Smart products are using an array of software components to create meaningful product experiences layered over innovative hardware. This is posing a new design challenge for product designers as we migrate from a process of focusing on one main component to a process that requires juggling the design of many components concurrently. The key to cracking this problem isn’t that difficult; design the flow of data from one component to another using the user’s natural behavior as a guide.
The problem lies in implementing this type of workflow because it requires a shift in thinking and an increased level of coordination. Starting with the user’s intent and their environment, the designer can orchestrate an experience across the components, ultimately defining the features and functionality of each. By embracing the convergence of traditional product design and newer, software design strategies, a hybrid process will emerge that can tackle the increasingly complex task of designing a smart product.
Lauren Von Dehsen is an Experience Design Director at R/GA NY. She has been working with Nike for over 2 years, shaping the digital experience around the Nike+ FuelBand including the new Nike+ FuelBand SE. Previously, she has worked to craft digital experiences for Pharmaceutical, Nutritional and Non-Profit organizations.
Lauren graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a BFA in Industrial Design & Human-Computer Interaction where her focus was more centered on traditional product design. As a result, Lauren has a deep interest in how digital technology is beginning to break through the two-dimensional screen and converge with the physical world around us.
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