We Can Still Have Nice Things
Software may not have eaten the world, but the smartphone surely feature-ized the world of consumer gadgets. ?A handful of tech companies dominate the consumer marketplace. These companies make smartphones, sell software, and monetize services. A single piece of hardware dominates consumer electronics world,?with a universe of software and peripherals built around it. Which explains why CES so... boring.
The Consumer Electronics Show used to be chock full of hardware, weird products, and oddities.? Much of it was useless junk.?But hardware that was built-for-purpose was always interesting, in ways that software, peripherals, and smartphones can never be.
But there is hope. the Consumer interest in experiences like concerts, dining, and travel suggests that we need something beyond the digital casino in our pocket. And the staying power of companies like Nintendo, always superlative in connecting the real world to the digital with truly delightful, immersive experiences, suggests that we can still have nice THINGS. Which brings me to Alarmo!
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?Alarmo! It's a $100 alarm clock with sensors, digital screen, and oversized jump button. Yes, it’s expensive. I can’t speak for its actual utility (unlike the endless stream of “influencers” peddling faults and gripes in exchange for clicks and affiliate revenue).?And, yes, your phone has an alarm feature. But it’s exactly what Nintendo does so well: combine old hardware, clever software, and a singular vision for interactivity (with a healthy dose of Nostalgia With a Twist) to make a must-have THING. It’s the first THING I have seen in a long time that triggered that “must-have” feeling, the kind of excitement that only a great gadget can deliver (like the Walkman, the Gameboy and my Xiaomi Mi Scooter).
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So what?
Every marketing message, every product, and every consumer experience has a medium.? So how can we design for that medium and maximize the feelings can evokes in our customers?? Perhaps we can look to legendary Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, and channel his vision?when he said "I wanted to make something weird, something interesting..."