3 years ago the world was buzzing with the latest innovation from Google, tech glasses. Released to a small number of early adopters called “Glass Explorers”, Google set in motion an ambition to disrupt the wearables market. Invention of the year. Cameo on the Simpsons, Celebrity endorsements. And then…
Fast forward to today, the glasses are back in development, and we are no closer to achieving our childhood dream of being international spies. An important factor in the recall was Google’s neglect of customer experience. Interface, design, functionality are all great, but did Google consider social impacts on wearers?
What Google didn’t expect was the public backlash on the wearers. How would you feel if you knew someone who wore these glasses could be recording you without you knowing? Privacy issues carried forward into stealing intellectual property at movie theatres, and the glasses being banned from bars, casinos, and other social venues. Does anyone really enjoy the feeling of being watched?
Frustrations with lack of privacy manifested into physical violence, with reported cases of assault on “Glass explorers” plastered across social media. You never know what is going on behind those lenses, can you really trust a stranger to respect your privacy?
For all the thrills and fanfare, Google forgot to consider the external experience of the user. To the eyes of the beholder, there was nothing like having a computer interface available to you, making you feel like Tony Stark. But outside of that bubble was an environment of distrust and uncertainty.
With the second iteration in the works, will Google shift their focus from digital UX technology to customer experience?
