SXSW Day 04 - Outer space, design, tech, and narratives. Generating connection with the human being
- Danton Rodrigues
- Mar 18, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: May 9, 2023
When we attend an event like this, the expectation is always to see new things and step out of our comfort zone. After all, we are in another country, in contact with people from all over the world, at one of the world's leading innovation events. I just didn't expect that day 04 would start off like this, where I could witness science fiction cease to be fiction before my very eyes!
The first session was with Nonfiction. The company's mission is already bold, and its main goal is to turn science fiction into reality for the creation of a better future.
To work with them, you need to check off three items from a checklist: Have in mind the creation of something truly innovative and never before seen, your product objective must address at least one of the UN's sustainable development goals (I found this particularly interesting), there are 17 goals today, and Nonfiction doesn't want to do things just for the sake of it. And finally, chart a path that truly puts execution in the service of success.
If this introduction wasn't interesting enough already, which could be the driving force behind several technology companies around the world, the duo is always keeping an eye on space and the needs of astronauts, because according to them, the "space race" accelerates innovations that can be brought back to Earth for people like you and me.
If space is an environment with extremely unfavorable conditions for human beings, since we cannot transform this hostile environment, how can we make humans become superhumans?
The answer may lie in the development of wearables and even "eatables".
To give you an idea, they presented a series of products that seem to have come straight out of a futuristic movie: electric brain stimulators that make you sleep, a headset that teaches your brain to perform tasks in the best way possible, a visor to enhance vision in low visibility environments, and even a robot that you can swallow to perform your medical exams. It's worth taking a stroll on the company's website and being amazed at each project, and the most interesting part is that most of the projects were inspired by problems that astronauts experience when they are in space, such as low visibility on the surface of places like the moon, communication difficulties, exercise, medical care, and even food. The lesson to be learned is: are we designers solving problems or just generating the next disposable product?
To stay up to date with Nonfiction's products and projects, it's also worth visiting their YouTube, and dedicate some time to their video series: Future Future.
Competing with a subject like this is not easy, but here at SXSW, it's like this, 1 day, 1000 contents, the head overflowing with ideas.
Another highlight of the day was the session "Web3, Storytelling and why you should care about it". In a session with the participation of Maghan McDowell from Vogue Business, JC Oliver from Move78, Nico Sarti from Condé Nast, and Alex Wilson from Amplify, I heard about the digitization of one of the most provocative segments of the "real world", fashion magazines.
When it comes to human connection, narrative is more than necessary. It's no use for your brand to create a whole world in the metaverse if it's empty, insipid, and boring. This panel was about using technology to build even more connective narratives, thus creating a true community for the audience.
The conversation started in an interactive way, and the panel team provoked participants about how close we are to being immersed in the Metaverse. And the reality is that the metaverse has been around for some time now.
Communities like Second Life have paved the way for social gaming, and what some people today see as a distinction between being in the metaverse or the "real world" is not so perceived by younger generations.
History, objects, appearance, personality! All of this is already present in these massive worlds of content, and there is synchrony with our world outside of games.
But what drives people to this place? Good reasons!
Identification, connection, endorsement from creators... these are the biggest factors that lead ordinary people to seek experiences with your brand, and if this identification doesn't happen, maybe you're not speaking the language of your real audience. Therefore, a clear positioning, with values, messages, and principles of experience are vital to building these worlds.
With the vision that the metaverse distorts perceptions of reality, space, and time, the session brought interesting tips and topics such as metapersonality, the persona that people assume in digital environments, the tests that your brand can perform in low-cost environments such as Roblox, and even the legal protection of brand assets in these universes to avoid piracy. A feast for enthusiasts of the topic.
And the conversation doesn't stop there, the topic was also a discussion point in the "IRL - The Power of Human Connection" session. The session addressed the creation of unforgettable experiences.
IRL, in this case, stands for IN REAL LIFE, and the session discussed the use of technology integrating physical and digital environments as a way to transform events in an even more sensory way, creating new realities and universes. Among the professionals on the panel were Didi Bethurum, CCO of Meow Wolf, a company specialized in creating immersive multimedia experiences, Vivek Sagi, CTO of Eventbrite, and Jonathan Yaffe, CEO of AnyRoad, one of the most promising companies in the field of brand and event experiences. AnyRoad helps companies understand and optimize their experience metrics.
During the conversation, they mentioned 3 key success factors for incredible brand experiences:
01. The surprise element/wow factor - How much your experience will surprise people and leave them in awe.
02. Integration of the audience with the universe you are creating - How much the audience identifies with and feels part of that universe. It's about how they access that place and place themselves within that narrative.
03. The creation of a community - Your experience should generate conversation and connections between people, and your brand needs to actively participate in keeping that conversation alive. Community is directly related to loyalty and endorsement.
One of the highlights of this session was the discussion on how it would be possible to measure emotion. Experiences are not linear, and it is necessary to track each part of it to understand and measure if the outcome was effective.
At one point, Yaffe even commented on an occasion he experienced at Redbull when asked if the experience he was promoting was positive. His response was: "Just look at the smiles on people's faces." Imagine, a metric that takes into account people's smiles! The group also discussed how experiences can change the audience's perceptions. What the audience will think, what they will see, what they will say and feel, and then influence other people.
It's the generation and era of "Experience Over Things."
Nowadays, you can buy a parachute on your phone, but buying it and being invited by the brand to use it by jumping off a building is a whole other story that will mark your life. So it is necessary to think very carefully before filling a booth with cheap, common, and silly gifts instead of creating a real connection with those who are present.
To learn more:
Nonfiction Design
Website: https://www.nonfiction.design/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonfiction.design/
Phnam Bagley's TED Talk: What Will Future Astronauts Eat?
Hermès Is Suing a Digital Artist for Selling Unauthorized Birkin Bag NFTs in the Metaverse for as Much as Six Figures: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/hermes-metabirkins-2063954
Meow Wolf
Website: https://meowwolf.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meow__wolf/
AnyRoad
Website: https://www.anyroad.com/
Roblox
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