PRODUCT EXPERIENCES I LOVED DURING 2019

What grabbed my attention for more than 90 seconds? What made me think on my way back home? What triggered an intense research session on the web? In a nutshell, what inspired me during 2019 was design, culture and admiration for other people’s work. Here’s my top 10 of the stuff I liked this year.

Attention is a precious thing. Within the digital industry, it is one of the key KPIs for defining a successful experience.

1. Physical Device
   Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute
   I became a proud owner of this fantastic vacuum at the beginning of 2019. After a year I can firmly state that I am a fan of the Dyson brand, which boasts terrific examples of awesome design and brilliant usability.
2. Native app
   Too good to go
   The app’s mission is great: “Come fight food waste with us” and how they structured the solution is even greater. The app is easy to use and engaging in exploring new ways of providing and consuming food.
   P.S. My experience is related to the Swiss market.
3. Urban mobility experience(s)
   Eni Enjoy, Jump AKA Uber bike, Lime and Circ
   I spend my days between Zurich and Rome; I don’t own a car in either place. I also often travel across Europe for job reasons. Due to this combination of situations, I experienced the beauty of these urban mobility services, and now I am addicted to them. I don’t miss at all owning a vehicle for commuting and moving across the cities I live in.
4. Financial experience
   Cashless society
   I always lose coins. They rumble everywhere, hiding in pockets or hidden parts. When you need them, you don’t have them; when you don’t need them, you have plenty of them. In Zurich, I managed not to use any physical coin for almost four weeks, which was awesome. The ecosystem that is mushrooming around this experience is just brilliant in terms of usability and ease of changing our payment behaviours.
5. TV Show(s)
   Chernobyl, Mr Robot, Silicon Valley, Love, Death & Robots
   All of these TV Shows are great in their own ways. Of course, their focus is on very different topics but they have one thing in common: how they tell the story is just addictive. I couldn’t avoid binge-watching them and re-watching several times part of them. The bad news is that all of them are over – although, is it really bad news? 🙂
6. Place(s) I visited
   Tel Aviv, Jordan (Petra) and Jerusalem
   It was the first time I had visited that part of the globe. I was astounded by the architecture of Tel Aviv, the beauty of Petra, and the atmosphere I breathed while walking through the Jerusalem alleys. On top of that, our research for the perfect hummus was just magnificent.
7. Book(s)
   Julie Zoe – The making of a manager, Enrico Brizzi – Gli amici di una vita
   The first is a business book I found inspiring because of how the main topic, “managing a team”, is treated by one of the most renowned designers.
   The second is a crime novel written by my favourite writer. It was a big surprise and a solid confirmation at the same time. He’s not used to writing crime stories but he perfectly mastered this type of narrative.
8. Vehicle
   Tesla Cybertruck
   In fact, in the last 10 years, Tesla and Elon Musk have disrupted the automotive scenario. Despite the doubts about how sustainable and affordable a large-scale usage of electric vehicles could be, the company markets vehicles that will force other brands to innovate, and I believe this will benefit all of us.
9. Hobby/Passion
   Turning my Yamaha MT-03 into a scrambler
   It took one full year to transform my beloved motorbike into a scrambler. Thanks to the noble art of my mechanic I am really satisfied with the result so far, although I have additional ideas. Let’s see what I will accomplish in 2020 😉
10. Comic
    Alberto Madrigal – Pigiama Computer Biscotti
    The “wow effect” was huge when I stumbled on the cover of this graphic novel. It is a great piece of art both in terms of visual art and narrative. On top of that, I am experiencing exactly the same scenario as the artist 🙂