Smart Phone or Rest Room

Is Your Technology Welcoming?

This article will focus on conference room technology. But the subject matter could just as easily be applied to modern classrooms, or even house of worship auditoriums.

Is your technology welcoming? It is a simple question, right? The answer is not so simple.

We have all visited these types of corporate conference rooms; the ones that have post-it notes or laminated signs to provide instruction for the use of the room's audiovisual technology (or a help desk number to call, if you are confused).

Is this welcoming?

In June of 2007, I stood in line with the rest of the world to purchase my first iPhone. When my transaction was completed, I opened the box and discovered something remarkable: no instruction manual. Every mobile phone that I purchased previous to the iPhone always included a miniature "bible" of instructions in several languages. A manual that was so small that one needed a magnifying glass to read the pages. The fact that the iPhone didn't include a manual should have been no surprise. I had purchased Mac computers for years. And Apple gradually stopped including instruction manuals with their computers. But in 2007, the idea of releasing a mobile phone without some sort of manual (printed or electronic) was daunting. All of my previous mobile phones required the study of a manual to understand basic tasks such as contact lists, forwarding calls, etc. After activating the iPhone for the first time, I realized the genius of the Apple design: it was welcoming. In fact, using the phone was downright easy.

I remember the Steve Jobs keynote where he introduced the iPhone. When Steve and his team demonstrated the ease of placing a multi-way call with the iPhone, the audience at the keynote gasped and applauded. The technology was new and friendly.

Of course, in 2016, our use of smart phones is ubiquitous. Now, my smart phone is as important to me as my eyeglasses and my wallet. For daily travel, the smart phone has now replaced my mobile phone, my pager (remember pagers?), my still and video camera's (although I do own a DSLR), my watch, my appointment book (remember those?), my map book, and will soon replace the need for a wallet (laptop?). The iPhone detractors that claimed that the device was a novelty (How could anyone use a phone without hard buttons?) have long since been silenced. The competing iOS and Android user interfaces are now very similar and dominate mobile computing (and are becoming the dominate interface in our automobiles). Persons from toddlers to elders have embraced mobile computing (smart phones, tablets, smart watches, etc.).

Why is the mobile computing technology so successful? I would argue that it is friendly, welcoming. My first day with the iPhone was easy and fun. Not perfect, but far less imperfect than anything previous.

Back to the conference room: is the AV technology in your meeting space easy, fun, friendly, welcoming? Let's be honest: probably not. The instructional sign in most conference rooms (classrooms, etc.) should read: "If you need any help figuring this s___ out, call me at 1-800-AVs-ucks." Deploying conference room audiovisual technology that requires the operational supervision of a technology manager is as stupid as installing a lighting system and window shades that require a full-time electrician to operate.

How often do you use your confusing desk phone versus your friendly and inviting smart phone?

In 2016, we AV technologists can do better. In 2016, the operation of an AV system in a typical conference room (classroom, etc.) should be welcoming and obvious. iOS and Android are now the international benchmark for a technology user interface. Not perfect. But better than previous technology interfaces (and now more popular and relevant than desktop operating systems). Are the AV systems we are deploying in 2016, any better than previous systems? I am not referring to the latest wiz-bang features. I am referring to the user interface. Are the AV systems we are deploying in 2016 more friendly and compelling than previous systems? I can't live without my smart phone (not really, but you get the idea). Can your end-users function without the AV technology in their work place? Do they feel compelled to use the AV technology? Do they enjoy using the AV technology? Or do your team members cringe and breakout in a cold sweat when they have to operate the conference room (classroom, etc.) AV technology?

Human beings can innovate. There are countless examples of great innovation like the modern smart phone (iOS or Android). But human beings can also screw things up. For example, the modern public rest room. I now cringe or breakout in a cold sweat when I have to visit a public washroom. My worry pertains to the horrible complexity and confusion of inconsistent technology that now permeates our bathroom visits. Will the toilet flush on its own? Do I have to wave my hand or wiggle my derrier to cause a flush to occur? How do I make the sink produce water? Will the sink stop producing water when I walk away? The "automatic" water is cold. How do I make it warm? Should I use the towel dispenser or the blower thingy? What's better for the envionment? What would Al Gore choose? Why does the towel dispenser give me a one inch strip of towel to dry my hands? Why is the towel dispenser giving me twelve feet of paper towel to dry my hands? Why does the the blower thingy keep shutting off? My hands aren't dry yet.

The other day, I walked into a rest stop bathroom in a rural location and was waving my hand in front of a sink for several seconds before I realized that the sink had handles. Ah! Finally, a familiar user interface. ON/OFF. HOT/COLD.

The only thing worse than the technology in our modern rest rooms is the confusing AV technology that we force upon the public as an "innovation". If your conference room has a custom-programmed touchscreen to operate the AV equipment. Yet your end-users prefer to fiddle with the IR remote controls. Your technology implementation isn't welcoming. If your modern classroom has an interactive white board and a projector and screen. Yet your teachers continue to use an overhead projector, slide projector, or monitor on a cart. Your technology isn't welcoming. Is that hub display that you mounted on the wall easy, fun, friendly, welcoming? Does it make your team members (end-users) more productive? Is your AV technology relevant to your daily operations?

Good technology is intuitive. Good technology should be easy and fun. Good technology is useful and relevant (promoting and not stifling productivity).

Is your technology welcoming?