Unintended consequences of design thinking

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It has been a revealing time for designers and may be the start of those times when they are becoming self-critical of their design consequences that has changed the way we live and let live today. 

When the original Apple iPhone was announced by Steve Jobs, he was very specific to say that the size of the iPhone was just the "right size" noting that people don’t want a device “you can’t get your hand around.” However, companies including Apple itself went on to break this rule by many folds and today a 5.5" screen has become a norm - probably a standard at the manufacturing facilities. Probably, why all designs are almost identical today. 

If you are a lady or a gent, it's quite uncomfortable in any pocket (especially in something worn by 90% of the people).  The design made it inconvenient to put it in the pocket, but made is super convenient for getting hooked on to and never letting it go. The circle of getting hooked onto is vicious - Starting the moment it buzzes when it's right in front of you so you can get chatty; makes it convenient to switch on the camera when you spotted something that makes you happy and forget to live the moment.  it's also makes it handy to check that email when you are walking with your loved one. Was this intended or unintended -  the companies aren't the ones complaining.  

Brilliant work designers - you have certainly left something to hold on to in dire straits. 

Indians - IT, space programs but far from trustworthy

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Indians have been known for computers, engineering and now recently for ambitious space programs, but it will be long before, the world considers them professional and trustworthy. I am writing with a wish to correct this.

A disclosure to begin with, I am an Indian by birth and by heart. I feel very proud to have imbibed the Indian culture within during my upbringing. However, I have been living out of India from the last decade - long enough to get insights into how another national feels about Indians and also in many ways get a first hand experience by other fellow Indians which has influenced me to write this article.

Many at times, when aiming for anything - whether it's for getting a new job or to get funding for a startup or even for new skates from one's parents - the pitch would be a winner not only if the technicality is real, but most importantly it should be believable. For example - when my son pitches how important it is for him to have a new set of skates and how he can master it very quickly and make me a happy father, what is also important is whether he is believable or not - especially after a fact that the bike he got as a gift for his last birthday has been taken out exactly 10 times in the last 11 months.

Whether the fact is correct or not is irrelevant, but you get the point don't you? It's not just making a promise, but one should keep it to the best of one's ability. Indians; not all, but a few bad ones have not made the lot proud in this area. Indians should have been known for - Dharma and Righteousness but due to a few bad apples, we are often perceived as cheats, unprofessional or untrustworthy. It hurts other Indians especially when living or doing business abroad.

When we hired a front-end developer 2+ months back from India, we did not expect we would get a taste of this. He was mediocre, but with an attitude to learn, adapt and grow. Being a startup, we took his word as commitment and giving ours as one, offered him a job without going on to draw any agreements and postponed this to later. He also initiated a catch up when he was on a personal trip during transition and we talked about his abilities and our expectations. A very convincing, enthusiastic discussion, didn't expect this surprise coming up. Within two days of his joining he said he is taking up another offer from a big company and won't be continuing with us. I was told that he had this coldness in him which was eerie.

We are glad this happened now and not two months down the road - it would have wasted time of all our team collectively (not that it already hasn't wasted 4-5 months of search and rehiring time). When startups like ours hire, we invest in our teams, spend time to groom them, guide them and help them not just learn new skills and stuff, but unlearn a lot of shit learnt through various systems.

We have no bad feeling about him personally, but he deserves to be sued. A lot of work was planned up for him, it was crucial for us, he knew but, gave a shit.

We always say in my company, Lean Station - commitment is everything. We collectively need to change this attitude in people to be respected in-full for what they are.

I was taught as a part of my upbringing that words coming out our tongues are no different from getting it done - Well this is the Indian culture that seems to have been suppressed somewhere for an unknown reason in some of us. It's time to awaken now when world is watching closely.

Again, commitment is everything folks, prowess is respected only when you gain trust.

By the way, we are looking for a front-end developer - if you are interested write to us.

Facebook redirecting to Google; happening on an Apple

In this race between the three tech giants, there seems to be one common agenda that will set them on the true path of the so called "Global Dominance" - to increase consumers and boost consumerism by increasingly making individuals "unintelligent". 

The direct advertising tactics are becoming see-through to the so called "GenY". They are tending to ignore obvious tactics of products coaxing them to buy stuff on the net. Hence almost gone are the days when blatant advertising tactics like ads that promote product features or celebrity endorsements.

The new era of advertising involves carefully crafted smart advertisements, tying it up social moments or positioning a product carefully in another innocent looking entertainment program or a so called smart commercial that makes amazing connection between a butterfly fluttering its wings in china to the product's benefit to its users. At least this is what we are all led to believe.

The real new age I feel is being dominated by the top tech giants - Have you ever experienced anything similar:

While innocently surfing on your Apple iPad through the infinite load of facebook posts that is cleverly crafted by the craftsmen at facebook, you encounter a subtle reference to an interesting web series (note that it's not a direct reference but a very subtle, very delicate reference - just enough to get you excited to know more) - and you go on to googling the web series referenced to in YouTube or Google search. You find it right there as the first result - (note the sudden dash of happiness you just felt - it's a dash of dopamine) - Feeling smart and happy- you click on the video and end up spending the next good hour or more binge watching them..

Well - this is just half the story, stay with me.

Now these so called web episodes - they have cleverly crafted in - not one, not two but a lot of products inside. The actors use a new model of the smart-phone or wear a new designed jacket, may even cleverly reference to the e-commerce site in which she or he bought it.  The most important bit is the part where during the plot, the actors may walk into a restaurant and start making food porn right there and upload it to Instagram or facebook and whtasapp it to their friends and talk about it in a very casual way. It's so freaking real and enticing- that the user watching it immediately feels like doing the exactly the same thing and most of them would. At least 8 out of 10 would look for similar food in Instagram or even better google for the nearest restaurant where they may get what they just saw. Let's say 5 out of those 8 or more would do something like this:

"Hey, guess what - I found this cozy and hidden place near the market which makes the most amazing cake looking biscuits served with avocado dips with cheese melting right on the top (or something like it). Shall we meet there in say an hour?"

This goes out to their friends' group on Whatsapp.

If you recount the steps, what the user took on his Apple iPad - from Facebook to Google to YouTube to Instagram to Google to Whatsapp to the Restaurant itself. If you see who made money - yes the restaurant, but can you see who made the real money?

Hope you got my point! There are many many such consumer journeys every consumer takes. They are being designed / crafted by the tech giants. Are they colluding - who has to say?

Many such cycles what the tech giants craft - the more the redirects, the better it gets for them. I wouldn't be surprised if these tech giants are producing such series - in fact I bet they do.

Well, is this why Netflix is producing their shows and Amazon recently got their own too.

As a disclosure, the story is completely fictional and didn't happen to me or to anyone around me. I never had an Apple iPad. My account on facebook is disabled since many years. Never have I even seen what Instagram looks like. I do use google, YouTube and whatsapp for work - always trying very hard to steer away from such cycles woven intelligently by these tech giants.