In years to come, people will look back at 2014 as the year of the smart phone. This year has been a landmark year in the interconnectivity of the digital and physical, and the effects are irreversible. Not only do 89% of Australian’s aged between 18 and 75 (the highest in the world, AMPLI Report 2014) have a smart phone, but we check them on average 122 times a day… in fact, there are more people using smart phones globally than tooth brushes?! The once simple communication tool has become a hyper-personal tool for interacting with the digital world, and we can no longer live without them.
Yesterday, Australia’s Digital Industry Association, AIMIA, held it’s annual Future of Digital conference to review the year that was and to outline future trends in interactive media for 2015. This is the year mobile technology will mature and reach a new level of sophistication, becoming the preferred method for every day tasks such as communicating, shopping, travelling, leisure activities and navigation.
A panel of experts came to the conclusion that the big trend for next year is beacon and proximity technology. As cool and interesting as this sounds, you may not be aware of what this is exactly… Imagine you are walking through an area in a town you are unfamiliar with with your family on a busy day and there is an event on and your phone will make you aware of where you are, the opportunities and experience that exist around you plus a range of other information at your finger tips.
Beacon technology if used intelligently will enhance an experience and save people time, this will be the great innovation of our time. BrandCulture are excited about the applications in wayfinding and spatial exploration. We are currently trialling a project with the University of Technology, Sydney exploring a digital layer to conventional wayfinding and information mapping relative to the user experience. If you’ve got a smart phone go try it out…
