The Interface is NOT the Brand  

In the emerging post-screen age, we need to create new connections between brands and people. It’s not an easy task, but there are effective measures that can help it succeed.

They’re small, popular and practical: AirPods are the best example of the fact that graphic displays are not absolutely necessary when it comes to enabling interactions between human and machine. On the contrary, in many cases – as here – context-aware systems are even better. If you take an earbud out of your ear, the playback stops; when you put it back in, it carries on. A double-tap gesture can perform additional functions such as skipping to the next track. The interface may be limited, but it provides extremely useful functions, allowing people to interact very effectively with their digital music library while on the go. This type of context-aware interface is by no means the only interface between technology and the individual that can create special – sometimes even magical – experiences. For example, KFC customers in China can pay for their food by smiling at the self-order terminal. A facial scanner checks the customer’s identity, replacing the classic point-of-sale terminal. Services such as Smile-to-Pay are not only showing off the technical possibilities, they also have a marketing impact in addition to their practical use, and can attract new users.

Talk, laugh, wave

A wide variety of other interactions are now gaining ground against the old familiar ways of inputting on graphic displays. For example, voice and gesture controls are spreading rapidly. Haptic interactions are also on the rise. Special sensors remind patients to take their medication or can automatically call for help; smoke alarms can be deactivated with a gesture; and the lights can be turned off automatically throughout the house when you leave. Environment-based interactions, using emotions or via so-called brain-computer interfaces, are the future. Many of these processes are already an option today without people having to consciously trigger them.

Attractive options for interactivity

At the recent IAA Mobility Show in Munich, Audi unveiled a concept car that gets up close and personal with its users. In terms of user-friendliness, Audi covered almost the entire spectrum of interactivity options: eye-tracking and gesture or voice control are integrated for certain functions as well as handwritten input or touch. In all operation modes, the vehicle adjusts to the individual user and gradually learns their preferences and frequently used menus. On this basis, it can not only complete rudimentary commands sensibly, but it also provides personalized suggestions. Thanks to artificial intelligence, the car recognizes its driver even from the way they walk, automatically opening the doors and welcoming them with an individual presentation of the displays and the interior lighting.

As these examples show, the options for interactivity between devices and users are becoming more diverse. And such developments also show that in the emerging post-screen age we will need to create new connections between brands and consumers. The challenge is to shape and develop these new approaches in the interests of the brand and the people who will take part in these interactions. The following measures can make this happen:

1. Developing interdisciplinary solutions

The establishment of new ways of interacting with a brand can only succeed by combining expertise from a wide range of disciplines. From data analysis to software development and industrial design, experts have to collaborate to work out solutions together. In the future such interdisciplinary work will be needed more often than we might think today.

2. Considering the brand a service

Businesses should see their brand as a service. What does the brand enable its users to do? What benefit do users gain from it? To establish new options for interactivity, we must put these considerations at the heart of our thinking from the start.

3. Understanding human behaviour in context

For interactivity options to be effective, the world of customers and the world of products and services have to coalesce. To do this, we must first analyse and understand the context in which the services or products are used. In what kind of situation, environment or technical ecosystem can this happen? At the same time, brands have to take a closer look at the user scenario. What tasks need to be done? What is the goal? Only when both sides – the product world and the user world – map onto each other can we develop relevant products with a high degree of usability – products that fit the brand and create experiences.

4. Adapting to production cycles

As we are talking about technical interfaces, development times must be taken into account. New hardware requires a number of process steps, from the problem of framing and the development of ideas and designs to the actual development work and production. The entire process usually takes 18 months or more. Software development, on the other hand, is faster; it usually takes at least four months to develop a new solution. So if a brand wants to integrate new technologies and software into its products or environments, these production cycles must be taken into account.

5. Being aware of new forms of etiquette

The services of the future include automated actions that happen in direct proximity to the service delivery. These interactions are very individual and personal. That is why brands should adhere to particular forms of etiquette. Here are the most important tips:

• Don’t patronize consumers – take a discreet and empathetic approach.

• Unclear options put customers off. Brands must not confuse users by offering them a vague kind of interaction. The new option must be relevant, targeted and appropriate for the user at any given point in time or in the respective environment.

• Companies should not “teach” their users about the new interactivity, but instead advise them and offer them tips and suggestions.

• Even if we love automation and like letting things happen as if by magic, one thing must never happen – stripping the user of their entire decision-making capacity. There must always be the option to manually override the automation.

This shows us that it is not just a matter of creating new interfaces between brands and people. Rather, it is important to shape the context and the relationship that someone has with a particular product or brand.

Author: Christian Waitzinger, Chief Experience Officer Plan.Net Group