Jumping Barriers Using Design to Introduce New Technologies

Every year…  The US Patent Office issues tens of thousands of patents  At universities and research facilities, researchers develop thousands of research and technology projects  Private companies spend billions on research and development

In short… Hundreds of thousands of technologies are created, researched and patented every year.

But until…  Market conditions are right  Social and cultural conditions are right  And, most importantly, these technologies are incorporated into a well-designed product…

…they might as well have never been made.  Technologies can be forgotten  Technologies can lie dormant for decades

A Poorly-Designed Product…  Can hinder technological innovations  Can discredit valid technology  Can discredit valid ideas and research  Can cost billions of dollars  Can cause human injury or death

The Newton  In 1993, Apple launched the Newton, the first PDA  Discontinued in 1998, it was soundly beaten by the Palm Pilot

The Palm Pilot  1996: Jim Hawkins launches Palm Pilot  (Re-)Started a new category of device  Faster adoption than color TV, cell phones, or the PC

The Difference? Design  Less complicated: not a replacement PC  Better handwriting recognition software  Size

A Means of Introducing New Technologies The difference between a technology succeeding or failing can be the design of the product that contains it.

The S Curve Design is a means of breaking through the barriers that prevent adoption of new technologies.

Barriers to Adoption  Cultural  Social  Tradition  Not compellingly different  FUD: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt  Competition  Existing systems

How Designers Can Help  Create a compelling story  Link new forms to existing forms  Apply the MAYA principle  Make the product compellingly different

Supporting Evidence  Case studies, case studies, case studies  Statistics on technology adoption  Statistics on failed products and technologies

Use for the Design Community  Better able to make a case to businesses for their services  Techniques other designers have used when introducing new technologies  Learning about the barriers to technology adoption may help in jumping them

Jumping Barriers Using Design to Introduce New Technologies