An ardent Blackberry loyalists recently switched to the Apple iPhone very reluctantly. I know a whole bunch of other such loyalists still hanging on to their beloved phone that lets them type easily. This user group is willing to miss out on the world of apps made predominantly for iOS and Android (now perhaps windows too) and every other experience aspect of iOS/Android/Windows phones because of (mainly) the following reasons:
Despite such a loyal user group and a relatively big one, we all know the state of affairs. Blackberry is almost pronounced dead. 'Touch' evolved to become the dominant design with new age smart phones - the platforms evolved and matured...Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Sony and many other players in this industry moved far ahead.
So what does this tell about human centered design/ design thinking?
Why does Blackberry find itself in its current situation despite a very loyal user base and very clear so called USPs (unique selling propositions)? How come the iPhone managed to change the world of mobile the way it has?
Conducting research and interviews with Blackberry users would have provided many insights and plenty of 'pain points' could have emerged. Blackberry should have simply applied the human centered design methodology and fixed their problems right? I am sure there were some very passionate designers inside RIM too.
I strongly believe no smart phone user would have implicitly/explicitly 'needed' Apps; a whole eco-system/infrastructure of an App Store and other such aspects. So it was all the brainwave of the genius Steve Jobs and his team? Perhaps it was - but I believe it was a lot of other things.
It was pushing the boundaries of existing paradigms leveraging possibilities (technology and otherwise) of the present day and age yet keeping it relevant for the users and their realities.
In order to make iPhone a success many things were thought about which was not about the mobile phone device at all. It was a holistic approach - it made it possible for people to listen to digital music legally for a price that didn't hurt too much. So it not only changed what a mobile would be used for, it also changed the music industry. The camera in the iPhone was of comparable quality of any point and shoot camera. So it changed things for the point and shoot camera makers too.
The first iPhone (launched in 2007) had a beeline of people camping outside their stores but it was far from what it is today. There were many complaints with the first version of the iPhone. But the iPhone evolved and continues to do so.
Today, Apple is being challenged by the likes of Instagram - notice the addition of Instagram like filters to the iPhone camera?
Spotify like music services are challenging iTunes. Now did any iTunes user express the pain point of having to pay to listen to digital music legally? :D
In the IT/high tech sector where things change so fast, it is critical for companies to keep a close eye on these changes in the market and change themselves in order to remain relevant. In the technology industry business models and user behaviors are constantly changing.
If there is one industry that challenges human centered design it is the IT industry. If there is one industry that cannot afford to ignore a 'supply driven' market it is the IT industry because I believe humans are not capable of expressing a need (implicitly/explicitly) for something that is futuristic - things that they cannot get to experience/touch/ feel (even partially).
Needless to say when working in a 'supply driven' market, for every 1 success, there will be hundreds/thousands of failures - thats just part of the game. It's not personal :)
For every 1 new idea/product to become a success, there are various factors that play a role apart from users - e.g. the available infrastructure to support it; the deals and collaborations the idea owning company makes with its partners/suppliers; the pricing; the logistics...ALL of which when done right creates value and makes a product/solution DESIRABLE. It is important for all design thinkers and proponents of design thinking to recognize the importance of these aspects beyond purely focussing on users - the way they work, their pain points etc.
For all those Blackberry loyalists, its a pity that your loyalty and their resulting success was taken for granted. I believe they still have a chance to revive themselves - but its a lot of catching up to do.
- They love the keyboard
- They love how hardy the black berry is - its screen does not crack with a small drop
- They are heavy users of BBM (the messaging app that used to be available only on Blackberry devices)
Despite such a loyal user group and a relatively big one, we all know the state of affairs. Blackberry is almost pronounced dead. 'Touch' evolved to become the dominant design with new age smart phones - the platforms evolved and matured...Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Sony and many other players in this industry moved far ahead.
So what does this tell about human centered design/ design thinking?
Why does Blackberry find itself in its current situation despite a very loyal user base and very clear so called USPs (unique selling propositions)? How come the iPhone managed to change the world of mobile the way it has?
Conducting research and interviews with Blackberry users would have provided many insights and plenty of 'pain points' could have emerged. Blackberry should have simply applied the human centered design methodology and fixed their problems right? I am sure there were some very passionate designers inside RIM too.
I strongly believe no smart phone user would have implicitly/explicitly 'needed' Apps; a whole eco-system/infrastructure of an App Store and other such aspects. So it was all the brainwave of the genius Steve Jobs and his team? Perhaps it was - but I believe it was a lot of other things.
It was pushing the boundaries of existing paradigms leveraging possibilities (technology and otherwise) of the present day and age yet keeping it relevant for the users and their realities.
In order to make iPhone a success many things were thought about which was not about the mobile phone device at all. It was a holistic approach - it made it possible for people to listen to digital music legally for a price that didn't hurt too much. So it not only changed what a mobile would be used for, it also changed the music industry. The camera in the iPhone was of comparable quality of any point and shoot camera. So it changed things for the point and shoot camera makers too.
The first iPhone (launched in 2007) had a beeline of people camping outside their stores but it was far from what it is today. There were many complaints with the first version of the iPhone. But the iPhone evolved and continues to do so.
Today, Apple is being challenged by the likes of Instagram - notice the addition of Instagram like filters to the iPhone camera?
Spotify like music services are challenging iTunes. Now did any iTunes user express the pain point of having to pay to listen to digital music legally? :D
In the IT/high tech sector where things change so fast, it is critical for companies to keep a close eye on these changes in the market and change themselves in order to remain relevant. In the technology industry business models and user behaviors are constantly changing.
If there is one industry that challenges human centered design it is the IT industry. If there is one industry that cannot afford to ignore a 'supply driven' market it is the IT industry because I believe humans are not capable of expressing a need (implicitly/explicitly) for something that is futuristic - things that they cannot get to experience/touch/ feel (even partially).
Needless to say when working in a 'supply driven' market, for every 1 success, there will be hundreds/thousands of failures - thats just part of the game. It's not personal :)
For every 1 new idea/product to become a success, there are various factors that play a role apart from users - e.g. the available infrastructure to support it; the deals and collaborations the idea owning company makes with its partners/suppliers; the pricing; the logistics...ALL of which when done right creates value and makes a product/solution DESIRABLE. It is important for all design thinkers and proponents of design thinking to recognize the importance of these aspects beyond purely focussing on users - the way they work, their pain points etc.
For all those Blackberry loyalists, its a pity that your loyalty and their resulting success was taken for granted. I believe they still have a chance to revive themselves - but its a lot of catching up to do.
Still believe Blackberry will survive and be relevant again but more as a services company. Think devices they have lost the war but I wouldn't mind to be proved wrong
ReplyDelete