Call me psychic if you wish, but three consumer products that I discussed as valuable user research tools have won awards in the 2009 I.D. Magazine Annual Review:
- The Fitbit Tracker, which I discussed as a system for measuring physical behavior and movement. This device has been getting a lot of press lately, so maybe that means it will be launched shortly. When I first discussed the Fitbit last September it was scheduled for a Jan '09 launch. The web site now says "early spring", so don't hold your breath. I placed an order months ago and have not heard a thing...very similar to what happened with the LiveScribe Pen.
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And speaking of the LiveScribe Pulse Smartpen(as it's properly named), it was given recognition by the I.D. jurors despite the observations that "it could have been more beautifully integrated" and "It's not pretty, but it works very well." Hmmm...isn't this a design review? From personal experience, it does work very well, but it has fatal design and usability flaws, including an uncanny tendency to roll off the table.
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Lastly, I covered the Flip Mino digital video recorder as one of several examples of effective, simple design in my article keep it simple, stupid.
Clearly a coincidence as I had no involvement with the Annual Review this year - although after serving as a juror last year I wrote some practical suggestions for future submitters.
