I agree with Scott Tiner in his column this week that, while it’s fun to imagine the possibilities of all the “new, fancy, shiny objects,” not every new innovation will stick with everybody. For Tiner, it’s digital whiteboards; they just didn’t/don’t resonate with him. For me, it’s voice-enabled devices, like Alexa and Siri. (Joel Rollins, if you’re reading this, I know you’ll very respectfully disagree with me there.)
But times have changed, and end user demands are changing with it. What we liked or didn’t like in March may not apply today in September. Think about all the people now using Zoom who hadn’t even heard of it at the start of the year. Life has inherently changed.
On the flip side (there’s always a counterargument), some things never change: Before typing up this intro, I was working up a first draft while sitting on my mom’s front porch in a rocking chair, writing into an actual notebook. For me, it’s physical over digital any day.
The point is, listening to end users and how their needs have changed — getting feedback, always tweaking — leads to better outcomes. Which of the new innovations below are resonating with you? More of the same or innovative change?
Have a relaxing weekend, and we’ll see you next week.