The Wrap #15 | Killer dates; killing accents; ‘krill, please, waiter’
A shot of thinking fuel, brought to you each month by Futurestate Design Co.
This week we’ve a trio of articles with a common theme: communication. We look at how we talk to each other; how we can talk legacy teams into fresh thinking; and how we’re closer to communicating with whales.
As ever, what unites these articles is – yes, even the whales – how they impact your business.
Wherever you’re from, I am, too
What’s going on?
Sanas AI have developed software that enables real-time accent matching, in the interests of improving our understanding of each other. Speaking the same language isn’t going far enough; let’s speak in the same accent, too.
Why it matters
Not our usual format, this, linking to the company site directly, but it’s worth this being on your radar.
If thick accents inhibit speed of understanding in the current world, then it can only save time and cognitive load if we, well, streamline the UX of our speech in real time. You say potato and I hear potato.
This might stall the reintroduction of local call centres and re-ignite global customer service contracts: where you are in the world won’t be a barrier if you can perfectly ‘mimic’ a local.
We’re still not sure if this is harmony-positive or deceptive-dystopian but we’re confident it’s going to break down barriers – for both good and ill.
Read on at sanas.ai
Look to Tinder for inspiration
What’s going on?
Tinder are hosting a ‘Swipe Night’ during which its users interact with each other in a murder mystery-type format, getting paired up by the algorithm to solve the murder.
Why it matters
Doing things the way they’ve always been done, all because, uh, they’ve always been done that way is something we often warn against. It’s a golden rule. Don’t.
Tinder’s ‘Swipe Night’ is a great example of coming up with a fresh way of stimulating communication and facilitating new levels of connection using all the same underlying Tinder components. It’s a great example of BAU-level innovation; a new idea aimed at exploiting current capabilities in new ways.
Innovation doesn’t have to mean a ‘big’ innovation programme; it could be asking team members to present their ideas on new ways of doing everyday things. Adopt what works and keep people enthused by positively recognising what doesn’t. Help your team feel more confident in driving smaller innovations more often and they’ll have the confidence to embrace bigger changes when you need them to.
Read the original on techcrunch
When did you last gossip with a whale?
What’s going on?
Michael Bronstein, an Israeli computer scientist teaching at Imperial College London has started an initiative using AI and machine learning to try to communicate with whales.
Why it matters
Bronstein, who has said “I don’t know much about whales. I have never seen a whale in my life,” does make himself fit for the role through his mastery of data: aren’t whale clicks just patterns to be deciphered?
The lesson here is that if you apply the same brains to the issue at hand (say, asking marine scientists alone to interpret whales’ conversation), they’ll be unlikely to reframe it enough to come up with a bold new direction. Ask yourself, outside of your business, what type of expert would find solving this problem interesting? Who might look at this problem differently or bring parallel experience to the mix?
Involving brains beyond the norm could elevate your strategy and its outcomes to the extraordinary. Want a new perspective? Ask the whales.
Read the original on Hakai Magazine