What do Virtualization and Cloud executives think about 2012? Find out in this VMblog.com series exclusive.
2012 - The Year of Emotionally Resonant Simplicity
Contributed
Article by Uday Gajendar, Principal Designer, Citrix
2012 will certainly see further
market growth and technical evolution of enterprise virtualization
technologies, along with competing cloud platforms for public/private data
access. From a user experience (UX) perspective, however, certain drivers are
starting to become apparent as "consumerization" emerges as a common
theme amongst enterprise software vendors--thanks to the skyrocketing popularity
of iPhones, iPads, and "apps."
Here are my predictions for what to expect in 2012:
1. Ubiquity of content: Partly
due to virtualization/cloud tech, we can now access any content from any
device, any place. We will live in increasingly "blended" modes of
work AND play, from updating our Facebook status (discreetly) at the office, to
revising spreadsheets while in line at Starbucks for a Venti latte. Indeed, it
has become an entitled expectation to be able to do so among Gen Y digerati
entering the workforce.
2. Fluidity of information: Much
like the NFL Network commercial where a football fan enjoys the exact same game
across morphing devices (from TV > phone > tablet > laptop > etc.)
that information remains the same and "mutates" according to each
device's particular form factor and screen size or capabilities. Yet all the
while it's one constant uninterrupted flow, optimized for the context and
device with device-based and network-based intelligence (bandwidth
enhancements, off or on-loading resources, etc.). All of that is done invisibly so the consumer
has no idea, nor should they.
3. Personality of service: As
Robert Brunner of Do You Matter, a good book on creating cultures of
design savvy, has explained: People simply love their chosen brands, which
matter even more so in highly contested, fragmented technology spaces. People
LOVE Dropbox, Netflix, Evernote, and so forth ... and will react harshly when
things change for the worse (See: Qwikster). Asking for patience during
downtimes or flaky service just doesn't cut it anymore. So while IT admins roll
out new cloud-driven IT systems, the service impact will reflect their brand
and shape their users' (and employees') perceptions. Tone of voice,
personality, and value of service all add up. You must have emotional
connectivity, not just IT data connectivity. People have to WANT to use your
service in order to positively fold it into their daily lifestyles of work and
play ... and they must also feel good about sharing that with their friends and
family (the viral, social effect).
In the end, 2012 will be the year
of emotionally resonant simplicity.
Simplicity that blends with people's lifestyles, not just their devices
or apps, by tapping into their need to have ubiquitous, fluid, beautiful
experiences across virtualized and cloud-based platforms. We'll see this emerge
in Home Entertainment (Cloud-based TVs that "help" your choices),
Home Automation (Cloud-driven thermostats that "know" your energy
usage), and Wearable Computing (Smart health monitors, like Jawbone Up,
FitBits, Nike GPS, to support wellness habits) even In-Car Telematics (Cloud /
Virtualized systems for a car to run entertainment, navigation, etc.). The
possibilities are truly endless, but the choices will be determined by total
quality of UX.
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About
the Author
Uday Gajendar is a principal designer
at Citrix Systems in Silicon Valley creating attractive, useful digital
products. He brings a versatile mix of UI design experience from places like
Adobe, Oracle, Cisco and his own consulting with clients like Netflix and
Linked In. He has also published in ACM Interactions and spoken at
conferences held by IDSA, IA Summit, and DMI on aesthetics, leadership, and
design strategy. Having degrees in industrial design (Michigan, BFA) and
interaction design (Carnegie Mellon, MDes) Uday constantly pushes the critical
thinking behind well-crafted pixels.
You can read his current thoughts on
design at his blog, www.ghostinthepixel.com. You can also find him on Twitter
and Quora.