ExperienceLab

Apple's iPad Tablet - Take Two

Well earlier this week I was speculating about the price of the Apple tablet, hoping that it would be somewhere between iPhone and Macbook pricing. Well it looks like it will be reasonable value after all. Or will it?

Apple Tablet - a difficult pill to swallow?

In a few hours Apple are likely to announce a new category of product - the iTablet. Or iSlate or iPad depending on who you believe.  Whatever the name the device is generating a lot of excitement even before any announcement. Lots of commentators are speculating about the likely design and the potential functionality. Will it be a media player, an internet browser, an e-reader, a games machine or all of these things. What kind of screen will it have, LED or OLED? How big will it be? Will there be a range with several models available?

This is all very interesting but I am beginning to worry about one detail in particular. The price. You see if the rumors of a $1,000 price point are true, and let's face it that could mean £1,000 in the UK, then I think there is problem. It seems to me that the acceptable pricing range is defined by two other types of Apple device already on the market - the iPhone and the Macbook laptops. In the UK the iPhone 3GS can be purchased for about £400 and the Macbooks start at around £800. I would expect the tablet to cost more than an iPhone but I would also hope that it does not cost more than the available Macbooks. If the price is close to or even more than the fully-functional (and portable) laptops Apple also sells then the value of the tablet device could be difficult to get across to potential buyers.

As I say it is a worry however I will still want one because I have that certain Apple / Mac illness and there is no known cure.

Touching designs

I recently bought a new lamp (like the one in the picture) that might have been inspired by the latest generation of touch control interfaces.

You see there is a very easy way to turn the lamp on – you simply touch the base. In fact, repeated touches allow the brightness to be changed and the lamp to be turned on and off.

I like the simplicity of this. A lot. I also wonder what other types of products and devices in our lives could respond to touch. Instead of using switches and fumbling over buttons perhaps we could change the way we interact with a range of things so that they respond to touch and gestures?

What about remote controls and televisions? Hi-fi equipment? Kitchen appliances? Which devices could lose the buttons? Alternatively are there devices that need to keep the buttons? Let us know.

Technology is really powered by magical beings!

During a recent conversation between my sons on the merits of different camera phones, various technical pros and cons were discussed. Much of the teenagers discussion centered on the value of a three versus a five megapixel camera. At which point my eight year old daughter asked what a ‘mega pixie’ was.  Now this perfectly reasonable question has got me thinking. What if technology products are, in fact, powered by little magical beings like pixies? 

I suppose that having five pixies inside a camera will allow more detailed pictures to be created than if just three are on duty. Though they must all be pretty good at painting pictures to warrant the title ‘mega’!

And what of other devices? What fantastical creatures might lie within, waiting for us to turn on the power button? If you reckon you know how your favourite gadgets really work let us know.

Product ‘mash ups’: an interesting way forward?

Some recent product releases and announcements have been of interest. Not because they represent completely new ideas but because they seem to present an interesting blending of two or more product elements into a new product.

Take the recently announced nook e-reader from Barnes and Noble. The new device features an e-ink screen for reading text plus a touch sensitive colour screen at the bottom. The colour screen allows a user to flow through book covers using gestures and touch. If you were to blend elements of standard e-readers with the iPhone or iPod Touch the nook could well be the result.

In a previous blog we have expressed doubts about e-readers. In the case of the nook it is possible that the colour screen might detract from the experience of becoming ‘lost’ in a good book, however the combined functionality does seem intriguing.

This also makes me wonder what other products and design elements could be ‘mashed up’ to produce something new. Ideas on an electronic post card please!

'Naked Streets’ - an example of when less is more

Recent trials in the UK and in Holland have shown that a street with fewer lights, signs and road markings can actually make crowded roads safer. These so-called 'Naked Streets' allow traffic to flow freely (and slowly) while drivers seem to take extra care and give more consideration to other road users. 

It seems counter-intuitive that removing traffic lights would cause drivers to slow down, negotiate junctions more carefully and look out for pedestrians more diligently. But that is exactly what happens when the lights at a junction are faulty - everyone takes more care. The 'Naked Streets’ initiatives capitalise on this by deliberately taking things away. The result? Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are more likely to make eye contact and afford each other more space and respect as a result.

I also wonder if by removing some of the street furniture we might make our environments simpler to understand at a glance. As experience designers we know that every element within range of our senses competes for our attention. Each aspect that needs to be processed and understood takes time, time that might otherwise be spent on looking out for the unexpected. Indeed all of this reminds me of the old saying that a design is complete when there is nothing else (superfluous) left to take away.

POWERMAT - an end to cable / charger clutter?

Last summer our family packed in preparation for our holiday. It took most of the day to get ready and load the car, allowing for everything needed by 3 children, 2 adults and 1 dog. A long drive lay ahead and the car was loaded with gadgets and entertainment devices to keep the kids happy. This included MP3 players and handheld games consoles, mobile phones, a camera and a camcorder. Plus, of course, a tangled mess of chargers, cables and power adaptors.   

The new PSP go: initial impressions are mixed

Sony launched the PSP go on the 1st October 2009. Here at ExperienceLab we like to think of ourselves as intrepid researchers, so I volunteered to take a look at the new device (well, someone had to!).

In this article I summarise my initial impressions of the new PSP and the setup process. Despite having owned the original for several years my experience with the new product was not entirely positive. 

I have concerns about the physical design of the device, as well as a few gripes regarding the setup process and associated Sony PlayStation websites. For further details read on.

Sources of inspiration for games developers?

Leading figures in the games industry have stated that one of their biggest challenges is identifying new themes or intellectual property for future games titles. We have been thinking about this problem quite a lot of late and have identified a whole range of potential sources of inspiration. Just a few are listed below:

- Movies

- Comics

- Folklore

- Fairytales

- Art

- Literature

- Mythology

- History

Are there other sources that should be considered, especially ones that are suited to interactive story telling via video games? We would love to know your views.  Casting the net more widely to inform video game design (or movie ideas for that matter) will be good news for all.     

Parking signs: are they too confusing?

It may be my age but I find it harder and harder to interpret the parking signs that surround us in the UK. The purpose of a parking sign is clear: tell a driver where and when they can park, and whether there is a charge or any time restrictions. That’s it. 

So how come some signs make it difficult to answer these questions? Why do I have to check other cars to see if they are displaying a ticket or a permit?

Take the generic example above. Why are both the yellow and the white panels needed as part of the sign? It creates twice the amount of text and numbers to read despite the fact that the timing restrictions for parking and loading are exactly the same.

Here is another example with four panels, lots of numbers and repeated references to permit holders. Now I reckon that permit holders know the area already and know where they can park because they have a permit and local knowledge. 

What does not leap out from this sign is when the non-permit holders can park. But then perhaps that’s the point...