“Fast Forward: Designing for Constant Change” Study

My buddies at Avenue A | Razorfish provided me this copy of a study called “Fast Forward: Designing for Constant Change.” It consists of thirteen essays and research that explore how consumers’ digital media habits affect the ways that companies should design user experiences and digital brands. The company wrote the report for marketers who are trying to design more effective online ads and websites in the face of rapid technological change. It is the result of 500 interviews conducted in July, 2007

Topics include social shopping, web site design, video, widgets, AJAX, RSS feeds, user interface, and mobile media devices. Here are two key findings from the study:

Marketers need to stop thinking of creating online ads or websites in isolation. Instead marketers should design experiences for consumers wherever they live in the digital world, across websites, blogs, mobile devices, or on desktops. (These conclusions are discussed in more detail in the first chapter, “Avenue A | Razorfish Digital Consumer Behavior Study.”)

Marketers should stop thinking of the web as just another channel to express their offline brands. Instead marketers should build digital brands that take advantage of the web’s unique attributes, such as its immersive nature. (To that end, Avenue A | Razorfish introduced a scorecard for marketers to measure the effectiveness of digital brands. The details are reported in the chapter, “Digital Darwinism.”)

Avenue A | Razorfish also started blog about the topic called Digital Design Blog.

Comments

[Dawid Michalczyk]

One problem I frequently encounter with such studies is that the solutions they provide are too broad, general or vaguely defined with few concrete examples. Just like one of the key findings quoted above: "Marketers need to stop thinking of creating online ads or websites in isolation. [...]"

I suppose that many of those who conduct such studies, and the participants they interview, etc, often lack a concrete vision or practical experience. Thus promoting a cool-sounding, broad/general approach as a solution to a complex problem is an easy way out. But all too often those solutions look good on the outset, until you start working with them and find one hole after another.

Never the less, reading such studies is valuable as they always tend to stimulate and help generate new ideas.

[Sally]

I hope that you will agree with me.
You can have a look at our works.
http://www.astra-design.com

[Sally]

Good web site must be unique, with unique content and fresh ideas. That will attract customers. My advice is - before creation a new web site think about its goals.

[David Mackey]

Avenue A, they acquired a media company out of Philly I knew.

[sam]

@johnathan

I did see that. If "engaged" means "likely to use these technologies" than this basically a tautology, no?

But they say this is representative:
The section header is "Personalization Hits the Mainstream", and they say "...the majority of consumers are increasingly personalizing their digital experiences..."

I don't mean to slag them, just saying that this is borderline marketing hype; be careful about citing it.

[David Deal]

Jonathan raises some excellent points about the brand experience, which are well taken. The "Fast Forward" report suggests that achieving consistency between one's offline and online brand is necessary, but not sufficient, to building a great brand. "Fast Forward" asserts that there are certain attributes that make the digital experience different from, say, advertising on television or outdoors. For instance, the web is an inherently social and immersive experience. Avenue A | Razorfish advocates that companies tap into those attributes to harness the web's potential for creating a great brand in the digital world. Simply slapping a 30-second TV spot on the web is not the answer. Thank you again for your post!

[Jonathan Hutter]

Sam, if you read the Avenue A blog, you'll see that their sample consisted of "engaged broadband consumers," not necessarily a representative sample of the U.S. population. Among that universe, I can see those numbers applying.

[Jonathan Hutter]

Thanks for the link to the study, that will be interesting reading. But, aren't those two points contradictory? Citing an "offline" brand experience implies there is a difference between that and your "online" brand. The first point says that you shouldn't think of online ads or websites in isolation. I agree with that.

A brand experience should be universal. Wherever you encounter it or use it, the experience should evoke the same emotion and satisfaction. While the interface may change, your conscious or subconscious takeaway should be consistent. The digital environment broadens the potential experience. But, the brand experience must be true.

[sam]

70% of all "U.S. consumers across all
demographics and geographies" have customized their home page?

56% use RSS?

These are some very bold statistics, way out of line with previous estimates. Is this real data or marketing hype?

[Craig Rentmeester]

Guy,
Solid post.

I wholeheartedly agree with the second point.

I think bigger companies are trying, or will try, to figure out ways to establish an online presence that utilizes the immersive nature web.

To do this, I don't think companies, big or small, need to take risks or make investments in new web functionality, but should rather implement existing web capabilities, like blogs about new products or services, message boards and forums.

These capabilities can not only connect the business more to its customers, but can also foster a community of loyal customers, thereby strengthening the bond between the customer and the business.

Imagine going to a restaurant's Web site and there being a forum where customers talk about their favorite menu items from that restaurant. It would be easy to implement and something customers are already familiar from other web sites. In addition, it would reduce risk for potential customers and create curiosity for existing customers.

I also think this restaurant forum idea would be remarkable in customer's eyes, if they're informed about it.

[Marc Duchesne]

Seems The Great Guy is back online ;-)
Thank you Guy for the heads up. EXTREMELY interesting, & useful.

[Graeme Thickins]

thanks for the heads-up, Guy...Avenue A does good essay

I love the fact that ad agencies have morphed into essay writers :-)

cheers,
Graeme