Why is Apple a cult brand? Why does the iPhone excitement keep increasing with the release of every new version? What makes us Mac loyalists?
Although there is no one answer to these questions, one of the core reasons for the success and fan following of the brand Apple is ‘Design’. Design that harmoniously blends function and form to deliver a user experience par excellence.
Steve Jobs was known to come up with products that solve problems that the masses were not even aware of. That was his interpretation of design. This was the inspiration behind the March 2014 edition of Startup Saturday Mumbai (SSMUM). The team showcased that design is not just about the visual communication, it is a way of solving a problem, it is the way of thinking.
SSMUM started with a quick round of audience introductions. It was interesting to see a mixed bunch of people, from Graphic Designers to Web Developers, from Engineers to Entrepreneurs, Students and Social media enthusiasts, the crowd was very eager to know more about the fascinating world of design.
The audience was introduced to 10,000 Start-ups program, which is an initiative of NASSCOM, Google, Microsoft, Verisign and Kotak to massively upscale the tech startup ecosystem in the country. Any startup that wants to apply for the same can write to mumbai@headstart.in.
The first speaker was King Sidharth. An avid traveller and intuitive designer, he is Design Incharge at Instamojo, which is a simplified platform for selling digital content online. King Sidharth believes that Design is not just an option. Either there is design, or chaos. He started his session by giving us an overview of Design in the following graph, which burst the myth that design is simply art oriented.
Sidharth then explained that the reason behind design is the user. Therefore, design must be based on User’s Intent. If the product is able to give the user exactly what s/he is looking for, then the design objective is fulfilled. The presentation continued with practical, witty, real life examples through which the subsets of design were covered. Sidharth explained the essentials of Information Architecture, User Interface and Visual Design taking Flipcart, Cleartrip, Basecamp as case studies. He showed us how psychology is also an important element in design. He ended his session with suggestions on where to look for and how to train a designer.
After an intensive and indepth talk on Design basics, Soumitra Bhat, Innovation Manager at Indian School of Design and Innovation (ISDI) spoke about Why Startups need a Design Cofounder and not a full time designer or freelancer! According to Soumitra, Design is not just about talent. It is about perspective and it is this design perspective that differentiates one product from another.
He shared that it is important to partner with a Designer, rather than hire one. It is important to involve them at various levels of development be it vision, process or product. The audience was intrigued by this approach towards design, which was showcased in the interaction that followed.
After 2 power packed sessions, it was time for a Tea Break. It was interesting to meet new people and exchange design thoughts over chai and cookies.
The second half was just as power packed as the first. Mr.Manu Rana, VP – Product at BookMyShow, shared his insights on Design for Mobile.
2013 was marked as the year we all went mobile. People were not just flashing their smart phones, but actually using the device to stay connected and use it for work and play. 3G services, wireless broadband made exchange of data, be it text, images, audio or video very practical. According to BBC, Mobile didn’t simply refer to a gadget, but to a state of mind. Therefore, Mr.Rana’s session, Design for the Mobile was very relevant.
He shared design examples from TweetBot and Google Authenticator. Both apps intelligently understand what the user expects and have customised their interface accordingly. eg: Incase of Google authenticator, the app has already copied the password which you can paste in the page you need to validate. TweetBot auto suggests sharing the last photo clicked for Social Media status updates.
Mr.Rana shared that it is important to have conversations with the user. Although the interaction is machine to human, it is important to design as if it were human to human. It is these micro-interactions that will bring delight to the customer and therefore loyalty for the brand, through the use of intuitive design.
Apart from the very interactive and engaging sessions, SSMUM also had 2 Lightening Pitches. Neha Muhana, Co-founder of Enthopia, a 6 month old startup shared her story and inspiration behind starting a company for fancy mobile covers. Kaushtubh Shivdikar, an engineering student, showcased his product prototype for the E-Bag. It is a bag which not only recharges your mobile, but also keeps your coffee hot and water cool. Not just this, the sensors in the bag alert you if you have left something behind!
Lot of energy, audience interaction, insightful sessions marked the end of SSMUM, with inspiration to many to startup and fulfil their dreams. For more updates about the event, log on to SSMUM FB page or follow @startmum.
Also, for suggestions on challenges your startup is facing or topics you want covered in the coming months, you can write to mumbai@headstart.in