Beauty & the BeastA social experiment between developers and marketers at

T4G

A SERVICE-INDUSTRY BRAIN

Stuff I think about

because somebody

asked me to think about it

Wouldn’t it be cool if ______________________

IN PURSUIT OF SENSORY DIGITAL EXPERIENCES

Lickestra: An Interactive Ice Cream Orchestra

Charlie Brooker’s “Black Mirror” series

IN PURSUIT OF THE EPIPHANY!

As the audienceWe’re seeking to find that “new”, that “wow”

As presentersWe want to be that “new”, that “wow”

A lot of pressure on both sides

IN PURSUIT OF SEX APPEAL

Most of us work in service

Product gets the investment and press

Makes product the gamble

Odds increase with culture

Let’s make service sexy

PODCAMP PREPARATION PHASES

AWKWARDNESSEXCITEMENT BONDINGLE COLD SWEATREFLECTIONLEARNING

AWKWARDNESS

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but when I have to communicate technical details to marketing people, it reminds me of my work with the

elderly.”

CHALLENGESCan’t talk about client work

Not enough time to explore the cool stuff, like the creation of interactive products, games or environments with Arduino and Raspberry Pi. Or something with iBeacons or spatial data

Little opportunity to exchange ideas above personal interaction

Even in a technology company, developers are underrepresented

School doesn’t prepare you for industry … for real-world work

QUESTIONS

What does it mean to be a technology firm?How do we integrate disparate perspectives?How do you build traction with innovation in a small market?How do you build traction with innovation in Halifax?How we can build momentum around collaboration in the local tech community?How can we get more involved with organisations like Volta?

DISCUSSION

People love products demos, something shinyWould be great to actually make something coolWould be good to explore different type of work (e.g. marketing take on more technical tasks and developers input into marketing)

PLAN

Buy a kit, define an object or offer a problem (even if it’s something ridiculous or fictitious) where Team Development and Team Marketing can explore approach to product/service development and business environment

This may even be presented as a kind of 10-day hack-to-market-a-thon. Perhaps each team gets a MakeyMakey kit or a ________________ and has to assemble it, in addition to lean launch plan

EXCITEMENT

Makey Makey Mission

“We believe that everyone is creative, inventive, and imaginative. We believe that everyone can create the future and change the world. So we have dedicated our lives to making easy-to-use invention kits. We believe that the whole world is a construction kit, if we choose to see it that way.”

BONDING

LE COLD SWEAT

REFLECTION

INTRODUCING RENAISSANCE MAN!

“Something in the final brief resonated about encouraging “Play” as a method of generating “cool shit”.

For example, our team used to have a semi-weekly innovation lab which is really just a half-hour meeting to chat about tech and what might be fun to build.”

“I love getting ideas of cool things to make, but I rarely ever follow through on them, worrying if I would have to ability to develop the thing (self-doubt)

Would people actually buy it? Is it worth taking time to invest in it?This is where more developers/marketers working together would come in handy Playing with the objects connected to the Makey Makey last Sunday evening gave me lots of thoughts about new things to make – some related to the Makey Makey, and others not.” 

Game design by Stephen & Amanda Elkins at the Maker Symposium in March 2014, NSCAD’s IAC

LEARNING

“Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”

Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

SHARING GROUND

COOL SHIT

PLAY

MARKETING

DEVELOPMENT

Ambiguous problems

Distinct problems

Business & Human Context/Compatibili

ty

Technology/Platform

Context/Compatibility

Frontline

Defined scheduleStretched schedule

Behind the scenes

Facilitate and set-up

Produce

WHAT WE’D DO DIFFERENTLY

Rotate facilitatorMore time (preparation) – skillset transference takes three monthsMuch more time (electronic equipment)More equipment (play & playback)Greatest challenge is not invention, it’s momentum

“PHYGITAL” IS EXCITING …. AND COMPLICATED

Perceived Constraints

Actual constraints

INVESTING IN NEW TECHNOLOGIES NOT ONLY DEMANDS BUDGET & RESOURCES IN THE ABSENCE OF TRADITIONAL GOALS…

…BUT EXPLORATION & INNOVATION CANNOT BE SCHEDULED AGAINST CONVENTIONAL CAMPAIGN PLANNING CYCLES

WHAT HAS THIS CHANGED*

Plan for permanent exhibits in the company

Collaboration with Halifax Makerspace

Employee grants of $X each for electronics kits – with an onus on individuals to document, share and publish their activity

Library and gallery space

Regular, multi-team participation

* <Cough, cough> Announce first, beg for forgiveness later. Make it easy for leadership team to approve.

PROCESS & CULTURE INCREASE THE ODDS “When you’re trying to get better at something

– a creative skill, such as cartooning, or a habit, such as regular exercise – think in terms

of systems, not goals.”“Focusing on a system means focusing on what you can control (your actions) rather than what you can’t (the endlessly unpredictable external

world).

Keep working your system and you’ll maximise the chances

that success will find you. Live in pursuit of goals and you’ll feel like a failure even when

you’re succeeding.”

Makey Makey Online

Direct from MakeyMakey.comAmazon – but check the detail between .com and .caSparkfun.comAdafruit.com

Often cheaper to buy in bulkHalifax Makerspace has a Google Group – useful to discuss what and where to buy kits, boards and componentsIf in doubt, ask (http://halifaxmakerspace.org/ )

Halifax Makerspace “Infinity Mirror”, Nocturne 2013

“When meeting people from a foreign culture, offer a few gifts that reflect your interests as a gesture of friendship.

Better yet, give things you’ve created yourself.

Also, explore their interests and their culture.

Ultimately, the best way to forge a lasting friendship is to create something together. Whether it’s a meal, an art project or a spontaneous dance party, when you create

something with others, you build a connection that lasts a lifetime.”

International Diplomacy Guidebook