How are CES innovations designing for human happiness?

                                                            25th January 2019
                                                        
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                                                                            3 minute read

Here at Brand Genetics, we believe the best innovation has people’s happiness and wellbeing in mind. With CES 2019 a hotbed for tech progress and ‘the next big thing’ we review this year’s festival and explore what it brings to the world of a positive innovation

BUT FIRST, WHAT IS POSITIVE INNOVATION?

Positive innovation combines insights from ‘positive psychology’ (the science of human happiness and wellbeing) and ‘positive design’ (design that facilities wellbeing) to create a series of tools and techniques that can help brands instil human happiness as the ultimate goal and innovate for a more positive future.

Beyond the moral appeal, this has a compelling business logic – people believe happiness and wellbeing is worth paying for. For example, the fast-growing global wellness market is now worth $4.2 trillion, four times larger than the global pharmaceutical industry.

But what does positive innovation look like in reality and which brands are actively delivering delight?

Positive Innovation in Action at CES 2019:

In case you don’t know CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is one of the largest technology trade fairs in the world. Here, exhibitors of all kinds come to showcase their latest innovations to the world. Established global tech giants rub shoulders with innovative start-up entrepreneurs and exchange thoughts and ideas, but are they succeeding in the making the world happier? Here are three examples that we’d argue are right on point.

Positive Innovation Provocation: What if the aim was to make it effortless?

The human truth: Effortless experiences are proven to promote happiness and even loyalty because they allow us to focus our finite energy and effort on other things that matter to us

CES Tech: KitchenAid has partnered with Google and Yummly to develop the water and mess-resistant KitchenAid Smart Display, allowing users to explore new recipes with step-by-step instructions through touch & voice activated control. “We want makers to have freedom in the kitchen,” Christy Hoskins, KitchenAid senior brand manager, said in a release. “They should be able to find new recipes and experiment with new ingredients, flavors, and textures — all without worrying about how to clean off messy fingerprints.”

2. Positive Innovation Provocation: What if the objective was to help people look after their body?

The human truth: With physical inactivity now the fourth largest risk factor for death, one priority for positive innovation is to help people look after their body by promoting physical wellness, a factor very closely linked to our emotional wellbeing

CES Tech: The Omron Heartguide Watch is the first wearable blood pressure monitor using state of the art technology to perform accurate blood pressure analysis, making life easier for those suffering from heart illnesses and helping them to engage with their health in a proactive way. The readings are then also fed into the HealthGuide app, providing an immensely useful patient database for healthcare professionals.

3. Positive Innovation Provocation: What if the idea was to create a memory?

The human truth:Humans are memory makers and our happiness depend on creating and recalling happy memories. By making an experience more memorable, positive innovation can contribute to our wellbeing.

CES Tech: Tapping into feelings of nostalgia and pre-smartphone eras, Kodak has launched the Smile Instant Camera and Printer. With a 10-megapixel camera, users can capture their favourite moments digitally, and also print them out by selecting their memories using the Kodak Smile app, in a matter of seconds.

Overall, the examples above demonstrate how the positive innovation insights can be used to understand how new products and services deliver happiness and peace of mind to modern consumers. Next time you’re innovating, think to yourself, how are you designing for a positive future?

To learn more about Positive Innovation read the article from BG director Tom Ellis here or to find out more about the tools we can apply to help your business get in touch today!