Creative professional support tools
Creative professionals require the right resources to best perform in their roles, whether those resources are readily available or not. And, that lack of availability provides opportunities for cognitive design solutions to fill the void.
The Retail Designer and the Customer Profiler
Take the case of retail design professionals. These brand communication and experience design experts can envision an infinite number of solutions to an equal number of design problems. It is their primary skill. But, without knowing who the solutions are intended for, the resulting ideas are merely guesses or flat out shots-in-the-dark that won’t solve any business problems.
As Michelle Manafay wrote, “In an era where consumers have more options and opinions than ever, marketers must be customer-centric in everything they do.” Basically, designers must know who the consumers (or users) are. And, good designers already know to ask, “Who will use the design?”, “Who will engage with it?”, “Who is the audience?”, “Who will buy it?”, “Who will love it?”
In many instances, and in the best cases, customer profiles are provided by expert marketing research teams and professionals. They sift through data, compile research, interpret the findings, and expertly identify the key benefactor (or benefactors). Or, if some designers have the experience, time and skill to research and compile the data, they can take on the task. Unfortunately, most designers lack the access to the right marketing experts, lack the skills to take on the task, or haven't the time to spare. So, they need help and a cognitive app can provide that support.
The cognitive customer profiling app should be easy to use and provide a warm and engaging experience. The user could interact through voice interaction commands to input customer details, acquire data interpretation, search for insights or test solutions. This allows for more life-friendly approach. The user will begin by creating desired personas with basic customer profile data, and the app will offer more insights based on online information and data inputs to build a more comprehensive profile. Other input methods include audio, video, text, photos, and marketing research documents. Ultimately, the app can offer in-depth insights in real time, or deliver a detailed report to present in meetings. All insights will be based on millions of profiles, and come with sources and reports that can rate the quality of the insights.
Sample interactions:
User: What band does “Josh” love today?
App: He’s been listening to a lot Doors for some reason. He must like the old stuff. Do you want to see his top picks?
User: Where does ‘Josh’ buy his sushi?
App: I hear he’s done with sushi. He’s probably now into poke. It’s sold at his favorite Central Market.”
User: Can I get a copy of “Daisy’s” current profile?
App: I’ll send the pdf to your email.
Customer Profiler fit
Value Proposition
A customer data user can easily acquire professional-quality customer profiles and insights by accessing and referencing millions of online profiles, online consumer data and real-time observations.
Value of cognitive
The tool can receive and interpret complex information by cross-referencing input against millions of online profiles and customer habits in real time. It applies professional principles to automated research and provides an engaging user experience. It can also provide detailed reports on several customer profiles, across specific market categories in an instant.
The Independent Art Teacher and the Assistant
Another creative professional, who is also a education professional, is the independent art teacher. They teach their classes after school, or in community centers. Sometimes they teach them at home.
These professionals have to find student, manage enrollment, develop customized curriculums, juggle schedules, manage student profession, run a business, manage supplies, stay relevant, and have a life.
Most of them don't have business training, and at times find organizing to be a challenge. They travel to their many classes throughout the week, and teach different student types form one class to the next. They spend too much time preparing for class, and are always running low on expensive supplies. They have to keep their students engaged, and progessing. And, struggle to manage student work archives. Also, they tend to focus on teaching and lose out on community and professional enrichment opportunities.
There are many resources to glean from, like ArtEdge, AAE, and Pinterest. But there isn’t enough time to review it all. And, the existing art teacher support apps offer nice tools and fun experiences, but they can add more work than help.
This art teacher helper app should be easy to use and provide a warm and engaging experience. The user could interact through voice interaction commands as art teachers are always covered in paint. The user will input information about her teaching practice, and the app will learn her needs and schedules. It will automatically find more competitively priced resources, see problems in schedules, identify trends in art projects, offer travel info, manage and rate student progress, find relevant professional information. The findings will be pushed as notifications and comments, to allow for further engagement. All media opportunities will be utilized.
Art Teacher Helper fit
Value Proposition
An independent art teacher can manage business, curriculums, enrollment, schedules,and innovation by easily and quickly accessing the plethora of separate online and offline resources currently available.
Value of Cognitive
A helper app can help the teacher save time and money, keep her practice organized, the business growing, her students progressing and her life balanced. By searching online, it can find and procure needed supplies and resources at the best costs, suggest upcoming professionally-relevant events, manage complex schedules, provide research assistance, find student project opportunities, manage student work and progress, and provide travel support.
