Augmented Reality: Beyond Usability with Flow and Narrative Transportation

AR

Augmented reality applications are unique in that because they project virtual information into a user’s physical environment, they effectively blend real and virtual. They are also increasingly mobile and social. These features amplify the level of impact and persuasive power of the user experience — when done right. All kinds of things go into success. And you might argue that usability is the key. But at the highest level, success depends on more than usability; it depends upon user experience. User experience is more than all those things combined. Of course, you still need to follow best practices for good usability because if people can’t do something they can’t be persuaded by it. But usability is no longer a key differentiator. It’s not enough. Presentation overview: 1. Defining engagement 2. The need for a holistic evaluation of user and customer experience to achieve engagement. 3. The role of the of the brain in achieving psychological engagement and … [Read more...]

All The World Is A Story

2011-11-20-tree-in-book-square-250w-storybook

Transmedia storytelling is rapidly becoming the new ‘must have’ in marketing and entertainment.  Its adoption is slowed, however, by the confusion over what exactly it is.  Like most things, there are lots of definitions, but with transmedia storytelling, it’s easy to be distracted by the promise of the wide array of tools and get caught up in the romance of ‘building out a storyworld,’ — and end up overlooking the substance.  Good transmedia storytelling starts with the story. The story doesn't live in the storyworld.  The story starts with and lives in the brain.  The brain is the vehicle for engagement.  Successful transmedia storytelling provides the brain with multiple vehicles for participation.  Participation creates immersion because we ‘buy in.’ It is a renewable energy source because it creates the motivation for continued engagement. If you mention ‘Transmedia Storytelling’ to aspiring artists, their eyes light up and their minds fill with … [Read more...]

Twitter & Sheen: Ringside Seats to a Spectacle

Twitter’s Authenticity and Immediacy are turning Charlie Sheen into (even more of) a Media Sensation. Twitter is just like sitting courtside. While plenty of people have thrown in their two cents on Charlie Sheen’s recent and extraordinarily public bad boy behavior, what’s most interesting to me is that Sheen has taken his campaign to Twitter. While I have no doubt that Sheen has a team of public relations professionals, the use of Twitter makes it appear much more direct. Unlike other forms of media, like Entertainment Tonight interviews, we experience Twitter as authentic, immediate, and down and dirty. This is true for two reasons. First, any interview, press report, or magazine expose is subject to editing and framing, the questions the journalist or commentator asks, as well as the decisions made by the editor and producer. And while media professionals often strive for some sort of truth, they also are influenced by ratings if not their personal point of … [Read more...]

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