“The reality is more and more people expect things to be mobile. I think as an industry we need to focus on delivering amazing experiences to people on the device that everyone has in the palm of their hand.”
Al Cattell is Director of Platforms and Innovation at Candyspace, a creative and technology agency that uses insights, innovation and intuition to craft websites, apps and digital campaigns. They provide unique and cutting-edge solutions that help brands do more for the connected consumer. With offices in London, New York, Los Angeles and Paris, Candyspace provides its creative and technical excellence to companies worldwide.
In this episode of Velocitize Talks, we sit down with Al Cattell to talk about what consumers really want, the application of voice technology, and the user experience.
On Candyspace’s unique value proposition in the marketplace (0:30)
Candyspace has worked with some of the biggest brands in the industry, including Colgate and ITV. As the agency moves forward, they are becoming more of a consumer-focused platform development company.
“Our heritage of building creative and technology has led us to a place where people want our expertise when building their digital product.”
On keeping consumers happy (1:33)
Candyspace defines the user experience as “the practice of identifying real-world problems and using design to try to solve them.” Knowing your customer before designing the ideal user experience is paramount, especially given the mobile and smart device landscape.
“I think what consumers want is fast access to information content; think shopping in the palm of their hand. Mobile—the device everyone has in their pocket—is superseding everything you see.”
On bridging the generational gap (3:02)
An estimated 44% of Gen Zers are more likely to share personal data for a more personalized digital experience than their older counterparts. As marketers try to keep up, the user experience has evolved dramatically.
“The user experience is fundamentally true no matter who the person is… I think for a younger demographic though, there is an element of things needing to be a bit more entertaining and engaging.”
On voice technologies and user experience (5:12)
Today more than one in four adults in the U.S. own a smart speaker, and 40% of those have two devices in their home. This year it’s expected that half of all online searches will be conducted via voice search
“The real challenge of making voice better is designing conversations in a way that works. There’s still a lot of learning to come…In the longer term, we might have a voice interface on websites, but I see voice being more useful for application led things.”
On decentralizing the internet with blockchain (8:03)
Blockchain has evolved the digital and user experience in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago. It has also altered how we view online privacy. While blockchain can greatly minimize user fraud, it may be better for data security than for user privacy.
“[With blockchain] there’s a definite path to building applications in a decentralized way to give people control of their privacy. I think that will fundamentally change the way we think about using services.”
On client RFPs (9:33)
“Good RFPs are those that put a lot of thought into personas, use cases, and look at things from a customer perspective first.”
What are you reading or listening to now? (11:29)
“Breakthrough advertising is a copywriting book that lays out six different approaches to copywriting based on your audience’s understanding of their problems and your business.”
To learn more about Candyspace and Al Cattell, check out their website here and follow them on Twitter at @candyspacemedia
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