Bringing the magic to the mainstream

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Technology today allows us to slip into new, exciting worlds – whether that’s with a virtual reality (VR) headset, augmented reality (AR) on our phones, or by using our voices to tell technology what to do. There is a sense of wonder and amazement from the British public about the technology now at our disposal. 

In 2014, 2CV explored The Joy of Tech and looked at some nascent ideas at that time, to see how people felt about them, what pieces of technology were exciting them, and which they feared. 

Since that research took place, much has changed – so we decided to immerse ourselves in that world again and understand what kind of technology is filling our homes, and how companies will need to respond to take these ‘leading edge’ technologies to the mainstream.

With a mixed methodological approach, we spoke to people from across the tech-adoption curve – from the most engaged innovators to technology laggards – and focused on three technologies: VR, AR, and the Internet of Things (IoT, for example, connected homes).

When the latest technology makes it into people’s homes, there is a palpable sense of wonder, and people are surprised at how easy it is to use. The delight in interacting with technology through voice is clear from the pronouns that people use to describe their relationship with Amazon’s intelligent personal assistant, Alexa; the most engaged and frequent users call Alexa ‘she’ and describe ‘her’ as an extended member of the family.

However, VR and AR deliver a similar sense of excitement. Those with VR devices love the immersive experiences it creates, and those moments of escape from the real world. We hear countless tales of people ‘forgetting’ where they are and hitting themselves on furniture, or trying to rest their feet on virtual coffee tables. 

The real magic, though, lies with AR. When given the chance to try AR, it is as if people can wave a magic wand and change the colour scheme in their home, try out a new tattoo design on their skin, or see how furniture would look in a room. 

AR excites and can have a huge impact, from online shopping experiences – seeing how products might look before buying them – to bringing live sporting events into our living rooms. 

Connection to home

But what is it that motivates people to purchase in the first place? One factor is ‘connection’. On the surface, connection relates to an enduring physical link to the home and a desire to monitor what is happening there. On a deeper level, there is a desire for tech to help with more meaningful connections between friends and families – from tracking and keeping the family safe to bringing them closer together.

“Life360 tells me exactly where my kids are – if their phone has 9% battery it gives me a warning; if they leave the house, I get a warning; I know where they are all the time… it puts my mind at ease. If they are in trouble, it sends an alert to my phone.” (Mother)

This desire for tech to bring connection is widely held. Nearly half of UK adults ( 46%) state that they would use a technology product to be better connected to friends and family; this is the second most popular reason for use after ‘to save time/be quicker’ ( 51%). 

Far from being concerned about a home that is always listening, people like that devices such as Echo and Google Home are at their beck and call. We no longer have to do mundane tasks, such as turning on lights, setting alarms or writing a shopping list – the home can do these things for us.

Even people who have yet to experience them acknowledge the benefits of connected homes. IoT is perceived to be capable of tapping into a number of functional needs, particularly saving time and money. However, positive impressions can be spoiled when the technology fails to live up to expectations. 

With the feeling of a human interface and a female voice, it is often hard for people to remember that it’s still a piece of technology – definitely smart, but still not quite intelligent. Frustrations can emerge when the software doesn’t recognise accents, understand complex requests with embedded sentences, or understand context. 

But for groups that are less engaged, new tech doesn’t necessarily excite them – rather, it can evoke fear and confusion.

To bring less tech-engaged users into the fold, brands should look to capitalise on the ease of voice activation to make their products and services as intuitive as possible. 

Virtual and augmented reality are currently tapping into a slightly narrower set of needs than the IoT. The escape VR offers is very entertaining, but it’s hard for many to think beyond gaming. Currently, VR is bringing magic and excitement to the individual, but not an emotional connection with friends and family. 

Users love immersing themselves in different worlds, but risk being seen as ‘selfish’ in group settings. This builds appetite for VR to develop into a more collective activity. The key to greater success may lie in making the entertainment a sharable experience.

If VR technology can deliver successfully on the masses’ desires to use technology to learn – perhaps through travel, or seeing the world in a new light – then it is likely to grow its reach, especially if these educational experiences can be shared across generations.

So, if VR, AR and IoT technologies are to break into the mainstream, they need to tap into the core, practical functions that the average person is looking for in a new product – namely, to help them save time and money, keep them connected to their friends and family, and to give them opportunities to learn. 

Richard Pickering is research director and Michael Murphy is associate director at 2CV.