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Out of the Box Experiences

The lady in the photo above on the subway in Seoul, South Korea. Her out of the box experience taking place standing in a moving carriage with harsh lighting and with limits on the amount of two-handed interaction (that this is her first experience is assumed - based on what she was carrying, her interaction with the packaging and the context - but I didn't actually speak with her).

Product designers and marketing departments often talk about the out of the box experience - that unique moment when the consumer first takes their product out of their packaging. The money has been paid and the benefits of owning the product have yet to be realised. The hopes "will I really be able to plug it into my TV?", fears "will it really do what I want it to do?", and aspirations "I'm gonna get fit and lead a healthy lifestyle now I have a Suunto heart monitor" going through the consumer's mind.

To what extent do out of the box experiences happen whilst out and about? On the bus, in the subway, sitting with mates in McDonalds? Is it possible to have multiple or layered out of the box experiences - one on the hoof and one later in the comfort of a home space? And how to design for this?

How will social trends and technologies change the dynamics of future the out of the box experiences? Enhancing the positives? Minimising the negatives?

Writing from Brighton | February 7, 2006 | Permalink