Talk given at JCI in Tallinn on March 31st 2012.

1. Clouds &
castles
Thoughts on the economic conditions for
the development of the internet of things.

2. About
Product / Interaction design
Worked in web services
Worked for web startups
Co-founded Tinker London
Run an iot consultancy
Founder of product startup
Good Night Lamp
@iotwatch

3. Internet of
things?
Letting the internet & technology
change our relationship to the physical
world through complex interactions.

4. PRE-2007
r&D budgets available
Platforms
Consumer Market
Products

15. POST-2007
Digitalised solutions
Platforms
Consumer
Products
Market

16. Twitter

17. iPhone

20. Arduino

24. CATaLog

25. Botanicalls

26. Kickbee

27. Baker Tweet

29. Nokia + Arduino

39. “Coming soon”

40. Now
A focus on platforms
Platforms
Consumer
Products
Market

41. PLATFORMS
Web platforms
Mobile platforms
Hardware platforms

51. Now
A slow return to products
Platforms
Consumer
Products
Market

65. Good Night Lamp

69. Consumer products
& start-ups
Hopefully more
exciting products
Changes
Understanding In the market
the idea
Corporate &telco
interest
2000 2007 2012

70. The impact on product
development
The traditional model of r&d

71. We should Let me ask Let’s have
make the design a meeting
Ax1
>> department
>>
Ok send the Hmm, that’s Let’s have
specs to the not really what a meeting
engineering
>> we asked for
>> & establish
department. requirements
Let’s email Let’s get this That just cost
them a >> prototyped with >> €25K
document the CNC machine

72. Productdevelopment
now.

73. I want I spend
Look at
to make
Ax1
>> Google >> £12 at
Shapeways
I make a I post it on I link to
prototype >> my blog >> it on Twitter
I put it on I get 300K Now
Kickstarter >> from 300 >>
people what?

74. New ways of making &
designing
Fab Labs, RepRap&Makerbots are more ubiquitous
Less thank 1K is still expensive & difficult
Prototype to pre-production is still the domain of the elite.
New product designers are needed to bridge the gap.
Electronics engineering will become a fashionable freelance role.

75. New ways of making
money.
Crowd funding is a great way to prove a market
But will angels and VCs follow?
We have to believe in niche products again.
We have to move beyond the geek communities.

76. Lets build castles in
the clouds!
Paying attention to users
Moving beyond screens
Being bold & crazy
Creating appetite on the market
Create a case for investors