Visualizing power consumption of sleeping PCs
Nice, simple video explaining the reason you should power down your PC every night.
Posts on innovation, user experience, research and design
I'm currently a product innovation manager with experience in product management, user-centered design, usability engineering, brand management and visual design.
Note: This is a personal blog containing personal opinions about research, innovations and experiences that I find interesting and informative. It is not associated with my employer in any way, shape or form.
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eco
Heinz's Ketchup Revolution
As proof that nothing should ever get too comfortable with its position in the world, the Heinz ketchup packet's 42 year run at the top of the fast food empire may soon be coming to an end. Heinz recently announced a new package design that brings several enhancements to the ketchup packet experience. While I had never really considered it before, looking at the rationale and the proposed redesign, it absolutely looks like a win.One of the more interesting passages in the Christian Science Monitor article on the subject covers Heinz's R+D work:
Designers found that what worked at a table didn't work where many people use ketchup packets: in the car. So two years ago, Heinz bought a used minivan for the design team members so they could give their ideas a real road test.The team studied what each passenger needed. The driver wanted something that could sit on the armrest. Passengers wanted the choice of squeezing or dunking. Moms everywhere wanted a packet that held enough ketchup for the meal and didn't squirt onto clothes so easily.
First off, kudos to Heinz for committing to the a real-life ketchup lab for its designers. That aside, it's clear to see how this field research led directly to the new packet's benefits, which are as follows:
- It's purported to be easier to open
- It offers a dipping option to better enable ketchup consumption on the go, particularly for drivers
- It holds three times as much ketchup as the old design so you don't have to open as many packages
- It uses less packaging material than three packets
- The new packet is recyclable
All of these characteristics seem to be hitting on all the right experience pain points the R+D team observed and are also reflected in my own rather extensive field experience with the subject matter. My particular field lab is the local Chick-fil-A. I'm sure you have your equivalent.Moreover, the sustainable attributes are hitting on all the right marketing notes to improve adoption. Even with incremental increased cost to restaurants, many of the larger ones interests will likely be at last partially piqued by the packet's eco-benefits as further opportunities to demonstrate their commitment to greener initiatives and products. That is, of course, to the extent that a plastic is greener and more sustainable than something that can't be recycled.While it's sad to see such a hallmark of the fast food experience on the ropes, all good things must one day end. And when you get right down to it, the packet was never all that great. It just just did what it was supposed to do. In the useful-usable-desirable hierarchy of products, it was squarely in the "useful" end of the scale, never really attempting to achieve more. To its credit, Heinz took that leap forward, in the midst of an epic downturn no less. But as a spokesperson for Heinz said: "We created the packet in 1968," he said. "Consumer complaints started around 1969."
I guess it was about time.
Interesting Trivia: Heinz sells more than 11 billion ketchup packets every year.
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Nokia's Coke-Powered Phone
No comment on the feasibility of this (sticky keys? residue?), but I love this idea. Of course Coke isn't the only thing it would run on, but I think there's something to marketing it as the Coke phone, particularly in emerging markets. Why? Coke is everywhere. Almost literally.
It makes an Atlantan proud that our home company is the most recognized brand in the world and is available in some of the most remote locations in the world. Given its relative ubquity, why not harness it as a fuel? Because it's also the world's #1 brand, what a great way to generate some buzz. Even if you live in impoverished Afghanistan, you still have access to Coke, which if you're using this phone, means you still have access to your phone (and therefore other people). Given Nokia's research into emerging markets (I'm sure Jan Chipchase sees Coke everywhere he goes) this Coke fuel cell mashup isn't entirely surprising though it is thought-provoking.
Turn one of the world's most commercially available and recognized products into an ad-hoc fuel for your device. I love it. See the full post here at Dezeen.
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Traffic light + progress bar = Eko
Interesting concept by Damjan Stankovic, a Serbian designer/innovator. While Damjan lists several green attributes to the light, I'm more sold on the one that deals with stress. One of the fundamental tenets of good usability and user experience is providing the user with an awareness of a system's status. Doing so allows the user to set expectations for system behavior and plan for their next actions. This light accomplishes this sharing of system status information in a very elegant way.
From the site:
Eko light is a simple yet, highly practical concept for traffic lights that not only helps preserve the environment by reducing pollution but promotes safer driving as well. Eko can be easily installed onto existing traffic light systems without much effort while significantly improving overall traffic dynamics. There are many benefits of the Eko light, the main ones being: Less pollution. Drivers can turn their engines off and cut carbon emissions while waiting for the green light. Turning off your vehicle while waiting on the traffic light can lower fuel consumption in the long run. Less stress
Since you know exactly how long you have to wait you can sit back and clear your head for a while. No need to keep your foot on the gas. Relax. Safer driving
With the Eko light both drivers and pedestrians can be fully aware of how much time they have left before the light changes and that way reduce the chance for potential traffic accidents.
In any case, I think it's a great concept that's accompanied by several other interesting concepts on Damjan's Relogik site.
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