A World of Only Screens and Machines

Amidst the talk of voice search revolutionising the way consumers interact with brands and digital devices, there is another revolution underway in the world of user interaction. Zero UI, a term first introduced by Fjord designer Andy Goodman, who coined the term in 2015, describes a landscape with less screens and where the fundamentals of smartphones are embedded into devices that translate our gestures, looks, voice, and even potentially thoughts. Zero UI has been around for a few years, but now, underpinned by the acceleration of machine learning and digital assistants such as Siri and Alexa, the revolutionary consequences are now starting to be felt.

Humans have interacted with machines since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, the only difference is now in terms of complexity.

Today simple gestures and voice commands can control the most complex of machines as they build an ever rich pool of data and intent on which to shape their output, otherwise known as machine learning. As consumers begin to move away from screens, brands will have to learn how to connect simply based on interfaces that become increasingly instinctive.

How will digital assistants in the near future, potentially no longer contained in a device, but wired into all elements of our home, understand the multi-faceted decisions that underpin a command such as “Order me take-out from my favourite restaurant tonight and tell me what movies are playing on Saturday”? And how will advertisers be able to play a role and insert themselves into such a personal 1:1 dialogue without appearing overly intrusive?

It is abundantly clear that digital transformation is not just about technology. In order to succeed, advertisers, brands and corporations will have to be able to seamlessly navigate and reimagine existing business models and create new, original and innovative methods of connecting people, data and intent in order to create true value for their consumer.

It’s clear this conversation is gaining momentum, and this week I will be taking part in two panels on this topic next week at DMEXCO in Cologne, Germany. I will join Amazon and Microsoft as we discuss Sound & Motion: Branding without Screens and will continue the debate with a 1:1 with Microsoft as we navigate the world of AI, Bots, Cognitive Services… Transforming Marketing now. So join me, or at least get your digital assistant to remind you to.