In the early days of the Internet, the life of a web developer was plagued by\u00a0browsers\u00a0that competed with each\u00a0other by constantly releasing innovative\u00a0yet proprietary features. Zeldman was instrumental in bringing about\u00a0the widespread adoption of\u00a0harmonized\u00a0web standards, and has created\u00a0what appears to be a real community environment\u00a0for those in his industry along the way.<\/p>\n
One\u00a0moment in the video that especially struck a chord with me was Zeldman talking about the need for developers to focus on solving users’ problems, rather than\u00a0focusing on the technology involved. I instantly recognised\u00a0how my own new product ideas\u00a0are almost always solutions looking for a\u00a0problem, rather than solutions based on an observed need.<\/p>\n
When trying to think of some unsolved problems faced by humanity, I came to the conclusion that any problem\u00a0we face is\u00a0either directly or indirectly related to a process that we wish to carry out. Following on from this, I theorized that\u00a0by considering the various attributes of the processes we seek to undertake, ideas for new or improved products and services may arise.<\/p>\n
Process attribute analysis<\/h1>\n
Everything we do can be thought of as a process; from\u00a0making a meal\u00a0to travelling to work. These processes have attributes, or qualities,\u00a0that are either more or less important depending on the needs of the person or group carrying them out.<\/p>\n
For example, someone who lives far from their work\u00a0may appreciate a quicker form of transport that reduces the overall time spent commuting, whereas this attribute may not be as important for someone travelling a shorter distance.<\/p>\n
Likewise, someone with an otherwise sedate lifestyle may\u00a0be looking for an opportunity to exercise on the way to work,\u00a0possibly by jogging or cycling, while\u00a0this may not be\u00a0as important to someone\u00a0with a physically demanding\u00a0job.<\/p>\n
By considering\u00a0the desirable attributes of a process from the perspective\u00a0of\u00a0various user groups,\u00a0it\u00a0should be possible to discover needs that are currently unfulfilled.<\/p>\n
An example<\/h1>\n
Consider the process attributes related to transportation:<\/p>\n A\u00a0quick and reliable mode of transport could be the personal car; this however requires total concentration from the user\u00a0(it is active rather than passive). If there is an additional need to read or otherwise work during the commute, then taking a taxi\u00a0may be a better option.<\/p>\n A second, and more radical product idea resulting from this attribute analysis may be\u00a0a self-driving car (although these are now far closer to reality than fiction<\/a>).<\/p>\n Commuters who enjoy social interactions may prefer public transport such as the bus or train; but what about those who also wish to enjoy\u00a0greater health benefits? An innovative solution may involve empowering commuters to set up their own jogging or cycling clubs.<\/p>\n And what of those who further still would like to read while being active and social? How about the “far out” idea of replacing some normal seats on public transport with exercise bikes,\u00a0thus creating\u00a0a sort of mobile gym?<\/p>\n![\"Attributes](\"https:\/\/mypqow.dm2302.livefilestore.com\/y2pmoxwCn2Yn__OeqR4rrz_0v7YXPfJbE9kTLS-bQ1-cPe6RaiVsj2cL3fGkrM-mI1869oWMEMdbDtbp2Ln__Vt2N3ZzJwEohxU4qa2wduTLvf62QKXfIXz3fBQN4n5-4WT2YOtLviwxhj64SmGxKomCA\/Office%20Lens_20150104_135805_processed.jpg?psid=1\")
Conclusion<\/h1>\n