Ubiquitous Experience

When Mark Weiser coined the phrase “ubiquitous computing”, he wasn’t thinking only on the pervasiveness of computational devices. He was mainly concerned about the age of calm technology, when technology recedes into the background of our lives.

Fast forward 2 decades and we can’t help realizing how physical computing has become a part of the lives of the western world. Yet … we still have a long way to go in creating the kind of experiences that make us calm instead of driving us (consumers) mad. That’s were UX (User Experience) kicks in. From the more traditional field of interaction design, the discipline is now making waves in other fields. From digital ethnography to service design, UX is the missing link between technology and business, and were brands (do i really need to say Apple) have a chance to create a sustainable advantage.

YouTube video: Deep Green & Augmented Reality Pool

Give customers/users a seamless, no friction, calm experience and they will become your salespeople. Don’t just focus on technology, for hype’s sake. Even if the video above seems really cool with their great use of augmented reality, i can’t help wondering: how complicated would that experience might be out of the lab? How could we make it easier for non-digerati to enjoy it? Our task as experience designers, is to create new ways of interaction that make technology a quiet, invisible servant.