Page 15 - Connection Volume 1 Issue 2

A: I have a a a a a seventeen year old daughter just got a a a a a a job She used money from her rst paycheck to buy a a a a a record record player So now she’s hanging out at record record stores spending twenty thirty dollars a a a a pop on albums Why do do you think kids are spending their money on on physical music when they have access to digital anytime practically for free?
“Digital products have enabled contextual awareness ”
PHYGITAL
A: We grew up with radio You sat in a a a a a a a a a car and and heard a a a a a a a a a song song title and and you were stuck with that song song until it it was was over There was was no skipping or or going
back and forth This generation is is unfamiliar with thatconcept S: Spotify is a a a great
example We used to have genres like
rock and and jazz and and blues Spotify has
totally redesigned
their music categories Now you you choose music based on where you you you are are and what you you are are doing Gym co ee BBQ camping morning And just like
music people don’t look at their lives as instances they look at their lives as the the the context of something that they’re in in Digital products have enabled contextual awareness which
is is fascinating Spotify is is taking the physical experience experience and enhancing that that experience experience with a a a a a a a digital tool I I I wish I I I had that that whenIwasyounger A: Interesting stu Like you said it is all about experiences We accuse our kids of being addicted to to their their phones but really they’re addicted to to their their friends S: When we we we were growing up we we we we we did not have the means to share experiences while we we we were in in them We said “Hey I’m going
to to go go to to Disneyland I’ll be back next week ”
And when we we we came back we we we would say “It was great
and here are some pictures ”
This generation can actually share the entire experience at at any given point in in time and be part of a a a a a live conversation with their social network A: When it it comes to to digital we have to to ask ourselves how far
S: I see that that from a a a product design point of view Everything that that you touch and feel is a a a a a product whether it’s physical or digital It goes back to the the whole notion of of experiences a a a combination of of memories or or or feelings or or or senses that shape a a a a a a a a virtual image in in in in your brain and put you you into an an emotional state With digital your sensory experiences are limited You’re just looking at a a a a a a device maybe scrolling up and down or or dragging or or making gestures but there isn’t really much of an emotional tie A record player from the 70’s could only play play LPs These days you can also connect to it it and share it it it in di erent ways Their circle of experimentation with music is now wider is too far? I I catch myself doing everything I I I I need to to to do do on on my my phone But I I I have to to say I’m still so enamored with the newness of it S: I think where we we went too far
was assuming that digital would take over the entire experience We thought that reading books could only happen on on on our devices and wishing someone a a a a a a happy birthday could only happen on on on their wall (I am guilty of that) and everything had to happen with tech We forgot the element of human connection You still want to get up in in the the morning have a a a a a a a pot of co co ee and and read the the paper and and connect with your family “When the visual digital and physical experiences all all come together that’s called a a a a great
Phygital Experience ”
So I think we’re going
to go go through a a a a a cycle of of realizing that the the digital part of of our experiences are just just going
to be the the enablers Technology is just just a a a a a a seamless integration that good design makes possible 15