The Face of Tech is Changing
by Ailsa Blair, Design Manager
Yes, this is another piece of COVID-19 related content, but with a slightly more positive outlook…
As our brave front-line workers do their best to handle the outbreak, and residents of most countries are under quarantine, we’re starting to see a lot of changes to our environments. We’re suddenly without a means to be in the same room as family, friends and loved ones, and so we’ve come to rely on technology now more than ever. But what are some of the other technological changes we could see because of COVID-19? Do they have the potential to change the digital landscape as we know it? I’ll be diving into some of the major changes in tech that I believe will become commonplace — and remain that way in the future.
Video-conferencing
TribalScale has been using video conferencing software Zoom for some time, but we’ve seen this become a go-to means of communication for folks outside of the working landscape. Personal conversations, dance parties, and social gatherings are now taking place daily via this software. Industries who had never heard of Zoom before are now relying on their technology to allow their businesses to switch to remote work.
How can we move this technology forward to improve the new conditions that many of us are living in today?
Financial technology
We’re seeing the effect that this pandemic is having on our finances, both personally and professionally. Freelance, gig and agency workers are seeing a decline in opportunities from their clients. Performers have been forced to cancel in-person appearances in fear of the safety for audiences. Servers are losing the bulk of their income, which was once primarily made up of tips from customers. Even larger companies have been forced to lay off sections of their workforce as avenues of their income have started to dwindle. Many of us are worried about paying our rent or mortgage, purchasing food, or caring for dependants.
As this happens and governments begin to take action, we’ve seen some financial technology companies adapt to help out their customer bases (which in turn, is supporting the employees of their customers). Wave Accounting, based in Toronto, has just developed two new supportive methods to ensure their customers are in the best possible position moving forward. Firstly, they are waiving the fees for their Instant Payouts product, which allows small businesses to be paid instantly the second a client payment hits their account. They have also baked in the ability to opt-in for wage subsidiaries right into their payroll software, making it easier for small businesses to apply and support their employees.
But what’s the next step for FinTech? What changes will businesses like Wave continue to make once the initial quarantine is over?
Food delivery
Canadians have been in mandatory self-isolation for two weeks now, so it’s no surprise apps such as Instacart, UberEats and Foodora have seen an uptick in customer usage. After all, if we’re practicing social isolation by staying indoors for dinner, why wouldn’t we turn to the apps that have aided us in this feat long before COVID-19?
Instacart is currently seeing continued volumes of about eight times their previous busiest day, which has resulted in customers often being unable to place orders within the app, as no time-slots are available. They’re in the process of working on a “Next available delivery” feature that will create a queue for users instead, allowing more folks to remain indoors and complete their necessary grocery shopping.
The likes of UberEats and Foodora have also made some changes to their meal delivery services, with drivers now able to make contactless deliveries to the customers they are servicing. Declared as essential workers, these delivery drivers are literally putting their lives on the line to ensure that they can continue to pay their bills and put food on the table. So, it only makes sense that companies such as UberEats would innovate on their model to keep these drivers as safe and healthy as possible. UberEats has also gone as far as to waive delivery fees for local restaurants that need to remain open during this time, helping to drive sales towards the places that need it most.
What other apps or services could possibly follow this model; innovating to allow folks to complete necessary tasks while remaining in isolation?
Event streaming
Event streaming has become a lot more popular in the last few years of tech. Many in-person conferences have had a parallel stream for those that could not make it to the physical location. We’ve also seen an uptick in webinars that allow for remote learning opportunities. But now that sports have been halted and performers have been forced to cancel their events, both on the local and global scale, how do we ensure that we have access to this artistry in the months to come?
One thought is that a lot of these performances could be transferred to a remote live-stream setting. Sports could be offered for a limited time via streams rather than filling up large stadiums. But what does this look like? How do we support a structure where the entire world is looking for new remote entertainment? How do we ensure that arts and athletics don’t dwindle? More importantly, how do we support local artists who rely on the money from the gig economy to survive?
I, personally, see major brands starting to create tech-structures that would support remote live-streams possible on a grander scale. What if that cancelled concert was transferred remotely? What if in the future, vendors selling tickets could not only rely on the income for in-person shows, but also remote streams that could be purchased beyond the locale? This would ensure that these gig economy workers would always have a way to make money and support themselves, no matter the situation.
Most importantly, healthcare
Responding to COVID-19 has meant that our global healthcare systems have been stretched to the point of breaking. Healthcare workers are in short supply. As these folks work tirelessly to ensure that our friends, family and loved ones recover, they have been left without adequate protection. Many countries are scrambling to find masks, hand sanitizer and ventilators, amongst other needs.
Last week saw the company Dyson announce the CoVent, a ventilator that was designed in just ten days and is set to go into manufacturing as soon as possible. “The core challenge was how to design and deliver a new, sophisticated medical product in volume and in an extremely short space of time,” said James Dyson, CEO of Dyson. “The race is now on to get it into production.” In the United States, Ford Motor Company has announced that it’s working with 3M and GE Healthcare to produce medical equipment including ventilators and protective gear. General Motors and Tesla have also pledged to make ventilators.
With these large companies stepping into the unknown territory of manufacturing healthcare products, we’re starting to get a look at what may be the next step for technology in the industry. Many folks who have had to halt their production lines because of COVID-19 are starting to ask themselves how we can use the tools at our disposal to support the greater effort to fight this virus. As brands begin to pivot their current focus to support this effort, what steps could your company take to push itself into new areas of innovation?
It’s time to step up, folks!
During this time, how can we as individuals, as organizations and as countries begin to support those around us? How can we use our skills to improve the current climate for not just ourselves, but for our peers, our communities, and the world at large?
At TribalScale, we’ve been considering how to best continue our work while helping our partners and other businesses look to the future even in uncertain times. We’re fortunate to have experience in remote work, and managing projects from afar is something we’ve stretched our legs on before. The need to stay focused and organized as more teams go remote is at an all-time high. Equally as important is the need to stick together as a tech community. I’ve seen multiple companies reaching out, encouraging others, and supplying resources. We’re trying to do the same. Last week, we published a collective blog with tips on how to master remote working. We’ve also been individually contributing to local initiatives that have needed our support as workers are being laid off in large numbers.
We’re looking for more companies to reach out to that might want our help improving their digital needs, but may no longer have the resources in order to do so. At TribalScale we believe in the power of community, and we’re here to support you in any way we can through this trying time — especially in your efforts to help the larger community as a whole.
Read more of our blogs here.
Ailsa M. Blair often describes themselves as a queer, intersectional feminist, Brit. After moving to Toronto, Canada in 2011, Ailsa was introduced to the world of Product Design and UX Research during a previous role. It was here that they fell in love — believing that when design touches everything, it’s important to make sure you have a solid foundation of research before pen is put to paper.
Currently plying their trade as Design Manager at TribalScale, they help to mentor, coach and manage the design team, while working to ensure team members are growing professionally and quality work is being developed. They love to work on new and innovative technology as they design ethical products and services for our clients’ user bases. As for unwinding, they have a deep rooted love for strength training and watching/playing soccer. On the weekends, they are often found hiking with their husky/lab mix, or cuddled on their couch watching murder documentaries.
TribalScale is a global innovation firm that helps enterprises adapt and thrive in the digital era. We transform teams and processes, build best-in-class digital products, and create disruptive startups. Learn more about us on our website. Connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook!
