Continuing my journey into UX

Posted on by Zack Chia

It’s been a while I have updated my blog. I am currently working on multiple projects and what is worth noting is the interest in UX these days. here is a recent idea that I thought of and really wanted to share. It is a case study I worked on over a duration of 3 days. It focuses on the problems people face when it comes to food. Have a good read. It is also now featured on UX Collective. Its a great blog, please go check out other UX writers’ work too!

My UX solution for a better food experience in Singapore

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Make up like a pro

Posted on by Zack Chia

Things happen really fast in a retail environment. While brands continue to inject as much promotions as they can in this cluttered space, consumers are swamped to the point of breaking down. Where then is the effort to build a true relationship with the shoppers? Giving more discounts just makes the brand look cheap while stuffing new product features and collaterals just turn shoppers off literally. So, what are brands missing here? Capitalising the opportunity to engage with technology. Take a look at Make Up For Ever’s NYC Flagship store with their solution to the increasing need for product testing before purchase. Many beauty enthusiasts would love to have a go at the products before making their purchase. The idea here is to use Go Pro camera technology for their make up stations.

The strategic location of the station in the middle of the store attracts customers and intrigues them. While there are Makeup Masters at all the different stations, their role aren’t really to help the customers apply make up. Instead, they assist by customising the shades in the boxes for the respective customer. They provide advice and styling tips to the customers who ultimately  apply and test the products themselves. I love the angle where the brand positions itself at – “Tutorials with a pro – not by a pro”. Marvellous use of technology and brand experience.

Chips dont lie

Posted on by Zack Chia

Who doesn’t love booze with great company after work? We all do. And for the most part of it, beer always taste better with good food. Never mind the traditional pair up of beer with pastas or burgers, chips are still the best choice. Probably still the most popular choice for an after work soccer match with your homies! Now, Doritos have once again created something interesting. The Frito-Lay continues to amaze me with their Tostitos’s “Party Safe” bag. Wait a minute, did I just said party safe? Yes i did. That means you now party without the constant fear of driving home drunk.

The pack of chips is actually going to heighten your awareness of alcohol level as well as do the favour of getting you a decent ride home. Pretty nifty trick i did say.

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A concept by Goodby Silverstein & Partners, the bag comes equipped with a device that is connected with a microcontroller. It is somewhat calibrated to detect alcohol from the person’s breath. Should the sensors detect alcohol presence, it immediately signals red and what you see is an image of a steering wheel! On top of that, an Uber code is created, indicating a message: “Don’t drink and drive”.

With near-field communication (NFC) technology, you can even tap the bag with your smartphone to activate the ride. With all the campaigns going on against drunk driving and Uber’s ongoing promotions, Tostitos are throwing n the $10 off deals during the period as well as after the Feb 5 Super bowl game. Well played.

Re-directing the driverless technology

Posted on by Zack Chia

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Driverless technology have always been a topic widely discussed amongst tech enthusiasts. Google has helmed the title of being pioneer in this technology and we have seen quite a lot of examples of projects and experiments done by them. The parent company, Alphabet, is now embarking on an alternative direction for this project. As much as we hope to see this coming alive, Google is facing a lot of potential challenges in the practical implementation of this technology. Setting up a new company, Waymo, it plans to lead this innovation through collaborative approaches. The concept would revolve around Waymo working collaboratively with auto manufacturers to bring their innovation to goo use. This would definitely include making new vehicles from ideas to reality. Regardless, the data and information accumulated throughout the research remains pivotal to the evolution of automobile. This can be therefore be leveraged by close working relationships with auto manufacturers. The new initiative now remain a effective solutions for businesses worldwide.

Back to the future in 40 years

Posted on by Zack Chia

Simple yet concise. There are things about the Japanese culture which makes it so unique and attractive. Be it their music, culture or fashion, everything seems to have that very special flair that could almost transcend reality. Clothes that might look so weird and ideas so radical making its way on to the streets, becoming an everyday affair is proof of the society’s acceptance to constant change. How did youth culture transformed traditional mentality into what it is today? Check out this video by Japanese agency, Hakuhodo, as they create this amazing mash of music video to illustrate the transition of times for Beams in the last 40 years. Amazing work.

Mercy.

Posted on by Zack Chia

Im going to mumble the exact same word she used in the video. “Mercy.” BMW recently released a video featuring Clive Owen, Dakota Fanning and Jon Bernthal in a short action packed movie with fast paced action simulating an escape scene. Needless to say, this is a high budget commercial with lots of planning and cast. Obviously, it is not an everyday affair that creatives can work with such handsome budget and awesome cast. Anyway, the idea of a brand investing this much to create a blockbuster work is commendable. Although the story line is far from being really diverse, the commercial is atypical of most auto car commercials. It place the new 5 series in good light by revving up its reputation further. Nice work.

The daredevil camera man

Posted on by Zack Chia

NIKE’s 2016 commercial, ‘The Next Wave’ is the epitome of good cameratography combined with a solid storyboard. If you are blown away by this video, then you should know this was made possible through the skills of camera operator “Gimbalninja”. The Austrian is famous for his daredevil attitude when it comes to shooting dangerous stunts and absolutely challenging actions in motion. Akin to a first person shooter game experience, the camera experience for the viewer allows one to see the ninja’s perspective. The clip allows you to see how the story flow in very exciting angles all across Beijing and Hong Kong. It was able to feature a nicely curated film of several different sports overlapping smoothly. In short, getting the right script is important but executing a piece of really good work requires getting the best person for the job. Albeit a niche occupation, it is definitely a highly sought after skill set. Check out the videos below.

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Fly!

Posted on by Zack Chia

While working on a previous brief for a client of mine, the idea of VR struck us in the midst of our brainstorming session. Some cringe while others embrace it passionately. Consumer VR experience in today’s context revolves greatly in a ‘controlled’ interactive environment. Why is that so? It becomes extremely challenging to bridge that level of experience into consumer retail, exhibition or even online. Brands are riding on the technology wave but are always skeptical about its outcome and especially for those who are cautious of the perceptions from their target audience. So, we have always had a conservative approach to emerging technologies. Have a look at Parrot’s new Drone plane. The drone offers real time flight experience by allowing the user to navigate the flight from a first person view. The “Disco” drone is no mediocre technology. It ramps up to 80km/hr and its glide trajectory is almost impeccable. Running at 45mins per flight, it allows consumers now to own a piece of technology that brings drone flights to a whole new experience. VR is no longer just a novelty experience used to boost brand’s ego but a usable technology that consumers can indulge in.

Everyone is born an athlete

Posted on by Zack Chia

Always a big fan of all the works created by powerhouse ad agency, Wieden & Kennedy, Portland. In particular, those kick ass Nike commercials they had ran over the last couple of years. They hold a dominant spot in my memory and I believe the same goes to all those who appreciates the level of creativity they implanted in all their videos. Now, they made a new high. Check out this commercial for the Olympics. The ad, ‘Unlimited You’, brings on a heightened brand message that illustrates how great athletes are born from birth, as they transformed from unprepared amateurs to world-class athletes. Very cool and extremely high budget production. Nice.

Run with me

Posted on by Zack Chia

Love running? I bet you will love having a partner that will not only run with you, but also become a partner to pace you and in this case, out run you! Don’t just beat the clock, beat this robot. The PUMA BeatBot is programmed to run focusing on a lane while it act as a push for all runners aiming to beat their own time. Well, since humans get tired and you don’t always have the luxury to find a sprinting partner, this robot might just be the solution for you! I love this idea simply because it not only taps on technology to better our lives, its actually one step towards health technology. Check out the video as Usain Bolt trains together with it and gives his thoughts on the experience. Nice work by MIT & JWT.