Ever wondered why ‘the other line’ is always moving faster this Holiday season, wonder no more! The video above gives a scientific breakdown of the what makes good and bad queues, fascinating stuff. If the mechanics of waiting in line is your thing, head here for a amazing breakdown of how Disney handles queuing.
Designing Customer Experience
The video above demonstrates a new generation of capsule hotels, overnight lodging similar to motels in the West, being developed in Japan. Sleeping in miniature pods is still a foreign concept to western society but the act of sleeping is equally shared across the Pacific. What the 9 Hours Hotel achieves in this video is the simplification of a very personal activity, going to bed. From the moment you step in, bold graphics guide you through your stay at the hotel, easily overcoming language barriers. What the 9 Hours Hotel gets correct is the attention to each step in the process of turning in. Secured storage lockers, private showers, clean amenities and complimentary supplies help to ease the anxiety of hurried or forgetful travelers.
By creating order and calm in your establishment can go a long way to generating a valuable customer experience. Intimately understanding your core product or service, and how your customer will ultimately want to be treated when purchasing it, will assist you in creating an atmosphere that is conducive to a positive customer experience.
Wonderwall & Nike Town
An interview with Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall for their new design work at Nike Town - Harajuku, Tokyo. (via coolhunting)
Tech: Intelligent Windows
Intel’s demonstration of computer assisted ‘window shopping’
The Future is never easy to spot on a daily basis. New technologies often creep in through older versions of itself. But, sometimes they can hit us square on the head, like the automated vacuum (Roomba), hybrid car (Prius) and smart phone (iPhone) to name a few examples. Intel, the computer processor manufacturer, has released a demonstration of their latest processor the Core i7, integrated into a faux store window as digital signage. The presenters demonstrate a working graphical user interface (GUI) within a pane of semi-translucent glass operated by touch sensitivity. A built-in camera is also present to identify gender and proximity of the user for a focused interactive experience. Don’t expect this technology at your local mall just yet, there are still massive cost and manufacturing hurdles to overcome before we can literally window shop. Plus, who wants to clean all those finger prints off the front window all day?
Our Prediction
The built-in camera will make it to main street storefront windows before the touch screens will. Imagine LCD advertisements adjusting to exactly what you might want based on your age, gender or items in hand. Smile for the camera. (via Core77)
