Why ChaiOne is doubling down on Austin and how they knew Google Glass would fail

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We have a very detailed requirements exploration and validation phase that is lead by our Human Factors/Cognitive Psychology research team. We insist on in context inquires that explore not just the scope of the project but uncover hidden needs that users might not be able to adequately voice themselves. From this data, we can be more assured that we are asking the right questions long before we start suggesting solutions - a key difference from many in the IT/Software development world. And just because we think that we have a good idea, we would never move forward with something unless we have data from the users confirming that direction. As we move deeper into the execution phases of design and development, the users are constantly being included in our process. This is done so that we can be certain — and by certain I mean numerically within a margin of error — that we will be launching a successful product. 

 

 

Nuclear security, offshore drilling in the desert, mountains, north sea ships, warehouses, truckers, huge factory workers. All of these people have some commonalities and divergent requirements. The key is to eliminate all of your assumptions with hard data and documentation of their environment by standing right next to them as they explain their job to you. We use steel toed boots as much as computers if not more so. Many times these people have little patience for us until they see the results we are bringing them. One of my favorite quotes from the field on an iPad application for offshore drilling supervisors? ”If it isn’t easy to use, it sure better float!” The float test is a hard one on any UI.

 

 

We are dedicated to the reduction of dumb “smart” applications. From wearables to IoT, the world is on a collision course by design penetrating more deeply into people’s lives than ever before. A good method to have the true user’s experience and requirements is absolutely key. We are exploring everything from thermal imagining and drones to industrial wearables. 

 

 

I think every product ever produced creates an impact on human behavior. My two-year-old son can pinch and zoom. 10 years ago no one could. I think we are dealing with a very volatile time: the impact of Facebook on hiring, Google and the right to forget. Wait until there are 10 billion sensors throughout everyone's world, and see how drastically this will shift it.

 

Currently, at ChaiOne, we take a very measured approach to all the new shiny objects with BLE. We have a lot of data on how things like Google Glass is hugely dangerous in the workplace. The key problem is the engineers that dream of these gadgets are often very bad at the one thing that determines the success of almost every product — humans. Apple has been one of the only companies out there that gets this at their core, pun probably lightly intended. They have been great at making this change as the copy cats try to figure out how to copy them. IBM is building a 200 person deep design center in Austin. Why? because design is hard to do well and we are in an age where the user has a lot of choices. It is this intimacy that IoT and wearables bring that are making the big boys realize they have to up their game. 

 

At ChaiOne, we try to balance two similar but very different concepts: efficiency and effectiveness. Obviously, on time, and on budget are so important to any business. But if they hit that but miss the mark for what the users need to do their job, you won’t get the ROI no matter how much money you saved doing it the wrong way. We deliver on this on all of our projects by measuring our progress along the way, as I mentioned before. Recently, we did a fairly short project (three to four months) and were able to reduce the number of screens from 50 screens to 2. Our KPI’s were to reduce time on task by 13 percent. We reduced it by 85 percent. We also added some little moments of joy and play in the UI to make these worker’s day a little lighter, so they pass on that feeling to the customers they are interacting with. I am not saying it's easy, but doing great work isn’t as hard as people make it. Follow a good process, observe, measure, and be willing to admit if you are on the wrong path. Our first round design was not this successful. That is why we redid it.

 

 

Ironically, no matter how standard processes seem to be, when you get out into the field the situation is always different. Instead of trying to fix that UI or make an app that does X, we are focused on the root goal of what the user is trying to do. If you make that easier, better, more accurate, faster, and sprinkle a dash of fun or awesome on it, User Acceptance isn’t hard. The hard part has been telling them it is just a prototype and they have to wait for it to be coded. Just this week we heard of a user proclaiming he was glad that the client was on the phone and not there in person because he would have hugged him because this is exactly what they need. That is a great feeling that maybe, just maybe we made some people’s world suck a little less. When you learn their language, and deliver something that works like they do, speaks like they do, it fits in without chaffing, so to speak. 

 

 

Austin is a very strategic play for us. For recruitment, for sales, for access to the new way things are happening. Historically Austin has been very light in terms of discipline. Lots of ideas with little focus. That is changing now. People are becoming more seasoned as is the industry. For us, Austin will be key to our role as a voice for the mobile industrial worker and how to guide the next wave of emerging technologies back to the user control.