I've just finished a fascinating couple of days at the Solid conference. I suspect many blog posts will follow. Sorry! But here's the first thought that occurs. It's about language.
There's a rhetorical tick we need to get past if we're going to talk usefully about Internet of Things things. It's the 'nobody needs this' dismissal and it's as unhelpful as 'this social media thing is pointless' and as wrong-headed as 'so simple my Mom could use it'.
For instance, early yesterday, a renowned designer started his talk by mocking and dismissing a variety of products and concepts as 'things no one will ever need'. (I'm paraphrasing) Specifically - a toaster that burns the weather forecast for the day ahead into your morning toast. Later in his talk, though, he talked with excitement about a connected humidifier his company is working on.
Let's be clear. No one needs either of these things. But if I had to say which I wanted, I'd pick the toaster. People Buy Stuff They Don't Need. That's one of the fundamental tenants of capitalism along with The Rich Get Richer and Terms And Conditions Apply.
On a similar tip, this, from The Atlantic has been doing the rounds - The Internet of Things You Don't Really Need - it's a lovely piece but the lazy language of the headline cloaks a much more interesting and subtle argument than - hey! no one needs this stuff.
Similarly, through the day, there were a few instances where people referenced a trip to the factories and markets of Shenzhen and the Cambrian explosion of phone design it enables. Cue bewildered mockery of phones designed to look more fun or interesting than the orthodox Finnish/Californian design tradition. There's a kind of patronising snobbery here akin to the rockist stance against pop music, a dismissal of the taste and aspirations of anyone not living a tastefully humidified, black glass and tungsten lifestyle. It's minimalism-ism.
(All of which was made more striking because a surprising amount of the day was given over to talking about cars. And if ever there was a product we should try and stop needing, it would be the car.)
So, look, it's just a reflex, an easy bit of language to reach for, everyone knows it's not really about need. The difference between the weather toaster and the connected humidifier isn't about need, it's about a good product versus a bad product. (Where good is a complex bundle of things to do with market fit and lifetime value and social signalling and triple bottom lines and manufacturability and shelf appeal and whatever you think is good.)
But talking about need isn't helpful and we should be careful about the language and not say 'no one needs this' when what we mean is 'I can't imagine anyone wanting this'.
Because you might be right, or you might be short of imagination.