The best new products--and the most successful--solve real problems in a way that no one has thought to previously address. Often, the problem(s) solved come as a cluster of needs, which appear to be insoluble, even unrelated. Existing hegemonies may appear to counter-indicate new solutions. The logic of the status quo is not a good tool in opening a window to new product categories.
This situation today is a de facto duopoly. Those who benefit are most fundamentally Apple and Google. This is born out by the stock market and the Interbrand 100, where Apple and Google are respectively the #1 and #2 most valuable brands in the world today. The fact that both systems work by forcing everyone to purchase software through either the Apple Store or the Play Store and to use the same antiquated interface and decades old data storage system is further evidence of the duopoly.
Six Classical Archetypes: employed in Branding and User Experience Can you find one that relates to you? Who, why; why not? Bryce Maynard Winter Visionary (Dreamer, Prophet, Seer--see also Guide, Alchemist) The Visionary archetype lets you imagine possibilities that are beyond the scope of your individual life and that benefit all of society. The Visionary... Continue Reading →
UX Part I: Wicked Problem We are at a crossroads in the design of User Experience (UX) today: A wicked problem is a problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize. The use of term "wicked" here has come to denote resistance to resolution, rather than... Continue Reading →
Archetypes in Action: How Historical Reference Fills Day-To-Day Consciousness (+ Unconscious Decision-Making) The day-to-day landscape of commercial brands fulfills basic human needs of relatedness and connectivity to community. Today’s commercial landscape (both online and off) represents an ‘apologia’ of sorts to various commercial restraints in the aid of collective community. Let me be clear: our social... Continue Reading →
