Serving an experience first generation

As we enter the era of connected devices, mixed reality and machine learning, there are some really interesting observations to make. Mark my words, 2017 will revolutionize products, transforming features into experiences, both good and bad.

Millennials grew overlooking computers getting personalized, getting smaller in size and almost become ubiquitous. But that’s not what will define 2017. I think Gen-Z will rather influence and drive technology this year. Those teenagers wearing Snapchat spectacles aren’t fools, this will be essentially what you will face in future.

Don’t believe me?

Let’s validate with three simple facts:

• Generation of minecrafters
• Increasing IoT and wearable devices
• Recent advances in mixed reality

Case for minecrafters

Minecrafters are school going kids that have increasingly been using minecraft, lego and other similar platforms to create, build and visualize. These minecrafters are using such platforms to learn almost everything, sometimes, even to communicate.

With these platforms the only limit these kids have is the “limit of imagination”. The ways these kids will be nurtured will further be influenced by many of the existing and upcoming platforms. Years and years of such exposure will have a drastic influence over them, they no longer will consume or interact they way we do. Most of the UX triggers will go obsolete. Snapchat is the live example, dominating the demographic of 15-24 years, while most of millennials seems to be oblivious “why use Snapchat”? 

Increasing connected devices and smart wearables

Most of our product interaction used to start with visual or physical modes. With increasing amount of connected devices, features will be practically invisible to a user. Instead, they will rely on invisible experiences that surrounds them.

More focus will be on delighting customers with an invisible experience, backed by machine predictions and low latency technology. More and more designers will become familiar with Arduino, Raspberry Pi and other hardware prototyping kits. Speaking about present situation, I have only seen industrial designers tinker around hardware development kits.

Recent advances in mixed reality

Everyone has said it before, and it never happened. But, I’ll say it here again. AR and VR will revolutionize everything around you, every interaction from a holographic keyboard to a surgery simulator will change how users interact with products and services.

When AR and VR are placed alone, they just don’t do the justice our users deserve. But, with mixed reality (MR) sky is the limit, you can build and simulate everything on a point cloud, a pilot driving F22 can use MR to make the entire plane disappear and see incoming missile more accurately.

I expect MR to become an integral part of digital experiences.

Technologies are evolving faster than ever, all we can do is to benchmark and identify how we can serve our users better. If you have anything to share about the next generation of experiences please feel free to drop a message or comment.