Jumping Barriers

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Jumping Barriers

• Using Design to Introduce
• New Technologies

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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

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In short

• Hundreds of thousands of technologies are
  created, researched and patented every year.

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But until

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

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they might as well have never been made.

• Technologies can be forgotten
• Technologies can lie dormant for decades

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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

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The Newton

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

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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

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The Difference? Design

• Less complicated not a replacement PC
• Better handwriting recognition software
• Size

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A Means of Introducing New Technologies

• The difference between a technology succeeding or
  failing can be the design of the product that
  contains it.

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The S Curve

• Design is a means of breaking through the
  barriers that prevent adoption of new
  technologies.

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Barriers to Adoption

• Cultural
• Social
• Tradition
• Not compellingly different

• FUD Fear, Uncertainty,
• and Doubt
• Competition
• Existing systems

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How Designers Can Help

• Create a compelling story
• Link new forms to existing forms
• Apply the MAYA principle
• Make the product compellingly different

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Supporting Evidence

• Case studies, case studies, case studies
• Statistics on technology adoption
• Statistics on failed products and technologies

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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

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Jumping Barriers

• Using Design to Introduce
• New Technologies