Over half the world's population now lives in cities, but evidence that nature is essential to our wellbeing continues to grow. At the same time, software design is recovering from an an engagement fallacy that champions addiction to our screens. The emergence of the internet of things is poised to capitalize on that attention economy. In designing connected experiences, we have an opportunity: enhance a physical relationship with the world around us, don't distract from it. How might a connected world actually help us reconnect?

1. Liz Cormack | UX @ Grove
Connected /
Reconnecting

2. Could connected
devices be an
invitation to
reconnect to the
physical world?

3. Jan 12 2017 | @lizco @DesignersGeeks
Hi, I’m Liz.

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5. Jan 12 2017 | @lizco @DesignersGeeks

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8. A living
ecosystem in
your home.

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12. How do we measure
engagement in our
digital worlds?

15. We spend 10 hours and 39
minutes a day looking at
screens.
Nielsen, July 2016

17. The Attention Economy

18. The Attention Economy
Time in App

19. The Attention Economy
Time in App
Time on Site
Bounce Rate

20. The Attention Economy
Time in App
Session Length
App Opens
Time on Site
Bounce Rate

21. The Attention Economy
Time in App
Session Length
App Opens
WAUs
Time on Site
Bounce Rate
Retention

22. When you say “engagement,” I now hear
“theft of attention.”
— Josh Clark, Big Medium

23. Every vibration says "Hey, look at me! Look at
me! Ignore your spouse! Gap emailed to let
you know that they have a sale going on!”
— WIRED

24. What happens when
we apply the same
mentality to the
internet of things?

25. Jan 12 2017 | @lizco @DesignersGeeks

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What does this teach me?

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Provide information I
could gather with my
5 senses.
Disconnected:

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Empower me with
contextual
information.
Reconnected:

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Teach me something
new about my world.
Reconnected:

31. @aBookOfThings

35. Jan 12 2017 | @lizco @DesignersGeeks

36. Anticipatory Design

37. Anticipatory Design

42. Could connected
devices be an
invitation to
reconnect to the
physical world?

43. Could connected
devices be an
invitation to
reconnect to the
physical world?

44. Could connected
devices be an
invitation to
reconnect to the
physical world?
Internet
of things

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As designers, I think we fear
creating ‘work.’

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49. Jan 12 2017 | @lizco @DesignersGeeks
The barrier to ‘work’ is
diminished every time we do
a great job making you learn.

50. Jan 12 2017 | @lizco @DesignersGeeks
Fun… arises out of a
mastery. With games,
learning is the drug.
— Raph Koster, game designer

51. Jan 12 2017 | @lizco @DesignersGeeks
Eliminate the thing
from my world.
Disconnected:

52. Jan 12 2017 | @lizco @DesignersGeeks
Find opportunities to
create magic in my
relationship with the
thing.
Reconnected:

53. “Games aren’t the opposite of work, but
experiences that set aside the ordinary
purposes of things.”
— Ian Bogost, Game Theorist

54. Jan 12 2017 | @lizco @DesignersGeeks
How can I make this easy?
How can I make this fun?

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A window into the
ecological systems
powering your
grove.

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Conceal the thing’s
inner working
entirely.
Disconnected:

60. Jan 12 2017 | @lizco @DesignersGeeks
Build skills by
teaching in context.
Reconnected:

62. Jan 12 2017 | @lizco @DesignersGeeks
Render the software
unnecessary as the
user learns.
Reconnected:

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We can’t allow the Internet of
Things to take hold without fully
understanding how it works.
— Ayah Bdeir, CEO of littleBits

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66. #grovegrown

67. Turning you into an
expert without you
even realizing it?
Could successful ‘engagement’ mean…

68. Could successful ‘engagement’ mean…
A better
understanding of the
world around you?

69. Could successful ‘engagement’ mean…
Less time in-app,
more time with your
head in the plants?

70. Jan 12 2017 | @lizco @DesignersGeeks
!
Thank you!
Thanks to Charles, Joe & everyone who helped make this talk possible!