Christopher Bosh in the Multiverse poses a lot of questions about identity and ownership in the digital age. Questions such as: Who actually owns a player’s likeness — the player, the NBA, or is ownership irrelevant because it fair use? What happens when fan art ends up in a short film festival?

As it turns out Chris Bosh himself was the Executive Producer of this short, a fact that was revealed only after a questionable cease and desist letter was allegedly sent by the Bosh’s lawyers to the film festival. If you do a little Googling you will see the resulting buzz and conversations that surrounded this piece of video.

As far as viral campaigns go (if it indeed was a campaign, we still don’t really know), this one completely wins by putting Christoper Bosh and the Miami Heat into the minds and hearts of fans of both kooky animation and basketball alike.

Australian International Design Awards, Sport & Leisure category

As an experience designer, my passion is creating wonderful experiences for people.  Fundamentally, whether I am designing a new website, a mobile app, the interface for a home appliance, a surgical robot or a fuel management system, I believe the user experience should be thoughtful and well considered.

I believe interactions across all touch points with a product, device or system should be authentic, meaningful, pleasurable – and if we’ve done our jobs properly – delightful.  I also believe that it’s important to understand the context of use for the things we design and to recognize that “we” (the design team) may not be the user of the product/system/service we are designing. Research is critical for our success. Immersing ourselves in the problem we are trying to solve, learning about our users and their needs and understanding their motivations and drivers fuel success for us and for our clients.

These are the core beliefs that guide my work and my design philosophy. And it was from this vantage point that I recently walked into a room in Sydney Town Hall (Sydney, Australia) to spend three days jurying products and services for the Australian International Design Awards, one of the premiere design awards programs in the world. The room was full of products of all shapes and sizes. There were home appliances, office furniture, consumer electronics, lighting products, medical devices, etc. As a jury, we had our work cut out for us, but we were ready and I certainly felt up to the challenge. All of the products were ready to go too. Their batteries were charged or they were plugged in. We just needed to do the diligence to assess all of them. To the greatest extent possible, this meant using the products. We would brew coffee, sit in chairs, remove hair (with a singeing device), use telephones, jump on trampolines, drive cars, etc. We would check fit and feel, manufacturing quality, controls, interface components, etc. It would be a lot of work in a short amount of time, but it would also be quite fun.

And then, I saw them. They were all lined up on a table. There were 30 of them and they were entered into the Sport & Leisure category, a category I would be jurying. For a moment, I was terrified. Then, I became a giggling 12 year old. And then, I panicked, a bit unsure how to proceed. My jury partner (whom I had just met) and I would have to assess 30 sex toys of various shapes, colors, sizes and intended for a wide range of activities – some of which were not immediately evident to us.

Australian International Design Awards, Sport & Leisure category

It was clear we were not going to be able to use all of these devices in their intended manner or for their intended purposes. We only had about a day to assess them and, really, who has the stamina? Seriously, though, we did have to assess them and we had to figure out how to do that in a methodical, meaningful, serious, considerate and dignified way. We decided this was actually, an amazing exercise in user experience. In fact, when used as intended, the outcome for the user should be, well, truly delightful.

We started by grouping the devices into categories based on intended use/purpose – which required a bit of internet-based research. There were vibrators, mini-vibes, love balls, rabbits, lay-on-tops, bullets and penis rings. Then, within each category, we reviewed each product. We considered the ergonomics of the device and the controls. There were push buttons, knobs, lights, etc. We assessed how to access or change the batteries. We looked at part lines and thought about how each device might be cleaned. Hygiene seemed especially important. We turned everything on and checked out the functionality. Some things had a simple on/off control. Others had multiple speeds. A few were even multi-functional with both vibrating and pulsing capabilities. We quickly decided that they were all functional and, were you so inclined to use one of them in the intended manner, it would, in all likelihood, “do the job.”

It took us about 5 hours to assess all 30 products. By and large, they were quite well done. Some of them were even beautiful. They were highly sculpted and finished in a silicone material that was wonderful to touch. It had a talcum powder quality to it. Everyone who came by to check out our progress or just to look at the products commented on how nice they felt to touch (even without being switched on). We kept having to track people down because they were carrying the products off, mindlessly holding them and (oddly enough) caressing them and feeling the material. It was surreal at times.

In the end, the process came back to those core beliefs I mentioned at the beginning of this post. The functionality of most of the products was evident. Based on individual tastes and anatomy, we believed they would be delightful to use. We considered the context of use, how each product might be oriented for use, who the user(s) might be, etc. We tried to understand the needs and the drivers and we discussed how each product might deliver against the user need. We did our research. We learned a lot. Some things can never be un-learned, in fact. (Yikes!) We talked about things that don’t usually get talked about in a professional setting.  We were photographed and videotaped handling the sex toys. We renamed the category Sport & Pleasure. We blushed. We took the assessments seriously. And that felt right. After all, with products so intimate, has there ever been a better case for delivering great user experience?

Editorial Note:  It’s not at all unusual to find sex toys entered into design awards programs, but this year is the first year the Australian International Design Awards has seen this type of entry. It’s also the first time I’ve ever had to specifically assess this type of product. Additionally, it’s the first time I’ve seen so many of this type of product entered into an awards program.

The amount of information we scan, process, consume and communicate daily is incredible, but what’s more incredible is the pace at which we move through that massive heap of bytes and bits. We, almost unconsciously, analyze and filter that information so quickly. And we reject information that isn’t presented to us in a manner that’s consistent with our fast-paced filtering. If it’s too much at once, it’s like trying to drink from a fire hose. This is where information architecture and user experience come into play.

There’s a recent expression, “content is king” — and it’s coming up all the time. The implication being that superfluous design is no longer entertaining. It can be a point of frustration when it gets in the way of our information. While content may be king, progressive disclosure is queen.

Progressive disclosure is a technique that presents only the minimum amount of information for the task at hand, and is used to reduce clutter, confusion and cognitive workload. We can employ what Steve Krug calls, billboard design, or design for scanning, not reading. This strategy is the tip of progressive disclosure and will eventually allow us to get people to take action by disclosing a series of headlines, summaries, and eventually, the entire piece of information. Breaking things up like this, coupled with extreme relevancy, is essential to absorbing information at the rapid pace that today’s deluge demands.

This trend is only going to get bigger by being smaller. By that I mean, hardware is getting smaller, enabling more things to be connected, which only creates more information for us to process and consume. This commercial by Cisco, appropriately titled, “Tomorrow Starts Here,” is an example of the “internet of things” — not only in content, but in the way the content is presented as a rapid-fire succession of images to communicate ideas.

Considering this, we need to look at how we as humans connect with our information — how, where and why we would want this information — and present it in the best, most appropriate way for that moment in time. This video, by Bassett & Partners and Microsoft, (from an article on Fast Company) is a great overview of why information, interaction and user experience design are so critical, and why they’re at the forefront of our era. In my opinion, the interaction, user experience and information designers are the architects of the future.

At THINK, we work alongside our clients to create meaningful connections through the development of highly relevant and consumable content and purposeful experiences for a world of information that’s ever in-flux.

Steeped in criticism by investors for a weak monetization strategy, Facebook has been pushing for ways to squeeze the dollars out of their offerings. In doing so, users are beginning to grow upset with the sponsored posts and ads invading their news feed. Facebook is essentially stuck in a balancing act between stockholders’ share prices and users’ happiness – and then there’s the advertisers.

Around the time of the IPO, early criticism of Facebook’s advertising platform began to roll in. General Motors, the US’s third largest advertiser, announced they would pull all advertising from Facebook citing their ads as ineffective (though the CMO behind that decision was eventually fired). Next, a small music distribution startup called Limited Run made the staggering claim that nearly 80% of the clicks on their ads were actually from bots not humans. The most recent claim seems to be the most damning and the backlash from major brands and agencies has already begun.

The claim involves EdgeRank, the algorithm that selects and serves up stories for users’ newsfeeds. Shortly after Facebook introduced promoted posts, some brands realized their unpaid posts weren’t reaching as many fans as they were before. Page managers for brands large and small have spoken out against the changes and are accusing Facebook of purposely breaking their EdgeRank algorithm.

Facebook's EdgeRank formula uses three core variables.

WHAT IS EDGERANK?

Much like Google uses a complex algorithm to decide which search results to display, Facebook implements a similar system for their users’ news feeds called EdgeRank. The algorithm gets its name from actions that Facebook calls “Edges”, which are essentially any action you can take on Facebook such as status updates, likes, and comments. EdgeRank is calculated using three major components: Affinity Score, Edge Weight, and Time Decay.

The Affinity Score attempts to measure how connected you are to a particular user. Connectedness is measured by looking at interactions between users and scoring them based on 1) action strength, 2) how close the person who took the action was to you, 3) how long ago the action occurred. Interactions include anything from clicking to liking, but actions that require more effort carry a greater weight. It’s a one-way measure meaning the Affinity Score for person A to person B is not the same as the score from B to A.

Edge Weight applies default values to each category of edges. Generally, edges that require more effort receive greater weight; so for example, a comment is assigned more weight than a like.

Simply put, Time Decay devalues Edges as they get older. Edges are multiplied by 1/x where x is the time since the action happened, so “old news” won’t stay in the Newsfeed for long.

Brands that properly leverage EdgeRank can, in theory, be as visible as friends or family (Source: whatisedgerank.com)

DID FACEBOOK INTENTIONALLY BREAK EDGERANK?

While EdgeRank has been incredibly effective at keeping Facebook’s users engaged by displaying only relevant content, some believe recent changes to the algorithm have broken the system – intentionally. More specifically, critics are saying Facebook is purposely trying to limit the reach of posts for brand pages in order to push greater usage of Promoted Posts.

A number of Page owners for brands both large and small have spoken out against the recent changes. Leading the charge is the blog Dangerous Minds, who claim that traffic to their blog from Facebook dropped by more than half. The blog launched a scathing post called “Facebook I Want My Fans Back“ and hundreds of other Page owners jumped into the comments section to express similar frustrations. Many other social media influencers including Mark Cuban and Ogilvy Digital have made similar claims and chided Facebook for crippling their reach. While there has been no definitive hard data to confirm or deny these claims, the anecdotal evidence is out there.

But why would Facebook purposely break their own system? Though it could be a short-term money grab, the backlash from potential advertisers will hurt them in the long run. Facebook claims the algorithm change was in response to a large number of spam complaints. Yet people consciously opt-in to hear from these brand pages, if users feel they are being spammed they’re just a few clicks away from unliking and opting out. And if Facebook really is trying to fight spam doesn’t the EdgeRank-defying Promoted Post fly in the face of that philosophy?

Whatever Facebook’s motives for the algorithm changes, it’s understandable they would favor usage of their paid ad platform. The real issue is that prior to the September EdgeRank tweaks, brands invested lots of marketing dollars into building out their fan count. Now that the game has changed, these same brands are now going to have to pay just to reach the fans that they already invested money in acquiring. This may not be an issue for the Ford’s and Coca-Cola’s of the world, but small businesses and non-profits can’t afford it. And it’s more than just a monetary cost; SMB’s are often less tech savvy so this additional level of complexity might turn these companies away from Facebook altogether.

REACHING FANS IN FACEBOOK’S ERA OF LIMITED DISTRIBUTION

Though it’s unclear what the true motives were behind the changes to EdgeRank, the impact remains largely the same. Brands of all sizes need to focus less on their aggregate fan counts and how many posts they can pump out in day. Creating posts that users can read and forget is no longer an effective strategy; instead, brands must focus on creating posts that demand interaction and drive clicks, likes, and comments. The importance of using social analytics and conversation monitoring cannot be understated. Simply having an audience is not enough; you have to KNOW your audience, their interests and the things they interact with. And above all, know that when you invest in a third party ecosystem you’re assuming a risk. The rules of the game can change at any time and Facebook and Twitter aren’t going to be around forever.

Thomas Marzano is a Global Creative Director at Phillips Design. Here he is at a Guardian conference on the future of advertising, describing what he sees as a critical difference between old-style brand thinking, which centers on outward communication of a brand essence, and new-style branding which centers on the experiences that people have with your products, and the feelings that they have before, during, and after those interactions (he quotes Marty Neumeir, among others).

It love it when creative directors talk about human insights and needs, essential and motivating ideas, and the ’big ideas’ that drive brands forward all through the lens of a user experience flow. Our creative directors do it every day. The conversations we have between strategy, ux, and creative teammates (not to mention our engagement with the tech teams to pick the right platforms and push technical boundaries) are almost always framed this way.

Atlanta (October 12, 2012)

The partnership is a win for both agencies — and their clients: THINK is an interactive agency focused on innovation in digital marketing, and EchoViz is a globally recognized leader in user experience design, particularly for websites, software, and industrial and medical products. With EchoViz as a part of the THINK family, the agency is positioned to offer leading-edge work in digital interaction and experience design services across a comprehensive set of hardware and software platforms and the full spectrum of digital touchpoints for users and consumers.

“Given users’ and consumers’ extremely high expectations around digital engagement and interaction, we believe there’s a growing need for an integrated approach to ideation and the expression of those ideas through world-class experience design,” said Wilson. “The number of digital touchpoints and interaction opportunities that exist today cover a wide and growing spectrum in terms of internal operations, product offerings, marketing activities, retail activation and more. To be successful, brands must take a holistic approach to experience design and digital ecosystem management.”

With the inclusion of principals Michelle Berryman, FIDSA — who’s also an executive board member of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design and a past president of the Industrial Designers Society of America — and Brian Lynn, a seasoned veteran in digital, interactive environments and industrial design, THINK now offers the depth and experience necessary to navigate today’s complex digital environment and bring pioneering digital experience design to each and every client.

“We think in terms of the collective brand experience and information design that delivers the highest possible business value and delight factor at every digital touchpoint,” said Berryman. “And we do this for everything from websites, social platforms and apps to mobile devices, touchscreens and medical and industrial hardware and software.”

About THINK Interactive

THINK Interactive has helped brands create business value through digital channels since 1994. A private company based in Atlanta, Georgia, THINK provides a full suite of digital marketing, media, mobile and experience design services to companies ranging from progressive and new to established Fortune 500 leaders.

About Echo Visualization

Echo Visualization is an award-winning Atlanta-based agency committed to creating digital experiences that far exceed client expectations. Strongly rooted in best practices and innovation, EchoViz has a long history of delivering excellence in the form of user experience, digital media, development and implementation, animation, interactive environments and product-based experiences.

“Since Big Data is emerging as a prized asset for companies to drive growth and innovation, the corporate marketing function is suddenly emerging as a bigger player in the C-suite,” explained John Kennedy, VP-corporate marketing at IBM. “It’s clear that marketers are increasingly looking for direction on how to interpret the change happening in the function.”

The article also references a recent Gartner report that projects CMOs will be larger buyers of IT services than CIOs by 2017.

CMO’s are often the closest executive representative to the consumers of a company’s product and are therefor in the optimal place to analyze data about preferences and desires around product or service offerings. Customer segmentation is not a new concept and has long been a primary tool in crafting effective communications campaigns but the advent of “big data” is opening up new abilities to microtarget specific customers, even at very large scales.

Understanding specific customers needs and behaviors can significantly influence a wide range of corporate decisions beyond communications strategies.  From product development to support, marketing analytics provides the opportunities for granular insights that have not been possible in the past.

IBM’s Smarter Marketing campaign highlights the advantages of a comprehensive marketing analytics platform. This transformation places the customer and thier experience at the center of all corporate activities, a shift they dub, the Era of the Chief Executive Customer. (PDF)

AT THINK we also believe that marketing analytics is ready for the main stream.  We have developed tools and procedures that lift data from multiple analytics platforms into a narrative that produces actionable insights into your customer’s behaviors.  Gone are the days of simple page views and time on site.  The new world of marketing analytics tracks your customers and potential customers from online conversations in social media, through product research on your digital channels all the way to customer support after the purchase.

Is it time for you to harness the power of marketing analytics to grow your business?  If so, give us a call.