The Zeitgeist and Apple at WWDC 2018
A look at how Apple addressed current societal anxieties towards tech during their 2018 WWDC Keynote
Watching the tech news headlines, it is clear there is a general shift in perception happening around large tech companies. Once the harbingers of change and possibility, many tech companies are now seen as evil, greedy Big Brothers (much of it brought on by their own scandals). The reality is likely somewhere in between, but a question that hasn’t been answered is, where will Apple end up on this perception spectrum?
Historically, Apple has been seen as a consumer focused brand that values privacy, as evidenced by being the counterexample to the line “if you aren’t paying for the product, you’re the product” that jabs at the core business models of their two biggest competitors.
Leading up to the Keynote on Monday, I had been deep into a project using the JTBD framework. JTBD is a methodology that, in part, helps companies uncover and address their customers anxieties, so while the keynote was streaming at the office, I couldn’t help but look at it through a JTBD lens. I was interested to see which questions/anxieties/issues Apple may be attempting to address for their customers as we as a society grapple with issues of diversity, privacy, data security, tracking, fake reviews, tech addiction, etc.
Put simply: how will Apple attempt to answer the consumer tech anxieties of 2018?
Here is my take.
Q: Is this technology for someone like me?
A: Yes, if you are creative, or if you want to be more creative. We want all types of creators to use our products.
Q: Technology is expensive and goes out of date quickly, will my device keep working? Remember when you stopped supporting my battery?
A: Yes, we will support devices for YEARS and you will get free software updates along the way. We are even doing things to make your old devices faster!
Q: What do you mean by “express myself”?
A: Well, we have really powerful tools for expression – photography, music, writing, etc. But also, animoji.
Q: Do you have my best interests in mind?
A: Yes, we added so many features around privacy and security. End-to-end encryption? We’ve had that since forever!
Q: Isn’t Apple tech less customizable than other companies?
A: Nope, look at all these ways you have CONTROL over your devices. We even let you invert the entire OS color palette.
Q: What do you mean by “empower”?
A: Our devices give you insight and control. We’re all about non-artifical intelligence. Machine learning (on-device of course) + you = real intelligence. (FWIW: Apple didn’t mention the topic “artificial intelligence” a single time in the keynote…)
Q: Aren’t you trying to control me by making your tech so addictive?
A: We have always tried to one-up ourselves to make things more powerful and more fun, but we give you tools so you can control you.
Q: How can I trust your store?
A: Because we curate/rank/evaluate the best, let you experience things before you buy, provide tips and tutorials (for even the most expert users!), and we make it really easy for developers to get feedback from people who actual bought and are using the product.
Q: Is becoming a developer worth it?
A: Yes, if you want to make your family and community proud! Or if you are the type of person who sees a problem and wants to do something about it. Or if you want to make your own “dent in the universe”.
Whether or not consumers will accept Apple’s answers to these questions, we will have to wait and see, but it’s clear that Apple sees an opportunity to pull market share away from Google and Facebook by doubling down on giving control back to users.
During an actual Q&A on CNN after the keynote, Tim Cook reiterated a lot of these talking points.
“I think the power is now shifted to the user and that has been what Apple has always been about — giving the power from the institution to the user. I am hopeful great things are going to happen from this.” — Tim Cook on CNN
Near the beginning of the keynote, Cook depicted Apple as making transformational technology, which he defined as technology that changes how we have fun and how we work.
People will always need to find a balance between having fun and getting things done. Personally, I appreciate that they are letting me find my own balance and not prescribing it for me.
by Amanda McGlothlin
Chief Design Officer and Cofounder of Headquarters HQ
Headquarters HQ is connecting the digital and physical world. Our mission is to equip and inspire every individual and community to pursue autonomy, mastery, purpose.
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