Narcissistic Products Suck

Kendra Shimmell at Fluxible 2014© Kendra Shimmell 2014 | Interaction 14 South America

Narcissistic products suck!

Los productos narcicistas apestan.

Produtos Narcisistas são uma M…

Interaction 14 South America Kendra L. Shimmell#ISA14BA @kshimmell

Narcissistic Products Suck

During this talk when I say product, I am talking about digital products, apps, devices, and appliances—connected stuff.

Meet Steve. !

He rented a bitchin’ (cool) Camaro.

Last summer, I rented a car for a business trip. !They rented me this brand new black Camaro Z 1. I thought it was cool. !When I turned the car on and started driving, this head up display appeared on the windshield. It projects the speedometer reading on the windshield. It looked like a hologram. Very cool! I was FEELING GOOD about my rental car. !Then I turned on the Satellite radio so I could play some music, and all of a sudden an advertisement comes on the radio for Supercuts (a hair salon).

What was unusual is that the speedometer on the windshield display all of a sudden shrinks down a little bit and the display scrolls the phone number #1-800-SUPERCUTS (on the windshield). !I wasn’t stopped, I was DRIVING. I thought, “Wow, this is a new low in advertising.” !! © Kendra Shimmell 2014 | Interaction 14 South America

How did the experience make Steve feel?

How did it make me feel?I guess that I felt kind of dupped (tricked). !I’m driving this futuristic car—a bitchin’ (cool) Camaro—I’ve got the speedometer projected in front of me like a hologram. !It is supposed to be there to make me safer. !It isn’t like I wrapped my car around a pole, but when the advertisements started showing up, it really was DISTRACTING. It made me think about this (situation), and I got kind of MAD! !It seemed like it was doing the complete opposite of what it was supposed to do.

My definition of a narcissistic product

Stories people shared about narcissistic products

A few thoughts about why narcissistic products exist

5 simple principles to guide us in the right direction

4 things I will talk about:

They are similar to narcissistic people.

http://kotaku.com/the-most-delightfully-narcissistic-man-on-facebook-504359338

THIS GUY IS AMAZING!!!

An exaggerated sense of self-importance

Lack in empathy and sensitivity to other’s circumstances

Expects others to go through with his ideas and plans

Requires constant admiration

Often monopolizes conversations

Is jealous of others & believes others are jealous of him

But, we wouldn’t intentionally hang out with this guy, right? Right?!

A narcissistic product puts its own interests in front of the interests of the people that use it. These products typically demand attention disproportionate to the job we “hired” them to do.

20online

surveys

5in person

interviews

lotsobservation

& note taking

The AttentionCarjacker

The CodependentGame

The SociopathicZen Master

The High Maintenance Kitchen

A few themes…

Meet Wyatt. He downloadeda game to play.

Title TextA FREE game.

Title TextTo pass a little time.

The point was to build a colony, to build an army, to plant, grow, and store wheat—turn it into bread. Feed his army…

He thought, “This is boring and slow.” So he turned it off.

It wasn’t really his thing.

His phone goes off. He thinks, “It’s probably important.”

NOTIFICATION: Your barracks are overflowing.You need to build more barracks.

He turned it off.

NOTIFICATION: Your army is hungry, you need to harvest wheat.

He turned it off.

The next day in a meeting…

How did the experience make Wyatt feel?

My barracks were full, my wheat thing was full, and my people were starving. I felt obligated to take care of them. So I did.“

I let this go on for two days. Then I uninstalled it because it wouldn’t let me play it when I wanted to play.“

The CodependentGame

A few themes…

Meet Lea.She wanted to learn to pause. She tried out a few meditation apps looking for a little help.

Kendra Shimmell at Fluxible 2014© Kendra Shimmell 2014 | Interaction 14 South America© Kendra Shimmell 2014 | Interaction 14 South America

How did the experience make Lea feel?

I need you to help me meditate. NOT to tell me WHEN to bloody meditate.“

The CodependentGame

A few themes…

The most common fear was about connected appliances becoming too high maintenance.

I saw an ad for a refrigerator that had Wi-Fi for recipes. But then it also connected to Twitter. I was TERRIFIED! The last thing I need is to receive updates from my refrigerator.“

Let’s take a look behind the scenesat the design ofhigh maintenanceappliances.

Title TextWe want to be the Nest of… (sure you do)

Title TextThis is how I imagine they see their customers.

I call this overestimating the give a fuck.“

The CodependentGame

A few themes…

Focus more on the service the product is intended to provide. The features will fall out of that.

Just because it isknowable does not mean someone needsto know it.

…and a sensor doesn’t make it smart.

Why do narcissisticproducts exist ifthey SUCK so bad?

$data The team losesperspective.

The technology around me is always begging for my attention. It’s annoying. I have other things I want to do, but then I find myself paying attention to it anyway. It makes me feel powerless. Maybe this time it will be the important thing. But it never is.“

People are addicted. Of almost 1,000 university students (12 campuses, 10 countries), a clear majority were unable to voluntarily avoid their gadgets for one day. For some, their white brain matter is decreasing (we need this for decision making).

Of 290 undergraduate participants, 89% experienced phantom vibration syndrome. 40% experience it at least once a week. !

And, multitasking is making us all more distracted.

They are making piles of money.

Our brains are changing. 1)

These products don’t work for you. You work for them.

It’s totally Pavlovian. I got a treat one time. I keep responding. Forever. You just had to give me a few treats. I know it's happening—it's humiliating.“

The attentioneconomy is short-sighted.

Say NO to designing for codependency.

We can do better. !

Here are 5 principlesto keep your productfrom being an attentionsucking demon.

Amplify the person, not the product.

Get acquaintedwith reality.What’s their typical day like?

Know its role.Write a jobdescription forthe product .

Define its character. What if it werehuman?

Respect theirtime. Have a good reason for interrupting.

What does she wish for?What gets in her way?

Definitelynot this.

Body Level One

Body Level Two

Body Level Three

Body Level Four

Body Level Five

TIP: Keep a notebook on you at all times. Watch what’s happening. Take notes.

Anatomy of a Job DescriptionJob Title

Description

Responsibilities

Minor functions (the little extras)

Supervisor

Skills, qualifications, experience

Working hours

The Muse The Friend The Concierge

The Happy Distraction The Coach The Utility Guy

Are theseall reallysomethingI need to know about?

Let’s practice!

Half a tankof gas left.Interrupt?

Maybe if they are on the moon.

You have spinach in yourteeth. Interrupt?

Your butt DOES look bigin that outfit.Interrupt?

Watch outfor that bus!Interrupt?

Thank you.Twitter: @kshimmell (the irony is not lost on me) kendra@cooper.com

Special thanks to:Lea Simpson, Wyatt Starosta, Steve Calde, Doug LeMoine, and Teresa Brazen for giving me your stories, input, and time.Sarah Gailey and Julie Celia for the hilarious kitchen photo shoot and voiceover help. Cameron Winchester for your input on visuals.Thank you to all of the people that participated in interviews and surveys!

No deje de completar su evaluación online

isa.ixda.org/encuesta¡Muchas gracias!

Interaction14South America

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