Is the iPad the new campfire?
7th May 10
Posted in design, technology, transformational change
Author: Calle Sjoenell, Executive Creative Director, BBH New York
Over the last two weeks I have noticed an interesting phenomenon around people with iPads. Maybe it’s because I haven’t got one yet (I’m trying to refrain until my birthday) so I’m more aware of those who do have them already. Right now I can have more of an outsider’s view on this new device.
That said, it’s become apparent that I’m far from an outsider. Barely an opportunity goes by for someone with an ipad to share something with me. “Check this out”. “Look at this”. “Let me show you something”. Users seem to want to show off new apps, cool new vids (and of course the device itself). I am very often drawn into the experience others are having around the iPad. We literally gather round, pull up chairs.
Unlike a laptop, it’s super easy to ‘turn and share’. Unlike the iPhone, it’s genuinely shareable (the iPhone is unashamedly personal, even private). With the iPad you can gang around at least three, four people to see something together. It all feels very natural.
So I’ve been thinking, is this one of the true revolutions with the iPad? It’s the first truly communal computer. Almost like sharing stories around the campfire.
If that’s the case, how should that impact how we design content and applications for it?
Only until the phenomenon wears off. When everyone has their own, they’ll all be looking at yet another screen and not paying attention to anyone around them. Unless we invent more games that go pad to pad across space.
I agree – Scrabble may have missed a huge opportunity with their iPad version – imagine a Scrabble board that extends from ‘pad to ‘pad, almost infinitely, or multiple games online at once (remember Scrabulous on FB?) with other people via some sort of network… say… the Internet?
We should all be thinking of ways to step up game theory apps for that device.
Definitely think gaming is a major area of development for the iPad. But social gaming. The PSP and iPhone are certainly more solitary experiences. Agree on Scrabble too.
I have the Scrabble app. and it has a version of the game where the iPad is the board and it links to iTouches and iPhones, where your tiles are. It’s perfect for sharing in that respect. I haven’t tried that game, but the solo game is fun.
I also especially enjoy it for sharing pictures of my kids with people. They don’t have to squint to look at a picture on my phone.
I think I have to agree with Edward. The “turn and share” movement will slow down a little bit once more people get one.
However, I do think that the iPad is just great for sharing. It’s much easier to pass around than a laptop and I think developers are going to catch on to these behaviors quickly!
I don’t have on either (also trying to wait til my birthday in Aug) and I’ve had pretty much the same experience you have.
Good luck waiting
I love your closing point, that really hit me.
Browsing the web is traditionally a solitary experience, so pushing ideas and apps to a device that seems to encourage a group experience means there are a whole new range of possibilities for interaction!
Thanks for your thoughts, Ben!
It kinda brings us back to what radio and TV was back in the days.
I think this has implications for how we think of mobile / Internet content as ‘social’ content, or social experiences.
Loving your photoshop skills Calle. You still have it.
I wonder whether people are downloading apps that they can show off, rather than ones they actually want or need. The elements app for example, is just beautiful, rather than actually being very useful. Maybe this trend will change as the iPad becomes less of a status symbol.
The iPad will continue to have this “OMG look at that” quality for a while, but I think it wears off eventually without great development- love the scalable scrabble app BTW.
At least the iPad isn’t a “Big ass Table:=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZrr7AZ9nCY
I was actually looking for the CC-licensed link to the image – amazing that you created it on your own
Love the idea of the iPad as a bonfire around which people tell stories. I’m motivated to buy one, even.
I agree with the others in that I think the “overt” sharing will eventually slow down once the novelty of the experience wears off. I remember when the iPhone first came out, people would crowd around one like we did with the kid who had the first Power Rangers lunchbox in elementary school. Eventually, people got used to the idea of what multi-touch and an accelerometer could do. I think the size if the iPad facilitates this, but it’ll largely go the same route.
That being said, it’s one of the first devices that opens up the computing experience to a group, stepping away from the idea that whoever has the mouse and keyboard is “driving” the experience.
It’ll be interesting to see the user experience implications for having to create something that’s meant to be experienced by a handful of interactive users.
When everybody has one- we’ll be telling stories in the Matrix with wireless Eyeball implants. 2012…
Your last thought got me thinking as well, particularly in the way we information is oriented. Right now there is a clear up and down for laptops. Mobile devices introduced the top and side rotation. But if people start using the iPad in flat communal space it becomes more like 4 dimensions, than one or two. I’m thinking Hungry Hungry Hippos here, or pick another board game for an example.
It’s funny; we were just talking about hungry hippo for the iPad today.
[...] Is the iPad the new campfire? [...]
We bought one iPad for our small agency and have been loaning it out. While many have really enjoyed using I have seen little overt sharing. (Maybe because it doesn’t “belong” to anyone who can have the fun of sharing?). Where I see the campfire analogy working is in the physical approach the body adapts to the iPad. It’s more of a relaxed open receptive position than one would adopt for a laptop where you are “working” when you engage with the device. That said, so far I find my Kindle a much more “intimate” device for reading than the iPad.
I started to leave a comment, but then it took off into a life of its own (http://bit.ly/cQxvlD).
Essentially, I agree with a lot of what people are saying here in the comments. Games/gaming are going to be where the really interesting stuff happens. Especially as they converge with social and mobile even further.
Also, I’m sure many of you saw it, but I thought Grant McCracken had some good thoughts on the iPad yesterday: http://cultureby.com/2010/05/why-the-ipad-will-flourish.html
I was a Twins game on Monday. Everyone was holding up signs. I had my iPad in my bag. I was going to take it out and hold up a scrolling banner… But it was raining. It would have been less glorious than getting tasered.
[...] Is the iPad the new campfire? Published: May 7, 2010 Source: BBH Labs Author: Calle Sjoenell, Executive Creative Director, BBH New York [...]
Well.. You it doesn’t make a very good skateboard. http://vimeo.com/11480457
It’s also the new cute puppy. Scene at the Mall on Saturday: Middle aged man on bench with iPad; next to him, cozying up, attractive woman with big grin on her face, getting an iPad demo.
[...] Isakson wrote (related to this) iPad and the campfire. In the iPad case it’s clearly the newness and the hype, but [...]
Here’s another great example of iPad as a campfire:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN5_oiDqMew
Pretty cool too!
Soon rather than smack our phone on the table top, it’ll be our ipads, Sadly. Top trumps with technology.
I’d like to see the ipads go down, and all of us ignore them and just converse and banter away.
But whilst we are having our own adult conversations (ish), our ipads are having their own- with their new friends (ipad dating). They talk to each other- exchange stuff, learn something behaviourally led and interesting. So that next time I switch my ipad on it says to “I met an interesting ipad the other day when you ignored me in the bar. I can now do this for you….”
To which I then turn the mute button on, and switch back to my iphone.