Title: Deliver the Future, Gradually
Context: Everybody wants to design the next shiny new toy, just be sure that your customers are going to want to play with it first.
Synopsis: The old(ish) saying tells us that the future is already here but it is not yet evenly distributed. The implied value judgement is that this is not a good thing. But maybe—just maybe—a measured introduction to a brave new magical future (awkwardly mixed references there) actually is the right way to do it. People need context and frames of reference in order to confidently climb the ladder of technology. Sure there are those among us who crave bleeding edge novelty to the point of addiction, yet most people are more recreational technophiles who may binge on innovation from time to time but generally prefer a mellower buzz. Just as you can no longer stomach tequila after that night of overindulgence in high school, a single bad experience with a too-advanced technology can turn you off a product for good as well. So be aware of your users’ tolerance for change and serve them an appropriate cocktail of newness or risk mopping up the vomit of your own failure.
Best Bit: “[D]esigners and innovators must pave the way toward the future, but in gradual steps—delivering experiences that break new ground, but still contain enough of the familiar to be ‘acceptable’ to the people for whom they’re designed.”
via uxbooth.com
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