Adaptive Path Blog

Last fall, we did an activity called The Wand in the World aimed at opening up thinking about the potential of mobile devices and services. We had a set of 7 teams take a physical object (aka: a “wand”) on a walkabout in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco. Armed with their wand, a diary, cameras, curious minds and intentional observation skills, the teams used the wand as a proxy device to brainstorm new interactions capture new thinking about how to engage with the physical world via a mobile digital device.

The wand objects varied widely, from abstract to oddity: a wooden egg…an oversized plastic magnifying glass…a koosh ball…a paintbrush. The physical form factor made a difference in the assumed affordances of the device, so it turned out that having a wide variety of form factors worked extremely well.

The observations that resulted were rich with presence and context-based learnings, as well as new possibilities for physical interactions. The exercise allowed us to have conversations ‘way beyond the “feature set”; we were able to move the discussion to a larger framework about engaging with the world around us in new and interesting ways.

So whenever I hear about some new use for a digital device, I think about the experience of the wand in the world and how everyday life is on the fast-track to a complete mobile make-over. Which begs the question…how is all this going to really feel?

What will life be like when our mobile devices open our front doors, get us on the train and filled with fast food, let us into public restrooms and even remind us to pray?

Mobile manufacturers and developers have a vested economic interest in creating new ways for mobile devices to fit within our lives, but what are we, as individuals, consumers and participants in a mobile future, doing to prepare for it? What will a fully instrumented future feel like? What will be included in the feature set for a cell phone at the center of the universe? And how will we adapt to it? These are not technology issues, these are social and cultural questions.

I do know this…things that proactively try to engage me irritate me. The TV screens at the gas pump that provide “infotainment” when I gas up? Hate ‘em. The obnoxious PharmAssist kiosk in my local drugstore with the creepy cartoon doctor on it that verbally assails me with a booming “Can I help you!?!?” every time I trip its digital proximity alert? Hate it.

Neither of these are actually bad ideas…I’m sure some people love them or find them helpful. But when I imagine my mobile device doing this kind of thing, prickles run up my spine. How will I react to a device that nags at me or pings me with “great deal opportunities” when I’m strolling down the street? Gah.

How will it feel to find a parking spot with my device? To remember to get my shoes fixed by taking a snapshot for a visual to-do list? To use it to scan products on the shelf so that I don’t buy decaf coffee by mistake?

So I’m doing an experiment in mindful awareness for mobile. For the next week, whenever I’m doing something mundane…I’m going to ask “how can my digital device do this for me/ help me do this / enhance this?” and then to take a moment to think about how that would feel. Was it helpful? Invasive? Fun? Creepy?

You’re invited to join the experiment. Please post comments on your observations!

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A while back I was talking with Jeff Veen about working at Adaptive Path, and he said something that has always stayed with me. He said “People here not only like to think about things…they really like to make things.”

So, for all you Makers in the Bay Area, don’t miss the 3rd annual Maker’s Faire this weekend!

Sponsored by O’Reilly Media (publishers of Make Magazine and Craft Magazine) the Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It’s for creative, resourceful people of all ages and backgrounds who like to tinker and love to make things.

I went the first year, and it was a marvel: CNC for couples, hacking disposable cameras, knitting madness, fire art and tons of electronic little glowy things you can build yourself. It’s a downpour of creativity and audacity. This year promises to be chock-full of interesting people, ideas, projects, plans and tools. So head down to the San Mateo Fairgrounds and make out like a bandit.

See you there!

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I recently had the pleasure of chatting via email with Nathan Shedroff, experience strategist, author, and the Program Chair and founder of the brand new MBA in Design Strategy at California College of the Arts. Nathan will be speaking on Future Topics in Managing User Experience at our upcoming MX San Francisco conference on April 20-22.

MBA programs with a focus on design are cropping up in leading business schools. What’s behind this trend and what do these programs teach? In this conversation, Nathan lifts the curtain of the newest program to blend design and business.

But don’t just read the essay…come hear Nathan up close and in person at MX: Managing Experience Through Creative Leadership in San Francisco, April 20-22. Early bird pricing ends March 31st, so sign up today!

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In 1998, the Internet bubble was growing by leaps and bounds, foosball and Red Bull were the drugs of choice and Flash (looky here! things can move!) was the new girl in school.

Interactive marketing departments and agencies rode the wave and launched an endlessly creative and exhaustive set of irritating, pointless Flash site intros that showcased their brands, showed off their knowledge of the newest tools, and revealed their utter contempt for people who wanted easy, quick access to information. Remember folks…the 14.4k modem was still in play. Companies seemed to think it was okay to force-feed people animated marketing fluff as the cost of entry to a Web site.

The hack Skip Intro was the perfect commentary on Flash madness. Set to an oh-so-current musical score and using all the best of Flash’s moving and shaking features, Skip Intro danced itself into user experience fame by throwing back the curtain on the true perceptions of the Flash site intro.

A few years after it made the Internet meme rounds, Skip Intro disappeared. Now I’m happy to discover that it’s back online, thanks to creator Yacco Vijn cleaning out his digital attic.

It’s 10 years later, it still has the power to amaze and delight. View the madness at www.skipintros.com. You get double points if you saw this the first time around.

Happy birthday, Skip Intro. So glad you’re back.

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I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Indi Young about her new book: “Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with User Behavior” which is now available.

It was a particular pleasure as I’ve worked with Indi on Mental Model projects, and used her Mental Model brilliance in working with other Adaptive Path clients.

If you’re hip on empathy, user needs and visual models, this book is a touchstone for creating great user experiences. I have a feeling this will be a common sight on designer’s bookshelves…right next to the Polar Bear book.

 You can learn all about Indi, her ideas and the book here:

• Read my interview with Indi [an Adaptive Path essay]
• Visit the book site at Rosenfeld Media (use discount code “402084″ for 10% off of the cover price)
• Attend Indi’s virtual seminar on February 20th (Sign up with promotion code “RMYOUNG1″ and receive a copy of Indi’s new book all for the discounted price of $129)
• Meet Indi at the IxDA-SF’s free event at CNET on February 28, where she’ll discuss “Mental Models: Sparking Creativity Through Empathy”

Big congrats to Indi for her new book! 

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Please join Good Ol’ Girls and Girls in Tech for a special joint presentation by Peter Leyden, Director of the New Politics Institute and former Managing Editor of Wired magazine.

Thursday, November 8, 2007
At Adaptive Path, 363 Brannan St in San Francisco
(Between 2nd & 3rd)
$10 at the door

• Doors & Cocktails: 6:00 - 6:30 PM
• Presentation: 6:30 - 7:30 PM
• Q&A: 7:30- 7:45 PM

This engaging presentation lauded by U.S. Congressional leaders across the country and seen on the Google campus draws into focus how advances in technology and new media, along with dramatic shifts in the demographics and generational make up of the country, are rapidly reshaping our politics. It also offers ideas and strategies for how progressives can replicate our 20th century success in this new and dynamic century.

Peter Leyden is the Director of the New Politics Institute, responsible for developing a diverse network of strategists from many different fields to help progressives take advantage of today’s massive changes in technology, media and demographics.

Leyden comes from Global Business Network, a futures research and strategic consulting firm that pioneered the use of diverse networks of high capacity individuals.

Leyden previously worked as the managing editor at the original Wired magazine that helped drive the digital revolution and pioneered the early online new media. He has worked as a journalist at several newspapers and is the coauthor of two books, The Long Boom and What’s Next? He’s written for many publications, including The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Learn more and RSVP

Also check out Pete’s latest article, The 50-Year Strategy: A New Progressive Era in Mother Jones magazine.

For more information on the presentation, Peter Leyden, or the New Politics Institute, please visit www.newpolitics.net.

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Team Spaces :
Second in a series of Bathroom Experiences : Bathroom Blogfest 2007

There are a lot of great cultural indicators and collaborative spaces in the Adaptive Path office. But my favorite is still the bathrooms. Bathrooms as culture? As collaborations? Um…huh?

The bathrooms at AP are humane, interesting, fun and attractive spaces. As a result, they’ve become places that showcase what we value: human-centeredness, design-awareness, accessibility, smarts, participation and play.

I believe that bathrooms are a key indicator of a team culture. Office bathrooms are spaces that are often ignored, where effort is minimized, where meeting the bare basics is deemed to be enough. What a loss. I think great team cultures create great bathrooms…and I suspect that the reverse is also true.

Want a great team? Start with exceeding expectations in the most surprising of places: invest in a great bathroom.

With apologies to Maslow, I’ve outlined a hierarchy of bathroom needs from the bare basics up to a fully-actualized office bathroom cultural experience.

The Basics

• toilet & toilet paper
• sink
• paper towels/ air dryer
• trash can
• clean, dry floor
• door
• ADA accessible

Basics +

• a good lock on the door
• mirror
• non-controlled toilet paper dispenser (you know…the kind that give you more than one square at a time…)
• toilet seat covers
• extra basic supplies (paper towels, toilet paper)

Quality space

• 2-ply toilet paper
• accessible storage for extra supplies
• coat rack/ purse hooks
• air-circulating fan
• completely clean and tidy

Quality experience

• supplies area with additional amenities: extra toilet paper & paper towels, first aid kit, pain-killers, air-purifying spray, feminine supplies, etc.
• someplace to sit other than the toilet
• full-length mirror
• color: walls painted non-institutional / non-boring colors
• residential-grade fixtures and finishes
• exterior window

Cultural experience

• plants
• art, especially art created by employees
• unique fixtures / furnishings
• toys / activities
• collaborative / participative work

Probably no office bathroom has all of these, and I’m sure there are some items missing from the list. The ones that are really special and reflect the unique aspects of the culture do it by focusing on the top of the pyramid.

The point is that bathrooms signal what’s important to the team culture:

• Does the bathroom feel more personal than institutional?
• Do you care about keeping the bathroom clean because you care about the other people that use it?
• Can you get a good look at yourself in a good mirror before that big meeting so that you don’t embarrass your team with spinach in your teeth?
• Do you enjoy seeing artworks created by your team members?
• And the big one…are you trusted not to misuse the supply of toilet paper?

As you move your bathroom design to the higher levels, the more humane, culturally reflective and engaging the space becomes. And that’s got to impact how people feel about working and being together as a team.

In our office, the stuff that get positive notice from visitors, clients and team members are always things at the top of the pyramid:

• the Eames House of Cards deck, and the custom set of staff face cards made to match
• strange art that happens from things lying around, like toys and tchotchkes
• paint colors and art on the walls
• Sticky-note collages that invitate people to post thoughts, opinions or other info
• commentary on team members, taking form as participatory art
• collaborative work that uses bathroom walls

So grab a plant, some art, some toys or some sticky notes and put ‘em n your office bathroom. See how the team responds. And let me know how it goes!

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The Home Bathroom :
First in a series of Bathroom Experiences : Bathroom Blogfest 2007

I recently moved, and now I have a new bathroom. It’s completely new…new construction, new fixtures, and as a result…new habits. I have to say, the master bath has “wow” factor. I also have to say that it’s very clear that it was designed with a total disregard of efficiency and usability. And yet, I love it. How can that be?

The space design clearly shows who the architect thought the new homeowner would be: working couples (without kids) who want a place to relax and unwind within an atmosphere of modern, clean design and a green sensibility. It’s like the bathroom is whispering…”come in and experience bliss, comfort, delight and relaxation…I’m your personal spa.”

Stuff that makes my bathroom feel like an oasis:

• no door…open floor plan
• strong aesthetic impact
• clean lines
• huge mirror
• sleek sinks
• open, clear glass shower
• big soaking tub
• separate toilet room

My new bathroom experience is no longer about simple hygienic utility and having a place to put my stuff. Now it’s about pampering myself and unwinding after a stressful day. Definitely a behavioral change!

Emotional result? I truly enjoy being in the space…I feel relaxed, I work to keep the space clean and pretty, I unwind with a soak in the tub, and I feel pride, delight, pleasure…I’m calmed. Overall experience? Thumbs up.

So what’s the punch line?
The lack of attention to all the mechanics. The space is clearly not designed for efficiency, effective storage or overall utility.

Stuff that makes my bathroom totally inefficient:

• no door…open floor plan
• no medicine cabinet
• no storage
• insufficient towel racks
• bath body sprayer gurgle-leaks when you turn it off
• sinks splash
• sinks don’t hold water when drain is in
• glass on shower looks scudgy quickly

The usability aspect is like a high-pitched whine that requires attention. Some things I’ve done to address the issues? Some new furniture and lots of daily behavior change:

• get rid of all the bathroom stuff that isn’t absolutely needed…space is just too limited
• under-the-sink furniture to hold stuff that I have to have nearby…all the overflow stuff goes down the hall in the clothes closet
• A daily squeegee + Method glass spray to keep the endless stretch of shower glass sparkly
• ugly plastic drain covers to use when need to fill the sink (hidden under the counter when not in use)
• new hand habit to turn on sink faucet slllooooooowwwwllly to avoid ultra-splashing
• after-bath technique: drape the body sprayer over the edge of the tub until it stops gurgling & spitting
• On the list: install additional towel rack that jives with the overall design aesthetic

Emotional result? I have a constant mental to-do list for how to overcome the irritations…there’s head-shaking, grumbling, frustration at the designers. I have to go out of my way to do things that should be easy to do (who wants to change their faucet-turning-on-habit?) Overall usability? Thumbs down.

Now, of course, this shouldn’t be a tradeoff at all. It’s possible and preferable to design for emotion, beauty and experience without ignoring the basics of how things should work well. And designers have the responsibility to do both.

But y’know? When I think of my bathroom, I smile. I know that I’ll solve the issues that annoy me (towel rack, anyone?) but if I also know that if I had just started with a “usable bathroom”, I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to make it feel like a place of comfort and respite. Usability isn’t enough…experience is the goal. The design has shifted my expectations and changed my behaviors to focus on relaxation rather than simply efficient hygiene.

Feeling relaxed has a lot more value me than simply being clean. I have a place designed to be a sanctuary to self, and I love it.

• Kate Rutter-Adaptive Path
• Laurence Helene Borel-Blog Till You Drop
• Iris Shreve Garrott-checking out and checking in
• Susan Abbott-Customer Experience Crossroads
• Maria Palma-Customers Are Always
• Becky Carroll-Customers Rock!
• Toby Bloomberg-Diva Marketing
• Stephanie Weaver-Experienceology
• Linda Tischler-Fast Company Now
• C.B. Whittemore-Flooring the Consumer
• Katie Konrath-Get Fresh Minds
• Ed Pell-K+B DeltaVee
• Helene Blowers-Library Bytes
• Claudia Schiepers-Life and its little pleasures
• Katie Clark-Practical Katie
• Sandra Renshaw-Purple Wren
• Reshma Anand-Qualitative Research
• Marianna Hayes-Results Revolution
• Carolyn Townes-Spirit Women
• Sara Cantor-The Curious Shopper
• Anna Farmery-The Engaging Brand
• Dee McCrorey-The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
• Katia S. Adams-Transcultural

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This week I’m participating in the annual Bathroom Blogfest, joining up with 22 other bloggers from around the globe write about the importance of bathrooms in the customer experience.

Why bathrooms?

Because bathrooms express cultural and design values loud and clear. Nobody wants a bad bathroom experience (insert shudder here.)

When bathroom design doesn’t support user needs it’s profoundly obvious, and the physical space shows it: trails of water from the sink to the towel dispenser, tiny shreddings of paper on the floor due to a too-aggressive toilet paper dispenser + tissue-thin paper…we’ve all been there.

So this week, I’ll be blogging my thoughts on the women’s bathroom experience, starting with the most private: the home bathroom, and ending with the most public: San Francisco’s public pay restrooms.

Each realm has specifics that are interesting…Here’s my plan of attack:

• The home bathroom as it reflects the private culture of behavior, lifestyle and identity.
• Team spaces (offices, schools) that express the corporate cultures and the values that govern the expectations of people being together for some shared purpose.
• Public-access spaces (retail, restaurant, recreational) that evidence the brand culture, and the expectations companies have of their customer base. More importantly, the experiences customers have and how they impact their brand perception.
• Super-public spaces that demonstrate the wider cultural behaviors…how people go about their business in the country or region, and the controls and affordances designed to balance utility, maintenance and effectiveness.

I’ve got a target list of visits to make, observations to collect and thoughts to share. Stay tuned for more!

Participants in Bathroom Blogfest ‘07

• Kate Rutter-Adaptive Path
• Laurence Helene Borel-Blog Till You Drop
• Iris Shreve Garrott-checking out and checking in
• Susan Abbott-Customer Experience Crossroads
• Maria Palma-Customers Are Always
• Becky Carroll-Customers Rock!
• Toby Bloomberg-Diva Marketing
• Stephanie Weaver-Experienceology
• Linda Tischler-Fast Company Now
• C.B. Whittemore-Flooring the Consumer
• Katie Konrath-Get Fresh Minds
• Ed Pell-K+B DeltaVee
• Helene Blowers-Library Bytes
• Claudia Schiepers-Life and its little pleasures
• Katie Clark-Practical Katie
• Sandra Renshaw-Purple Wren
• Reshma Anand-Qualitative Research
• Marianna Hayes-Results Revolution
• Carolyn Townes-Spirit Women
• Sara Cantor-The Curious Shopper
• Anna Farmery-The Engaging Brand
• Dee McCrorey-The Ultimate Corporate Entrepreneur
• Katia S. Adams-Transcultural

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Chiara Fox & I spent Monday and Tuesday getting our geek on at the She’s Geeky unconference in Mountain View. In addition to hanging out with smart, geeky gals and learning about a wide variety of tech+ topics, there were other things that made the experience notable, memorable and impactful.

What made it different:

• Use of the Open Space principles / Unconference structure
• Wide range of topics, diversity of skills, interests and life experiences
• Fully participatory - it was what you made of it
• All the participant were female, geeky and proud of it
• The participants created the conference contents

Highlights of the experience
The unconference format allowed for participation from anyone and everyone. If you wanted to connect with others about an idea, you were encouraged to add it to the lineup. There was a big sheet of paper where participants could post their sessions (aka: the grid.)

The grid changed and grew throughout the day. The principles of Open Space made it okay to have a big group, or just one person (yes, you can convene a group of 1!) Key to the process was the following:

• Whoever comes are the right people / is the right person.
• Whatever happens is the only thing that would have.
• Whenever it starts is the right time.
• Whenever it is over it is over.
• If you are not learning something or sharing something, you have the responsibility to respectfully move to somewhere you are.

Topics were wide and varied…Art + Craft + Geek; GIMP for open source image editing; Shameless Promotion; Guerrilla Tactics of a Diversity Evangelist; Cyber Bullying; What challenging questions should we be asking ourselves? and more.

The Computer History Museum is a fantastic location. One big room for lunch and discussion tables, and smaller rooms for breakout sessions. The espresso bar kept us jazzed for the 2 days.

What made it work? Every activity was grounded in participation:

• You make your own nametag with a nametagcloud
• Snap a poloaroid and write up your own profile
• Write your name on your coffee mug (and drink custom coffee drinks all day!)
• Open lunch table sessions on the first day

What I learned?

• If you want participants to make their own experience, use a format that includes them in the design of that experience.
• Invite interested, interesting people…and interesting things will happen.
• Be inclusive…create many ways to get involved and engaged.
• Make it consistently participative.

Many of the session notes are available on the She’s Geeky site, and lots of photos are on Flickr.

I’ll definitely go next year!

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