The idea that automation always increases efficiency for customers is confounded by the fact that, for some categories of users, it actually makes life harder. In instances where checkout procedures at grocery stores give customers the option of self-checkout or cashier, automation increases the wait time for people who prefer a cashier because automation reduces […]
Month: July 2019
I found myself at the car dealership with four hours to kill, waiting for my car to be serviced, so I began polling people who were also waiting there how they want to fall in love–randomly or through an algorithm. I interviewed 29 people and 52% were married and 48% were single. Of the 48% […]
Self-tracking of personal data is on the rise with 69% of Americans keeping track of some kind of health data. Twenty-one percent of the population use some type of wearable daily. Forty percent of adults in the U.S. say they foresee buying some kind of wearable device. Quantified Self, a community for people who self-track, […]
The Downtown Project in Las Vegas is a for-profit entity that is looking to revitalize Downtown Las Vegas and encourage upward mobility. The cornerstone of the project is the Three C’s–Collisions, Co-Learning, and Connectedness. Collisions focuses on how someone is out and about in a public or semi-public way (in parks, bars, restaurants, and cafes) […]