The internet of things poses a variety of design challenges starting with the fact that we’re not exactly sure how most consumers will want to deploy and implement connected devices in their homes and lives. Much like people don’t think about using electricity, but instead they think about turning on the lights, plugging in a TV or other applications, using the internet of things will require applications.
But for the most part, people are selling consumers, not applications, but the links to make applications possible. So the WeMo isn’t just a connected outlet, its analogous to selling someone an outlet for electricity. What would someone in a non electrified world want with an outlet? What does the average consumer want with a WeMo? That was one of many topics that I discussed in this week’s podcast with product designer Carla Diana. Diana is fascinated by the SmartThings, the Twines and the other connected elements that she calls “mavericks” but she’s not sure that’s how the internet of things will actually invade the home.
Hear her discuss this, designing for ambient information without overwhelming users and how the internet of things will help take us away from our screens and embed technology into our lives in ways that make us more efficient and maybe more fun.
Show notes:
Host: Stacey Higginbotham
Guest: Carla Diana, Smart fellow at Smart Design and CEO of Carla Diana Creative
- How do you design something when we’re not even sure how people will use the internet of things?
- The importance of mavericks in the developing ecosystem.
- Pre-made kits may be the best example of how normal people will install the internet of things.
- Thinking about design and using the internet of things for ambient information.
- Learn why “life now, data later” matters in designing for connected devices.
PREVIOUS IoT PODCASTS:
Podcast: The history of the internet of things includes a Swedish hockey team and LEGOs
IoT Podcast: Where self-milking cows graze fields of data gold
Podcast: Power to the people — and all their connected devices
What you really need to know before buying connected devices
How the internet of things may make parents less worried but more neurotic
Shark Week for the internet of things
What the Internet of Things can learn from Minecraft and Lemmings
Podcast: How IBM uses chaos theory, data and the internet of things to fix traffic
Electric Imp aims to make the Internet of Things devilishly simple

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