The recent trends, of everything becoming connected, show no signs of letting up. By 2020, predictions state that over 50 billion items will be Internet-connected, from lightbulbs to plugs to fridges. Even yoga mats, argued Alex Jones, a business design consultant at Fjord, at the ProductTank November event – as a rule of thumb, all devices priced more than $25 will become a connected device.
Alex indicates that the connectivity trend will start with one-way communication, and will lead through to many-to-may communication as more devices become connected. However, he cautioned that just because a device could be connected, it doesn’t mean it should be.
Connectivity is a novelty, but it doesn’t make a product meaningful by itself.
Alex provided clear tips for product managers to create meaningful products over the course of this connectivity trend.
