A few reflections...

Our group project asked us to identify a strategy for Target to cultivate millennial loyalty. I felt it was an interesting project, but I was not convinced at the start of the semester if we can really help that company in that way. Now, at the end of the semester, I still, personally, remain doubtful whether or not our idea is going to help Target. So what was our idea? Campus ambassadors. Not exactly an original one. Other companies like Apple and Chipotle have experimented with it. But not Target. So I guess it will be interesting to see if they actually try it. They do seem a bit desperate anyway. They are partnering with Deloitte, too, to administer a video challenge where students can come up with innovative ideas for Target.

Come to think of it, doesn't that mean Target, indirectly, has already launched a "faux campus ambassador program"? Getting MBA students to keep discussing about Target, its brand, its consumers, and ideas to grow seems to be an organic way to impress the minds of both gullible and cynical MBAs !! I am tempted to say "mission accomplished", but not so fast. So, what are the key takeaways of this project? Let me discuss them in detail below..

First, I felt the persona development exercise has been of value to me. I am interested in marketing high tech products and services..so mainly B2B. Yet, I think the exercise was useful. Although our persona was a 20 year old Hispanic woman, Eva, I feel the whole process got me thinking. It raised some serious questions. Who is my business looking to sell to? Why? What is it about Eva that makes us think we can connect with her? Such questions are very relevant in even B2B. While the questions would be more tailored towards an organization, they are very relevant. Why do I want to sell to this business? What's their brand and business model? In short, what makes them tick? 

Now, while completing the project, we actually updated Eva's persona. Initially, she was a 23-25 year old Hispanic college graduate. Eventually, we made her a 20 year old student. Now that was a very interesting experience. Two main reasons. One, it highlighted that personas can evolve and nothing is constant. In real world, both people and businesses keep changing based on their external environment and needs. Second, in our hurry to nail down a persona, it is possible we may have gone down the proverbial "rabbit hole". Initially, we went around building the persona and all prototypes from a digital and social perspective without evaluating the business and marketing need of Target. We had some ideas in mind and we just went ahead building on them. Only when we, later, took a step back to pause and reflect that we felt going "all in" on digital and social may not necessarily be the greatest proposal we can make for Target. So we backtracked and developed a different persona and different solution. So, overall, the iterative nature of the persona development was a standout. 

Second, what else? Infographics!!! I had seen them before, but never saw it the way I did during the class. Now, I feel they are a very strong medium for not just folks in marketing, but anyone. If done well, they can be used to tell a compelling story in clear and concise manner. I gave it my first shot to tell the story for food trailers and how some one can launch them. Win some, Lose some. I guess I ended with some "infauxgraphics", but overall I felt I got exposed to a new skill. Even if I won't make the cut as a professional infographics maker, I developed a new appreciation for it. After that, I am looking at all my other presentations in a new light. Is the content engaging? What story am I telling? Or what story am I selling? But I think overdoing it may risk appearing gimmicky.. now that applies to pretty much everything else too.,.. too much of anything good can be bad..

Now, what part of the project I felt was not very useful. Well.. frankly, I don't want to say it was not useful. I just did not agree with the overall philosophy of one item and I think I have mentioned it earlier during my "creativity blog". We did some card tricks to get people to start working and thinking creatively. Personally, I don't think that is the right way to approach this matter. Card tricks, mnemonics, illusions, etc help in that moment, but may not be useful in sustaining creativity. They "spark", but they do not "ignite". Now, it is very well possible that some students may have found it to be very helpful. I am happy for them, but I still don't think it works in the long run. Since I already wrote a detailed blog earlier on this, I will not discuss the problem any further. 

What's an alternative? I don't like to point out problems, but identify ways to solve them and improve on the process. So here is my suggestion. How about having an exercise on developing teamwork skills? Business schools (including mine) live under the illusion that if you assemble 100 people from 100 countries speaking 100 different languages and having 100 different backgrounds, then you are promoting an amazing learning experience. Incomplete. Incomplete. There is no guarantee all those people will automatically work together, contribute new ideas, and create a great learning experience for each other. Diversity may be a good thing, but only when the diverse elements are proactive and cooperative. Now, in our design class too, we were automatically sorted in teams. Fortunately, I had a solid, professional experience throughout the course of the project. Could it have been better? Sure. Managing meeting schedules, accommodating ideas and opinions etc 

So, Prof Walls, it will be helpful to have some kind of team building exercises at the start of the course. Why? Just to let people get a flavor of working with each other, understand each other's strengths and weaknesses. As a business leader, if I were to shape my own organization and had to choose among creativity and teamwork, I would pick teamwork everyday and every time. Why? I would rather have a non-creative yet solid and efficient team instead of highly creative individuals who cannot grow as a team. Now, I know, I am in danger at appearing as a hypocrite. On the one hand, I said card tricks may not work to inspire creativity. On the other hand, I am asking for team building exercises to create bonhomie and promote teamwork! Well, the kind of team building exercises I envision during the design class in future will include -- brown bag lunch discussions on random topics, sharing previous experiences, asking students to share a talent (could be anything).. and just have them loosen up.. MBAs, especially, are guilty of being tight and some times not very open to cozy-ing up to folks from other majors.. communications, lawyers, etc etc We already have classes at 12:30 pm so having these open forum brown bag discussions to get teams to "loosen up" should not be difficult...Or send them on a scavenger hunt or something ..real or virtual..Should be interesting.

Now, what were my emotional reactions? I had a major issue throughout the project. I just think Target today is being and will continue to be sandwiched between two juggernauts --Walmart and Amazon -- unless it can envision and execute a killer, winning strategy.. Cultivating millennial loyalty does not, at least to me, appear like that winning strategy. It has to be something revolutionary...Here is one thought..I don't think it is revolutionary either, but definitely interesting and worth exploring..

Imagine if consumers could walk, browse, and shop in their local stores without leaving their homes? If close to half of all US households today have some form of the modern gaming console, then can we envision something like this? Shoppers wander through a virtual, real time representation of their local store using their gaming console. They get to view the floor, aisles, displays, signs, and all items just like in the real store. They have their own shopping basket to select items. If they want, they can read reviews of items, and compare prices. They pay using their console. Finally, the store ships “from store” to their homes. ..And I actually already told this to WalmartLabs :) ..Don't know if they even read it or not..well, I just let them know anyway..

So, going back to the emotional experience. Now, I felt uneasy trying to sell an idea to Target, when deep down, I am not sure I am making the best recommendation.. That is just me. And I totally understand this may happen in future in real life as a professional where I may have to toe the "party line" even if I don't agree with it. But rest assured, I will make my thoughts known and register my uneasiness. However, if the issue is a moral or ethical one, I will not accept it and use proper channels to bring up the issue and its urgency. This has happened before. I ended up becoming the whistle blower with my previous employer...it is a wonderful story and deserves a separate blog I guess...

Overall, I found the class very interesting...vague at times.. like the whole "what i care for" exercise.. not being able to quantify stuff there made it vague for me. As I mentioned before, I had a solid, professional working experience with my team mates. Emotionally, well... Sorry Target, but may be you could have got me more excited by not handcuffing on "millennial loyalty".. May be, "What can Target do to be No. 1 retailer in US" would have been an ambitious, yet exciting, adventure for me..and allowed me to be more bold in recommendations...

I created the design blog on Day 1 with a few lines (right on top of this blog).... so I think it is apt that I wrap up on the same note...

Sitting on the edge of a lake

New designs I begin to make

And yet each discarded one

Lets me learn from my mistake

Now you see me...

So when you go to a doctor, they want to know everything about your health and lifestyle. Why? The argument goes like this -- it gives them the big picture and helps them make the right decisions. Though you may feel uncomfortable revealing details, you end up doing so more often than not....

Now, here is another situation. In any increasingly connected world, marketers want to know everything about you... everything. You. Your personality. Your Likes and Dislikes. Your Family and Friends. Everything. Why? The argument goes like this -- it gives them the big picture and helps them make the right decisions. Though you may feel uncomfortable revealing details, you end up doing so more often than not....

So what has changed? Most people would say that in the first case with doctors, the revelations are useful for your health and well-being. So they are perfectly acceptable. But, in the second case, most people would say that "knowing me" is exploitative and "commercial". Okay, so 'exploitative' may be a bit harsh. But the reality is, in most cases, information about you is being churned to sell you something -- that dress, that car, that house, that insurance policy, that job, and everything else that is so essential to realizing that wonderful American dream.

So what is the key issue here --
1. The act of data collection itself? 
2. The purpose of data collection?
3. Who is collecting the data? 
4. How the data is being used?

Before delving into the ethics debate, I want to understand the stigma associated with data collection. By now, pretty much everyone understands that some sort of data is being collected on them at every point in their life. Some of that data may be benign -- he or she brought a can of Coke or Pepsi at the store across the street, or it may be much more revealing -- he or she is suffering from mental illness based on prescription drugs they got. 

Without any supporting facts or research, I will go out on a limb here and make the following arguments --
1. "Not impressed" Most people are aware that data is collected. They may resent it, but are willing to live with it. It is definitely annoying just like the house fly buzzing around, but you are not going to run for your life because of it.
2. The purpose plays a major role. Most people are okay when data is being collected for medical or security purposes. But if it is to spy on you or track you, they want none of it.
3. If it is some legitimate institution such as hospitals, banks, insurance, government, census etc people are okay to varying extents. But when it comes to private businesses whose sole task is to make money by selling you "stuff", they are not happy.
4. Finally, the "how" -- strategies, actions, consequences, and perceptions. If the actions are very intrusive, then it is something that drives strong opposition. For example, Target discovered a girl's pregnancy before her family did. 

So we have four variables. For the purpose of this discussion, let us assume that act of collecting data is perfectly legal and permissible under societal norms and that it is being done by an agency with valid credentials such as a recognized business or private entity. 

That leaves us with two variables now -- "the purpose" and "the how". Those in favor of the data collection may state that knowing more about the customer allows the business to make better recommendations, provide services at a fair and acceptable price, and eventually manifests itself into an effective marketplace. That it is a win-win for both the businesses and customers. 

Furthermore, they would state that most of the data out there is today supplied by customers themselves. Many teenagers have no qualms in signing up for discounts and services as long as their friends are with them, rarely giving a moment's thought that they are sharing their data. People complain about Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media and how they are collecting and sharing data. Well, to be fair to these businesses, they did not compel any of these people to join them in the first place. They made a perfectly valid value proposition -- ability to share and enjoy virtually -- and most people bought it. Yes, if it is proven beyond doubt that such businesses gave them assurances on what data is collected and how it being used only to unilaterally change these policies later, then that invalidates this argument of the supporters.

The other arguments that supporters may make is that such data is being used only for business and not for "spying on your life". This is the motive argument. Well, the question is who is validating this promise? When there were reports that Google was reading your emails, many people were angry. Even when the company assured its users that no human was reading them, people were not satisfied. Consumers wanted to know -- is reading my private email really necessary for Google to sell ads? Am I as a consumer going to really being immensely benefited by seeing those customized ads? Well this flies straight into the "win-win" situation theory. Google may sell more ads and make more money, but on average, it would not appear that consumers benefit from this. Does Google really need to read through those emails? Isn't everything else that we do on Google properties enough?

Now you see me. One of the fundamental premises of marketers' argument is that knowing more helps them make recommendations that will benefit the consumer. Question is, is that really the case? Does knowing more and more lead automatically to better products, services, prices, and business models? Do we know that for sure? In the movie Now You See Me, Jesse Eisenberg's character proclaims "The closer you look, the less you see." Interesting no? A few days back, I was joking with my friend. I asked him "define irony". He did not know what to say. So I joked that while interviewing candidates, businesses give you little data and expect you to answer. They expect to see how you deal with ambiguity. But once you join, all you get is lots and lots of data.... 

Let me introduce you here to Enliken. I do not have any interests in promoting it, but I find their business model fascinating. Enliken.com allows consumers to manage their online data rather than opt out of advertising.

So let's say you as a consumer decide what data may be used by marketers and how. So you as a consumer decide how much you need to be paid for marketers using your data..Now that is interesting isn't it? If consumers are getting paid for their data (which they release themselves), then where is the question of
exploitation? You as a consumer signed up for specific businesses, told them what data they can use, and how they can use it? If you feel so generous, direct that income towards charity. You feel good about controlling your data and its use. Marketers get valid, legal, and curated data that is trustworthy and now with the full assent of the consumers can go full-steam to generate that effective marketplace. This, I feel, is more like a win-win situation.

Closing thoughts..Going back to the case of "the purpose" and "the how". From an ethics perspective within the scope of business, these two are very important. The keen reader may see a vestige of "does the cause justify the means" at play here. Gandhi claimed that the means uplift and reinforce the cause, not the other way around. Modern day marketers could learn something from this. Just because you can collect a lot of data does not necessarily mean you should collect a lot of data. Businesses such as Enliken have demonstrated that you can collect data and use it to generate insight without being surreptitious about it in any way...

Just let the child inside you be free...

It is a quiet Sunday evening. I am walking along the beach by myself. An emotional sun has just painted a masterpiece on the sky’s canvas. A gentle breeze murmurs as if giving its nod to this breathtaking imagery. While the receding waters kiss my bare feet, I behold this visual in awe. Can there be a more beautiful moment I ask? Can you get more creative than this? Is this when the sky reaches out to meet his earthly soul mate? When every wave in the waters below rushes upwards as if to embrace a beloved friend...

Just then, I hear the laughter of small children. I turn around to see what is going on. I spot some children building sand castles. Oblivious to the world’s troubles, here they were living in the moment. Without any care that their dunes might have flaws. Without any care that the sea may wash away their dreams. Without any care that the wind may spoil their hope. They just laughed. They just played. They just lived to build this sand castle now. Nothing else seemed to matter...time stood still...

I was wrong. I could not be more wrong. More beautiful than the heavenly beauty was the earthly ruggedness. More creative than the colors of the sky were the holes in the sands. Even the sun and the sky must marvel at this carefree curiosity. #joiedevivre.

I wonder. What is it about children that curiosity and imagination flow so naturally? How do they unleash this energy and passion for little tasks that they do. #carefree #unbridled 

Consider life. A moth emerges from its cocoon and revels in its metamorphosis into a butterfly. A struggle gives way to a stunning vibrancy. But look at us. We, humans, have a different story. As adults, instead, we shrink into our shell – fear, doubt, and hopelessness. #shell

Today we ask this question – how do we spur creativity; corporations, b-schools, and consulting gurus lament the void of creativity in our environment. They invent games, card tricks, illusions, and even stimulants for the mind to spark this neoRenaissance. Why? In the hope that students, professionals, and everyone else will be able to break open this shell. Consider this. We even write a blog (like this one) to share our experiences and identify patterns and traits to foster creativity. Or at least get a conversation going. #neoRenaissance 

So then what do I have to say here about how we can encourage people to develop the audacity of Van Gogh, the flair of Mozart, and the innovative nerve of Jobs? Frankly, nothing new...

Let me share a personal experience. My former colleagues would often joke whether I was writing software or poems at work! To them, an engineer who could spin a few lines was amusing. So the question is how did this travesty unveil itself? No card games, no tricks and definitely no brainstorming. Just doing something that one enjoys. #enjoy

Two decades earlier. So I am the only child of my parents. They love me more than anything else. But when I was young, there was this interesting tug of war between my mom and dad. My father had an inclination for science and technology. On the other hand, my mother was more drawn to the arts and literature. Naturally then, both wished their son to follow their chosen lines. Unfortunately, for my mom, her son fell in love with technology when Dad built him a computer model. But her sharp mind recognized something – it was not science per se that attracted my mind, but curiosity and a verve for imagination. So that is how yours truly developed his other loves – books and poetry. #spark

Spark. Yes, the moment that lights up the world. That singular moment where an apple fell on a young man and inspired his life's work. How do we replicate that today? Is it possible? I beg to disagree with pundits who think card games and mind exercises can achieve this. They may create a few sparks here and there, but may not ignite the mind. What I suggest is letting people just be kids. For once, let your inner child be free. #innerchild

What do I mean by this? Let me illustrate. In many cultures and organizations, failure is frowned upon. I worked at such a company too. Under the relentless pressure of modern business math, it is difficult to encourage people to just be carefree, to just be unbridled. #carefree #unbridled  When people join new teams, they have energy and ideas. But slowly, that butterfly retreats into its shell. #shell So what can we do to prevent this impulse to retreat? Every baby makes that massive push to break open that fetal shield – you know one where the baby feels warm and comfortable. But once the baby emerges, it does not get to retreat into that shell. Instead, the baby has to learn to explore, fall, laugh, and learn. #fallandlaugh

So can we not replicate this in modern organizations? Can we do something to give space to these moths to transform into butterflies? Yes. Organizations could foster a culture that is open and non-judgmental. So when we spot these unbridled minds, we let them be free..we let them release their inner child..and do what they enjoy. As an individual, they will explore, fall, laugh, and learn. They will be frustrated by their fall, but they will rise. #nofear

Yes, organizations will need to facilitate the right mentoring to ensure that these butterflies do not retreat into their shell when they fall. So offices that allow this kind of real time interaction and mentoring must be developed. I think IDEO has tried to do something like that. When someone asks questions, they would be encouraged. When someone fails, they would be motivated. When someone is afraid, they would be assured. Not hand-holding, but rock solid assurance.  #realmentors 

Can an organization then become this melting pot of ideas? Absolutely. When teams allow questions without making them appear or sound stupid, individuals are more open to falling and learning. When team members do not see unbridled minds as encroaching upon each other's spaces, individuals are more open to exploring and stepping out. Take an example. In my previous company, any time some one came up with an idea to improve a process bottleneck or enhance customer experience, middle managers would view this as finger pointing to inefficiencies and substandard work on their part. Such a culture would have to be changed. One way to do this would be to have more and more people release their inner child. That way, this will cease to be an exception and will become more of a norm. It is quite natural to see that start ups may find this easier versus large organizations. But even for large organizations, this may not be impossible. It would start with one team and grow slowly. It takes conviction and courage to dissent. To be that solitary voice can be unnerving, but all it takes is one hole to break open the dike. #onehole

But then does this not assume that individuals by themselves are full of ideas? My entire blog seems to indicate that their creative powers are curbed by the external environment and that we must prevent this retreat into a shell. Yes, that is exactly what I am suggesting. I take this stand knowing fully well that it is not without controversy. One might always question that how is it that some moths are able to transform into butterflies, face the magnified scrutiny of life, and not retreat? Van Gogh, Mozart, and Jobs being examples of such butterflies. 

Well, my take is that these creative forces would have found exactly that kind of support and mentoring which I refer to. For Alexander, there was Aristotle. For Arjuna, there was Krishna. The task of these mentors is not to spark curiosity and creativity. Their task is to not let the flame vanish, but fuel it further. Like an able charioteer, they would guide the warrior when fear and confusion clouds his inner child. #fuel #notspark

So you might argue that there are different creative problems which require different creative processes. And these moths may not be well-versed when they step out of their cocoon. I agree. It will be a learning process. Slow, at times painful, and many times frustrating.  #fallandlaugh 


Some of this focus on process, methodology, and frameworks has led to the unintended consequence of over-complicating things. It is somehow cool to talk about minimalism in design, but it is uncool to ignore these modern day creative processes and just let it be. Unfortunately, I think b-schools and design schools are partially to blame for this. Where they should be encouraging students to bring out their inner child, they are subjecting them to even more processes and frameworks. While it is easy to highlight that modern technology has advanced our understanding in so many different areas, let us not forget that some of the greatest challenges known to mankind have been solved by curious and creative minds with a pen and paper. I am not against any of these processes, but I am against their unnecessary introduction as the way to pursue creativity. When processes are provided as aids to prevent people from retreating into their shells, then they are legitimate and must be encouraged. Example, counseling and motivation sessions with mentors when one is frustrated due to failures and lack of results.  However, introducing them to show sophistication and structure to achieving creativity is inappropriate. #faketools

Should we just trust ourselves to know or sense? Trust our instincts. Feel secure that each of us is creative. And that we just need to guard ourselves from retreating into that shell? #shell

I say yes. I see these children building sand castles. Building their dreams. Having hope. They care not what others have to say about those castles. The sea may wash their castles away. The wind might blow their castles astray. They are creative. Because they are not afraid. For once, just let the child inside you be free....

#joiedevivre #carefree #unbridled #innerchild

Driving your "Food Truck"...

There is no place like home...

This is a classic scene from The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy returns from Oz! Well, what if our homes were magical like Oz -- the modern version of it anyway?? 

When I was nine, Dad built me my first computer model. I fell in love with all things related to technology. You always hear of stories where kids say they want to be an astronaut. Well, in my case, at least back then, I was fully convinced that I would become a computer engineer some day. Which I did. But only years later did I realize that it was not the love for computers that sparked a nine year old's imagination. In fact, it was a world of marvel that fueled his curiosity. Here was a "box" that could answer my questions, no matter how many I had. Here was a "box" that did not get mad at me asking so many questions. And here was a "box" where I could do different things...play, write, and hear music.

Circa nineteen years forward. In today's hour and time, when Prof Walls asked that we pick a topic to write a paper on, I wondered what I should do. After a walk and a nice cup of tea, I decided on my topic. It had all started in my home. That place where I first experienced the marvel of modern technology. That very place where I first witnessed the proverbial "giant leap of mankind" -- technology. So I wondered -- have we reached the point where every home would be technology driven aka smart? Homes that are not just smart, fully automated, efficient, and effortless...but truly integrated into the "home experience" for everyone.

Imagine you are seated in your "smart home". All your devices are "intelligent" --from tv to refrigerator.. from doors to windows.. from lights to air conditioners..absolutely everything..you would use your tablet or smartphone to change the scenery on walls or switch movies or channels on TV.. Or intelligent sensors turn on the brightness of lights based on the environment.. Or that air conditioners modify the temperatures according to people's activities..

Just imagine.. play along with me.. What if all devices could be charged wirelessly? We already have doors that open and close based on sensors. We already have lights that turn on/off based on occupancy. Staples Connect allows you to use an app to control many things in your home... Nest thermostat remembers your hand setting.. what if you could say aloud "get me a coffee" and a machine served you one immediately? Briggo Version 2020?? Things that once looked sci-fi are now slowly becoming a reality. Many of the things that we look for in a "smart home" are well on their way... question is not what or how, but when..


So, the  potential topic of my paper is: 
"Smart homes" - What do people really want? (subject to Prof Walls' approval)

Some of the questions related to this are: Are we close to "smart homes" more than ever before? Would people want to live in such houses? Just remind yourself -- not every house is a home....a home is where people live, laugh, and do all those things that make them happy and "human"... Is "smart home" that place? Are people ready for such changes? What will be their attitudes and emotions? What do people really want in their smart homes?

So why is this topic important to me? As I wrote earlier, home is where I was first introduced to a "box" of technology. Over the years, I have seen technology make rapid advances. My fascination has not ended..But now I want to explore this topic from both sides -- what are the technology advances that will define a true smart home.. and how are people going to accept them and incorporate them into their living style. I purposefully choose to write living style over lifestyle here because I feel it conveys so much more, describing a home as a place of being, thinking, imagining, and doing all things dear to us. 

The next question then is -- what has this got to do with customer insights? how does design thinking come into picture? Well, smart homes are ultimately where people will live.. spend a majority of their lives.. these places should be a reflection of what they see, what they believe, and what they want. Today, in class, we discuss how we should incorporate "design elements" into designing various products.. Prof Walls once remarked something similar to this .."sometimes the whole is not a sum of every part".. well, I think this is a classic example.. It is one thing to design a smart technology that people will love.. but it is totally another challenge to envision "a complete smart home experience". This will require designers and technologists to take into consideration so many different things...

-- how do people live?
-- what things, devices, and surfaces do they interact with? how? do they like somethings over others? if so, why?
-- what do they do at home? what kind of activities? do they do them alone or with their complete family?
-- is home just another "place where people are" or is it something much more?
-- would automation qualify as a smart home or do people look for something more meaningful? Here is an example: Do i want a gadget that automatically restocks my groceries by placing online orders OR Should that gadget be able to sync up with calendars and grocery inventory to understand we are having a family get-together..which may mean figuring out a special meal.. OR Something totally different...May be simply store and sort groceries intelligently based on people's food habits, dietary restrictions, and eating preferences,.. I don't know as I write...and I probably won't even after the paper.

Right now, I have collected a couple of articles which I think are good leads..
First one is a report by Arthur Little: Catching the Smart Home opportunity It tries to highlight some of the potential smart home technologies.. Second one is the more interesting article..Microsoft Research: Homes that make us smart. This one talks about how technology is just a resource for the intelligence in a smart home...and that in reality, the smartness of the home comes from various interactions we have throughout our activities and home surfaces.. I find this an intriguing argument. While it is very easy for many like me to fall prey to envisioning a technology driven smart home.. this paper cautions against this very aspect, It highlights the uniqueness and special characteristic of our smart homes as being more people driven.. and that technology is a facilitator, not necessarily the main driver!

The authors describe a device called the "Whereabouts Clock". Such a device allows family members to observe the whereabouts of other relatives. JK Rowling described a similar device in the Weasley household!! Coming back to the clock, the authors envisioned the use of cell phone towers and smartphone apps to provide location updates.. where each family member is..whether they are in school or work or play. I can imagine how useful this may be to a worried Mom.. just like Mrs Weasley.

Another example the authors describe is something that I can totally relate to. Managing clutter at home. We have so many things we collect and store. Example: papers, books, letters, etc First, we hate to spend time sorting it out. Second, its another chore that none of us want to do. I can imagine a system, an organizer, which allows us to store documents better. A colored bowl or bin? It could be a start. Bring in some technology. Bowls that scan documents and upload to the cloud --easy to access, search, and sort! Now, this is not at all a futuristic technology right? We have scanners today. If someone could figure out how to enable a scanner in bowl, we have this "Clutter manager"... just another intelligent solution. Nothing automated, but greatly enhances human interaction with those documents. 

In short.. what I am getting at is the case, at least to me, seems to be: 
Is smart home a technology driven OR technology facilitated home? 
Without getting lost in semantics.. I am guessing that the authors are making a case that complete automation may not necessarily be the only way..and that exploring human interaction with technology might be a good way to start considering different possibilities. I hope to dive deep into this thought process through my paper.

What you care for....

About the circle of choice..

In the inner circle, I have described "stuff" I cannot live without. Well, quite frankly, what I mean is "stuff" I really really care about and the loss of which would make me a lesser human being...

So, here it goes..(in no particular order)

a. Water - A Sanskrit saying from ancient times says "Water is Life".. So, naturally, that is one of my choices..
b. My family - I love my family. They are the source of my strength and motivation. Life would be less worth living without their love and support.
c. Creativity - Through poems, cooking new recipes, listening to music... My mind needs to be in constant motion.. Gemini trait all the way!
d. Books - Enjoy reading. Dad got me Encyclopedia when I was a kid. Mom got me books on great men and women.. to serve as an example for being good. Give me a book and I will be lost in it...totally. Funnily, I read incredibly fast..which fits with the whole Gemini need to absorb more information and just continue being curious!
e. Sleep - Perfect complement to Water... A good sleep is essential for the well being of one's health and mind.. So I put it down as a must have..

Outer circle.. Friends.. Movies/Entertainment, Technology (internet, phone, electricity)..

I have included Honesty, Dedication, and Success. I think a bit of explanation is needed here. I truly appreciate hard work wherever I see it.. even when I see it on opposing sides.. I feel every person owes it to the task at hand to give it his or her full effort.. which is what dedication is about.. Without being honest and dedicated, I seriously doubt sustainable success can be achieved... Luck can be a Lady tonight.. or may be a few more.. but most Gentlemen will eventually find out that Hard work is a far trust worthy friend than Lady Luck can ever be..

And well, Mango? Why mango you may wonder? Quite simply.. it is my favorite fruit..From what my Granny tells me, Mom went into labor pains only after enjoying one big glass of mango juice..Granny claims Mom was crazy about it when she was carrying me.. So I guess its DNA/Divine Comedy/Call it whatever..

Moving onto my Digital EcoSystem...

I Get a lot of nirvana aka wisdom aka information from news channels, both global and local, blogs and forums on sites such as LinkedIn..and Good Ol Google!! I always chuckle when I hear the old joke.. how does one Google to find out that Google is down?

Online video is interesting.. I think YouTube and other online videos give me good chunks of current information...  Not Surprisingly, I use my IPhone more as an Email / Calendar/ News feed organizer than a calling device...




Finally, my "Typical" Day...

Thanks Bevo.. MW look same. TTH look same.. Wake up at 6 am.. get ready.. get breakfast.. grab as much news as possible on IPhone..school chores most of the day.. Throw in some Graduate Business Technology Group activities.. Recruiting...and finally, all that is left in the tank goes into Movies and Books...

And whatever little lyrical drive is left goes into four lines like the ones below...

Seek thy true voice

Amidst all this noise

What you care for

Is a matter of choice