light situations due to barcode laser scanner
77. APPS AS MACHINES — Input for your creation
Cheat Sheet
SENSES
CHARACTERISTICS
STATES
Vision /
Sight
Material /
Texture
Motion Fast Slow Position
Size /
Amount
Full /
Empty
Smell /
Olfactation
Colour
Touch
Weight Range
Hearing /
Audition
Taste /
Gustation
Temperature /
Thermoception
Balance /
Equilibrioception
Time /
Chronoception
Constant Rising Rhythmic
79. How might we +
user
+ ?
need
+
insight
Turn your Job Story into a brief
80. user needinsight
Ask
How might we assist Adam who has rarely
reliable internet access to easily pick photos
and share them so that his friends and family
can take part in his adventures?
81. Ask
user needinsight
How might we assist Adam who has rarely
reliable internet access to easily pick photos
and share them so that his friends and family
can take part in his adventures?
82. Write
user + insight + need
How might we assist Adam who has rarely reliable internet
access to easily pick photos and share them so that his friends
and family can take part in his adventures?
APPS AS MACHINES — Input for your creation
How might we … ?
85. 100 × Go for quantity
Keep it short
Encourage wild ideas
Defer judgment
Build on the ideas of others
One conversation at a time
Stay on topic
Be visual
Ideate
96. • video-prototype to make ideas and concepts graspable
• allows you to discuss concepts with stakeholders
• time constraints help to compress and summarise a concept
• food for thought:
- build an experience dummy with low-fi paper prototype
- or focus on interaction (less than on situation)
- or prototype with volume, while keeping shape simple
- or follow a storytelling approach
Your task
104. a user with a rather complex life
the need to do grocery shopping online
together with other family members.
Amazon Dash note-taking device
is directly connected to the shop
the Amazon smartphone app
Dash is easy to use with a single hand
and even while multi-tasking
Communicate
For
TARGET
CUSTOMER
CUSTOMER
NEED
CONCEPT
NAME
MARKET
CATEGORY
who has
that
Unlike
the
is a
ONE KEY
BENEFIT
COMPE-
TITION
.
.
UNIQUE
DIFFEREN-
TIATOR
APPS AS MACHINES — Acceleration tool
Elevator Pitch
105. Setting
their jobs to
be done into
context
Agenda
Solving
the job by
leveraging
more human
capabilities
Pitching
your
machine
Discovering
what apps and
their services
do for us
106. View
As technology moves into more and
more things and ultimately into humans,
we must ensure that it is enhancing the
human experience not challenging it.
“
”
— @Punchcut
http://punchcut.com/perspectives/connecting-the-internet-of-things/
111. — Brian Eno, artist
http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/7.01/eno_pr.html
Tools that endure have limited options.
These limitations become sources of
emotional meaning.
“
”
116. In 2020
7.6 billion
people
50 billion
devices
6.58 devices
per person
Source: Cisco, ‘Connections Counter: The Internet of Everything in Motion’
http://newsroom.cisco.com/feature-content?type=webcontent&articleId=1208342
118. How the computer sees us
Source: Physical Computing, O'Sullivan & Igoe
http://www.amazon.com/Physical-Computing-Sensing-Controlling-Computers/dp/159200346X
121. View
[The internet of things] will require
businesses to fundamentally
transform their approaches to be
successful in this new era.
“
”
— @Punchcut
http://punchcut.com/perspectives/connecting-the-internet-of-things/
122. No market need
Ran out of cash
Not the right team
Get outcompeted
Pricing / cost issues
Poor marketing
Ignore customers
Products mis-timed
Lose focus
Disharmony on team 13%
14%
14%
17%
17%
18%
19%
23%
29%
42%
Top 10 reasons young businesses fail
Source: Top 10 Reasons Startups Fail, based on an analysis of 101 post-mortems
http://www.cbinsights.com
123. + + + + +
Situation
M
onday
M
orning
Rain
Alarm
didn’t
ring
Usuallygone
atthattim
e
Carin
repair
Contextualise
127. Icons:
Max Hancock
David Padrosa
Jakob Vogel
Ola Möller
Jeremy J Bristol
Siddharth Dasari
Martin Smith
Deadtype
Thanks!
Nicolas Morand
Luis Prado
Simple Icons
Luiza Peixe
Scott Lewis
Phil Goodwin
Michael Senkow
Jakob Schneider
Sherrinford
Edward Boatman
Cengiz SARI
Mister Pixel
Photos:
Nokia
Amazon
and special thanks to:
Boris Anthony (@Bopuc) for coining the title
and co-creating the original format