Todays guest lecture was conducted by Astrid Scott, the Experience Strategist and Senior Producer for ABC R+D. She defines experience strategy as the process of designing ways for people to interact with the content based on analysis of HOW people interact and navigate daily life without the content. For example, what devices they use? How they use it? Essentially, she encourages thought process regarding usability. Interestingly, in order to analyse the way in which we will interact with media, we have to be forward thinking. This addresses the notion within Moore’s law: ‘processing power will double every couple of years’, allowing advances in technology to re-define the way we interact with media.
The four most interesting technological developments Astrid Scott referred to were:
- Ubiquitous Computing
Refers to a sensory environment so that we are connected to environments (touch screen kitchen)
- Big Data and the Quantified Self
Sensory data for personalisation – fitness watches are beginning – pills with cameras and products that respond to body – mood sensors
All of this has privacy issues but regardless, it encourages us to think about how we make a product to suit this technology (a product specific to a particular person – virtual assistants)
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
When you no longer have ownership over the distribution of content, you have to think about how AI tech will encounter your stuff (brand)
- More Natural, Human Interfaces
Build interfaces that correspond with your body for new media experiences
Some other interesting dot points include:
The technology will be there – as to whether we used it or not is another question.
Facebook own Oculus Rift and want to create experiences for friends to experience together that are not real.
Every media organisation in Australia is struggling to stay relevant.
Have to think about how the socio-cultural and technological environment of the home is changing.
New technologies Include:
Sensors, Wearables & biofeedback, Smart objects (IoT), Gesture & voice (NUIs), Projections & holograms, AI & virtual assistants, Artificial reality (VR, AR, etc.),
Connected home – the home is digitally connected via smart objects.
My Thoughts:
In regards to Future Homes, I noticed how we are adapting technology to our stereotypical home life. Why not adapt our lives to technology – or maybe that will happen automatically?
Will technology make our lives better or worse?
Part of me thinks it’s ridiculous and detracts from a level of human interaction – but now I’m thinking it just redefines human interactions. For example the elderly could be scared of mobile phones, whereas younger generations are accepting of mobile phones within society. Therefore potentially we have to adapt to technology as we are redefined amongst technology.