DC KTN / Momolo

Julia ShaletProduct Doctor

Founder of the Digital Youth Project

Twitter:@jewl Tel: 07956 376472 W.digitalyouthproject.com

© Julia Shalet, Digital Youth Project

Background

17 years experience launching & maximising digital products & community offerings in the corporate, start up & public sector

• 12 years at T-Mobile – joining before the launch of One2One in 1993, final role: Head of Mobile Messaging, £350m portfolio

• Founded the Digital Youth Project, 2005 to current, working with industry conferences & many clients in the digital sector• 3 years as Director of Product & User Insights at Weeworld,

funded by Accel & Balderton, 2005 - 2008• Project Director at Space Makers in 2010, Brixton Village Market

Background


Premise

So many products, including those aimed at young people failbecause they are conceived of and thought through by adultswithout proper consultation with the end user.

We all would say that it is madness developing a productwithout asking the end user if they want it, how theywant to use it, how they would improve it, how they wouldmarket it and whether (where relevant) they would bePrepared to pay for it? But we still do it.

We have an added opportunity, and I would argue a duty, torecognise and create these as a learning experiences for theyoung people we engage in these insights exercises.


Content

1. Key digital product insights from the youth market

2. Adult mis-perceptions of young people

3. The commercial benefits of engaging users early and often

4. How to create learning experiences for young people


Key Digital Product Youth Insights

1. Young people are practical - they want useful products thatsay what they do on the tin!


Here, I have a mobile –

come steal it!

I would rather play a game

designed by a professional

It is better playing games on large

screens

How un-cool would we

look?

Practical


“…everyone I know will use this…”

Useful


“…’Live Talkback’ sounds more like an answer-phone service rather than live voting…”

Says what it does on the tin


2. Hygiene factors – what is now expected by

young people as standard.



“…really amazing app, but it only focuses on

urban genres like hip-hop… can you put in a guitar?...”

Choice

“…stretch to more sports than just football…

I saw in the video you had a skateboarder…

use in the gym ...”


“…Will you be doing a mobile version?...Would you be able to buy the videos

so you can watch them on your iPod?...”

Multi-platform Access


“…I like the idea how it’s quite the same layout as iTunes, so people will be familiar with it…”

Don’t reinvent the wheel


“…I don’t want to fiddle about with pins and card numbers…”

Make it easy to use


“…I will dive straight in, if I need help, I may eventually go to the instructions (which need to be concise)

and I may look on You Tube for them…”

Let me play with it first


Expect Social functions

“…I like Flook as I can have further discussion about the photos taken,

otherwise I may as well go to Facebook”


“…A basic phone is one that has voice, text and a camera…”

Cameras


3. Young people will help you with feature definition,

other uses for functionality, competitor analysis and marketing.



Feature Suggestions

“…Can I search by mood?...”


Define usage scenarios

“…I really like the idea of music videos in a playlist and being able to play them at a party…”


“…useful for finding ‘lost’ friends at music festivals…”

Find other uses for functionality


“…We already have the ability to move music around with USBs, and Spotify already lets you put your music on your iPhone or iPod. How are you going to

take on iTunes?!...”

Competitor-Aware

“…You’ve got harsh competition - like Nike & Adidas…”


4. Age Appropriate – Young people want to be addressed with appropriate language for their age group, but the age of your users

can be quite a complex issue.



Language

“…this is something for my kid brother, not for me…please talk to me in a different way...”


Target 16-year-olds and you will get early teens; target 13-year-olds

and you will get tweens; target tweens and you will get kids!

Trying to be older


Older siblings share with younger; friends with each other and cross generational family-based relationships

Sharing Experiences


5. Young people are savvy –SO:

•Be honest, satisfy their curiosity and gain their trust.

•While they are financially aware, this does not mean that they won’t

spend money on digital experiences.



“…How does the music get in there? Local radio popular tunes or do they pay?…”

Where’s the catch?


“…How do you make your money?…”

Financially aware


“…I can already play games for free online, especially in Facebook so why would I pay?...

I only browse the free stuff in the App Store…”

Is there a free option?


“…I would pay for more tracks to sing to and I expect them to be cheaper than an i-tunes download...”

I do pay for stuff!

“…How do you think Tynchy Stryder got to the top of the download charts?Have any of you even heard his stuff?...”


I started using Blackberry BBM because the Instant Messaging was free.

I would do it if it saved me money


6. Young people are social media natives – They can help you create content & awareness for your product, business and business events.


Photography Student Projects © Julia Shalet, Digital Youth Project


Creating content &viral marketing for your event.

As well as distributing printed material, this young theatre group also used social networks such as Facebook and online listings to promote their event, resulting in footfall benefits to the overall project.

Pop Up Content at events

© Julia Shalet, Digital Youth ProjectJournalist Student Projects

PR project to provide coverage for your conference / business / business-social event with film, photography, written coverage & interviews.

Note: Across all of these examples, you can check the online coverage at www.socialmention.com


Adult Misperception #1

Young people are encouraging about

innovation and more willing to take risks. You will find them

energising to work with rather than scary!



Explain, listen, coach and ask open questions

– you will get very

constructive feedback.



Great feedback does not just come from

“clever kids”*. Often, the most disruptive and

under-achieving have the most creative and

honest input.

Often, the most disruptive * As labelled by our creatively stifling school system



Avoid generalising about the youth market

Some just call and text. They don’t all want an iPhone.

They don’t all use BBM.

Commercial Benefits to youth engagement

Checking in with your end users early & often will make you more efficient – time, effort & money

•Tell you when to stop & re-think•Speed up development time

– Reducing assumption-based debate on user features– Developers increase their user understanding

•Maximise marketing spend•Provide the user angle for your product roadmap•Help you innovate - fresh ideas & challenges•Keep you up to date with the competition•Can also strengthen a business pitch



“…I wouldn’t have got an A in my Business Studies A Level if I had not had the experience at the conference

understanding how the syllabus relates to real life…”

Learning Experiences for young people

Adora Svitak, Child Prodigy“be willing to listen and learn from kidsas much as teach them…they will berunning the world as you get older”

Inspirations (see www.TED.com)

Sir Ken Robinson, Education Reform“we need to cultivate creativity in young people to prepare them for the world of work”


© Julia Shalet, Digital Youth ProjectLearning Experiences…

• Work Related Learning - Team working, leadership, communication, presentation skills, public speaking, problem solving

• Enterprise – Idea generation, evaluation, action• Course related – Marketing, Design, ICT, Business…• Careers - The digital industry, entrepreneurialism• Softer Skills – Confidence, mental agility, giving

constructive feedback

…with the added excitement that these are real life challenges


Re-cap

Examples showing the value of engaging young people

Danger of making assumptions about the youth market

How your project or business can benefit

How these can be educational experiences

Thank You & Any Questions?

Julia ShaletProduct Doctor

Founder of the Digital Youth Project

Twitter: @jewl Tel: 07956 376472 W.digitalyouthproject.com

Technology

DC KTN / Momolo