SEEkH: How to Utilize the New Normals Emerging from the COVID-19 Pandemic 101
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world as we know it. With countries in lock-down, economies crashing and dynamic change in the geopolitical fabric of the world, it is safe to say that the impacts will outlast the pandemic itself. The phrase “Post Corona World” has entered public lingo, with everyone speculating over what will happen. Will globalisation die? Not likely. Will global supply chains be redesigned? Quite likely. The pandemic has halted the flow of life, with offices and schools shut, travel and tourism dead and the economy headed towards recession. There is not enough time in this world to think through everything that could happen, but there is time to think about what we want to happen. Throughout history, pandemics have changed the landscapes of countries for the better, like how Napoleon III rebuilt Paris in the mid-19th century to protect it against cholera. It is time to stop seeing the world as it is and to start seeing it as it could be.
The pandemic is affecting the day-to-day lives of people to such an extent that things that were considered to be out of the ordinary before, now carry a feeling of familiarity. And this creation of new normals is an age-old phenomenon — all it takes is a new way of seeing, a click in the mind or the replacement of one paradigm with another. For instance, companies all over the world have rapidly normalised work from home. Several such new normals have emerged, which not only act as new opportunities but also as wake-up calls to check what we have become used to. These normals are imperative to human lives, since not only do they dictate what is acceptable and what is not but also act as milestones. Since consumerism has been normalised, people have stopped thinking why they are purchasing a certain thing and just going with the flow, creating herd mentality. Which leads to choices that are bad for you and the environment. But this is not to say that normals can only harm you, they can have certain advantages as well, like how the pandemic has normalised spending quality time with yourself and your family. Which is why is important to keep questioning what has become normal for you and keeping up with what is becoming normal globally.
One of the biggest new normals that we can now see is the growing acceptance of technology, especially amongst baby boomers. Notorious for being out of touch and set in their ways, last year saw the birth and rise of the widely popular “Ok Boomer” meme, which has been defined as, “Generation Z’s endlessly repeated retort to the problem of older people who just don’t get it”. And while the meme has seen its 15 minutes of fame, one cannot ignore the fact that it stemmed from the apathy boomers feel towards the next generations and their choices. One of the biggest differences between boomers and millennials is that technology has defined, and rules over the lives of the latter in a way that boomers cannot relate to. However, with the speed that the internet and technology have grown at, no life has been left untouched; only the level of impact differs from generation to generation. So it would not be unfair to assume that boomers have accepted the influence of technology in their lives, but at the same time, it would also be unfair to assume that they completely adopted it. They are stuck in a limbo between being proficient and inept users.
The biggest cohort amongst baby boomers is grandparents, who have either been isolated from their families, or confined inside homes with them due to the COVID-19 lock-down. The lock-down has also forced grandparents all over the world to approach technology is a new way, using it to communicate over video calls, order groceries online or even connect to friends through games and social media. One great example of this would be boomers going viral on TikTok, an extremely popular short video sharing platform. These videos range from everything between dance challenges to dialogue recreations and have taken the platform by storm. But keeping TikTok aside for a second, this new open-mindedness to embracing technology among the elderly has wide-reaching consequences. But before moving onto what these are, I will first talk about what the problem is.
Deriving from personal experience, even my grandparents have become more open to understanding how the internet works and how it can serve them in this pandemic, be it through attending online sessions on how to meditate or learning new skills; and I am sure that they are not alone. But even though their consumption of online content and services is increasing exponentially, they still need someone to walk them through the features and how to use the apps. After speaking to my grandparents and conducting telephonic interviews, I narrowed down two broad problems — not being able to figure out new apps and services on their own and having a very basic knowledge of the how apps run, i.e. not being able to use advanced features. For instance, even though my grandmother knows how to use Google through the voice command feature, she could not apply this same knowledge while using YouTube, despite the two having a similar interface to run voice commands. Synthesising the insights I gained, I came up with a problem statement — The elderly need a way to effectively use and discover new technologies and services in a way that makes them feel competent and respected.
Discussing some possible solutions with my grandparents, one shone through. Introducing “Seekh” a new way to learn and use technology — a helpline service, and basic, easy to follow video modules all bundled up into one package.
The decision to combine the two services comes from the fact that one, it is hard to remember all the features mentioned in videos and two, it is really easy to get confused without visual cues. The list for possible features is endless, but some important ones that came up are language accessibility and lifelong access for both the videos and the helpline, the option to subscribe to either one of the two, rather than making everyone subscribe to both and an excellent UI/UX design. And most importantly, there will be two levels of modules, one for complete beginners to use apps like WhatsApp, YouTube and Google search, along with services like how to set an alarm, put your phone on silent etc. and the other for slightly seasoned users to use apps like Zoom, Big Basket, Amazon etc. for video calling, joining webinars, ordering food and groceries online or even tracking health stats. The model will work in a way where you pay to subscribe to the service and get access to the modules and helpline to start your self-paced journey towards learning.
One of the biggest concerns to keep in mind while going through the development of module content and helpline training is to place empathy at the core. Empathy not only helps one focus and prioritize but also develop emotional resonance with the people you are designing for. It helps you broaden the spectrum of stakeholders and endure beyond the time-frame of development. Users should feel as comfortable as they would while interacting with a loved one while watching the videos and asking questions.
Which is why potential users will be an important part of the whole design process, content creation and even implementation. Involving future customers in shaping the solutions will not only empower them but also build brand loyalty. And, by incorporating their feedback rapidly through quick prototyping, Seekh will set itself up for success, as seen in the case of Pulse News, where the founders leveraged the advantages of rapid prototyping to create a beautiful and highly successful product. Another factor to keep in mind will be targeted marketing to not just youngsters but also the actual consumers themselves. Not marketing to the latter will be a huge missed opportunity, as running ads on TV and radio, along with social media will directly increase visibility and impact. The theory of nudge, which has been shown to have exemplary results can also be incorporated using both visual and audio cues to encourage learning, for example, stickers and badges can be granted after completing a module, or a short clip of confetti popping on the screen can be played after certain achievements, along with helpline operators using positive reinforcements while speaking.
Human centered, participatory approaches generate success, coupled with the fact that this is a huge, unexplored market makes me confident enough to say that people will have an easy transition period while shifting to using Seekh. And by fulfilling needs rather than wants of the consumers with an innovation, Seekh can partner with Bollywood veterans to build hype and promote the app and much like Tesla using the hype around innovations like the Cybertruck to promote their overall brand image. The world is ready for boomers to get in on the action and start utilizing the wide plethora of available resources. Not only will this increase the markets for various existing fields, but also lead to new targeted innovations.
However, after considering all of this, one might question — why should I care about this? And that, is a great question. The corona virus pandemic has shaken the economic and political sinews of globalisation, with countries closing borders and people stuck inside their homes. Several new normals have emerged, some big like work from home or growing acceptance of technology among certain age groups and some small, like cooking at home or catching up with loved ones. But instead of subconsciously allowing them to take space in your lives, the time has come to embrace them. To use them to scout new opportunities and change the lives of thousands of people for the better. Technology is a thing of the future, and the future is here. This can be reaffirmed by the 5.7 billion dollars that Facebook invested in Reliance Jio recently. Placing a big bet on India’s relatively untapped digital prowess, the move clearly shows how much potential India’s digital market has. Combining this potential, along with something that has started rather organically, in an unexplored field will not only provide first movers advantage but also showcase how creativity and design thinking can solve real life problems that did not even exist before.
