Designers and artists and parents? You mean "users": the next big thing
Yes Apple makes things that most people can get on with. And having a shed load of cash to support their new ideas seems helpful. But there’s something about individuals getting on with their real lives and encountering a problem that, if they choose to think about it, they can be the creators of the next big thing. Why? Surely an amazing research and design department with endless money and no restrictions has better ideas than a single mum with no cash? Sure, they win sometimes. But in many cases the old adage is true: necessity is the mother of invention. That is, real people using real things in real life on a time and cash budget. The users.
The design philosophy that Riut stands for is Revolution in user thinking. It’s about the democratisation of invention. You get on the bus on a daily basis; you know what could change it for the better. You read letters sent to you by your bank on a weekly basis; you know what could make them more understandable. Basically, everything you’ve ever complained about could be improved. Think about the last thing that didn’t work too well in your daily life. What did you expect it to do? What is it doing? Could you change it for the better? In most cases, the answer is yes.
The world of technology is synonymous with innovation, revolution and disruption. However, the objects we use every day with no technological basis are candidates for the next big thing too. Your bed, your garden, your pen, clothing, doorframe, cups and saucers, gym socks, sticky tape or body wash are ripe for challenge and change. It just means remembering that someone created this thing, and whilst it’s great they got it this far, there’s more to be done.
With the amazing support system of independent agencies for prototyping, logistics, marketing and customer care out there, we – real users – can have ideas that change the world to make it more exciting, stress free and simpler. And we can bring those things to market. Of course, the risk remains that others disagree or we execute poorly.
But where is a product idea most genuine in its creation? Too much money and time actually hinder some idea creation. Big ideas can be missed when it's someone's job to design something their employer needs you to buy. In my view, in the Riut view, a genuine source of idea creation comes when you use something and can think of a way to make it work better in practice. There's no better placed person than the user to come up with the next big thing.
Revolution in user thinking. Revolve your thinking around users. Users. Revolutionise your own thinking. Riut.
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The Riut bag will be unveiled and available this autumn for 30 days only via Kickstarter, crowdfunding website. Give your views on rucksacks and register to find out about the Riut bag when it is released.