News from firsthand.
International Telecommunications Union, The UN, Geneva
30th October, 2011
Firsthand Experience has just been invited to work with policy makers, technologists, and NGO's to help create a manifesto for change for the ITU. We ran a series of workshops into the critical emerging needs of the world community and how mobiles and broadband can improve quality of life.
We looked at e-health and m-health for developing counties, how to support micro finance through mobile phones, new value added apps to inspire entrepreneurialism and how to use the web more effectively to get education to the currently "underserved".
It was a very busy week - and very successful. The participants loved the human centred approach that enabled them to come up with great recommendations and action plans, as well as write a very succinct and powerful call for action.
It should be out next month.
TEDx Krakow
21st October, 2011
Just got back from presenting "People-Shaped", a human centred approach to innovation at TED. The presentation was streamed live and the final video should go up in about a month.
The response was terrific. The audience absolutely "got" (even the non-designers) how we need to change out attitudes and approaches to innovation in order to avoid the insane profligacy and waste that is currently endemic in technology innovation.
Phew. It was very scary being in front of all those smart people.
Tele Medicine & e-health - Clinical trial results
2nd October, 2011
Can't say too much yet as they are going through the last of the design patent protection process. But what I can report is that we got superb usability results, and incredibly high customer acceptance measures.
In short, over 90% of people aged up to 75 years old used the device correctly, and over 80% rated it "very easy to use". This is with people who have a literacy level of a 4 year old, are clinically untrained, doing it in their own home, and on their own without any help.
The best in the business said we would never get over 60% usability. Well so there. Very proud of the whole team. Hopefully, this e-health solution is going to save a lot of lives and misery across the whole world (they want to launch it in India, china and the Middle east ASAP).
The client is planning to enter all the design awards with it early next year, so we're keeping our fingers crossed.
Future of large screen TV viewing
12th September, 2011
We have been working with (one) of the worlds largest consumer electronics companies to explore "what next" for large screen TV's. It turns out that it's hard to differentiate yourself in this market - everyone has 3D, Web connectivity, huge screens, high resolution, and phenomenal sound quality.
We've been looking at ways to augment the viewing experience, without moving to a dedicated second screen.
There are lots if interesting things that you can do, but which ones do consumers actually want and need - and what can the technology actually deliver in a compelling way.
We've been doing user research, experience prototyping and technology development work with teams from Asia and the UK.
The results were presented last week to the senior management team - and they loved it!
So much so, they are going to build a "proof of concept" platform before going ahead into production next year. Watch this space.
Design4Health
13th July, 2011
Just presented at Design4health conference in Sheffield. It brought together health care academics, researchers, and people from NHS innovation teams with designers. I spoke about taking a customer centric approach to developing new health services.
New project
18th May, 2011
We've completed the re-design of the student induction experience and that looks like it is on course for implementation for next year. All good.
A new project. Looking at the future of watching the main, large screen TV. They do the technology better than anyone else, but want to know what people actually need.
We will be looking to understand what content, what devices, what social experiences need to be supported - or perhaps don't need to be supported.
And then translate that into design opportunities. We've been doing observations and interviews with early adopters and working with cutting edge content and broadcast technology students at Ravensbourne.
People-shaped web space launched
15th March, 2011
We have spent a good deal of March launching the "people-shaped" campaign website. It's a non commercial "sister "website to this one.
It's called P.s and you can find it at www.peopleshaped.net.
It's a call to action for a human centred approach to innovation. It contains all sorts of useful and provocative stuff - illustrations, articles, a place where you can ask questions, and something to amuse too.
Student induction experience
4th February, 2011
We've started a new project looking at how to improve and enhance the Student Induction experience so it can best set new students up for effective ongoing learning. And make it enjoyable, memorable, etc too, of course. We've been doing interviews with 1st year students and international students, working with faculty and doing a competitive analysis of how others do it in different industries.
New kind of meeting people service
12th January, 2011
The "new kind of meeting people" service has soft launched with the "minimum value proposition" features as a private service to get user feedback about what parts are most compelling. It looks great.
Been working on the last part of the Telemedicine project before it goes to clinical trial with real patients. This has involved talking to the nurses who will run the trial and the design is all the supporting packaging and instructions.
Charity Directors Exchange presentation
15th December, 2010
Preparing a new presentation for the Charity Directors Exchange at St Martins In the Crypt Trafalgar Sq to launch the new business support network for the third sector. There seems to increasing interest in taking a customer centric approach to developing services. It led to being interviewed for The Knowledge Peers network about firsthand people shaped approach and firsthand.
The "New funding models in broadcasting" workshop at BAFTA has been re-commissioned.
Personal training proposition
3rd November, 2010
This is a bit of a fun departure for firsthand. We've been looking at a new kind of personal training proposition for a gym. How can you offer personal trainer experience in an affordable (to many!) way - without just turning it into another group class?
The highlight was to be invited to Toulon, France by the International School of Design to run a customer centric innovation workshop with students on a week long applied design project for a kitchen appliance company.
Rapid prototyping and Skyping
21st October, 2010
Been very distracted with a New York based start up working on new kind of meeting people (dating - sort of!) service. This has involved a great deal of rapid prototyping on the interaction design and branding. And a great deal of tele working using Skype. Fantastic. Restricted access launch to prove the technology bit in Mid December.
Media consumption study
30th August, 2010
After a busy two months, we have completed the study into emerging media consumption behaviour for the marketing strategy people of a large, consumer electronics company. We did pretty much everything – recruitment, ethnography and brainstorming; ran focus groups, design workshops and strategy meetings from our offices in London; performed interviews with industry experts from the firsthand network. Its been very rewarding and now is the time for a short holiday!
User research
20th July, 2010
While waiting for the next phase of the telemedicine project to start, firsthand has been busy with some user research in Korea, the U.S. and Europe. We have been looking at emerging media consumption behaviour in early adopters and using it to help inform what types of home entertainment devices of the future make sense.
Telemedicine usability trials
30th June, 2010
We've just completed formal usabilty trials on the telemedicine project we started earlier this year by putting the concept in front of 60 people in their homes and in specialist test facilities. This followed a strict experimental design to ensure we had reliable data and we got fantastic results; 9/10 elderly people did it successfully unaided and offered us lots of helpful feedback. It looks like this product service health proposition is now "green lit" to go forward to the next stage and into clinical trials.
BBC Innovation Labs
30th March, 2010
Most of the month has been tied up with the design, planning and delivery of a fresh series of People-Shaped™ Innovation Labs at the BBC in White City, Glasgow and Birmingham. Another five teams in each location went through cross platform development training to learn more about how to design compelling user journeys and experiences around new entertainment services.
Ravensbourne College MA
1st February, 2010
As Visiting Professor, Matt has been back at Ravensbourne College to take its MA broadcast and interactive design students through the Business Innovation aspect of the course. He showed how a people-shaped™ approach could be used to better create “complete transactional experiences”, from moment of attraction to final advocacy. He got a few “Whoops” at the end - which was nice.
Technological innovations
1st January, 2010
After to the success of our previous broadcast industry project for Ravensbourne (“a sell out” and “a revelation”), we’ve been asked to take a look the sorts of technological innovations that can be used to benefit a rapidly changing design industry. Some really interesting stuff.
Our relationship with one of those web companies continues as its appetite for quality design research grows. Been busy preparing short presentations containing firsthand “secret special sauce” to help “sell in” 21st century style product and service development to their execs.
Transformation Program for the Broadcast Industry
1st December, 2009
BBC teams attend more firsthand Innovation Labs. Times are changing – again – with a notable shift in interest towards the improved innovation processes that are now needed for its cross-platform commissioning and development programs.
Chris Thompson of Ravensbourne joined firsthand's Matt Marsh at the Sheffield Documentary Festival (now the biggest trade event for documentaries in the world apparently) to present the findings of the recent Transformation Program for the Broadcast Industry. Matt ran a mix of presentation and hands-on interactive workshop for around 40 people.
Home diagnostic research
1st November, 2009
The telemedicine project continues this month as we work to consult and co-design with health care professionals from around the world. We’ve also been busy performing ethnographic research and doing focus groups to look into the cultural issues associated with using home diagnostics.
Home diagnostics planning
1st October, 2009
We've been out and about in the UK and the United States showing early propositions for a new kind of medical diagnostic device/service. Lots of showing of models, videos, animations, sketches, etc. to people that will be 'difficult to reach’ - essentially people who find the notion of home-diagnostics REALLY challenging.
New studio
23rd January, 2009
We've moved to a bigger studio, just around the corner from our old one – come and say hi!