from sock hop to snapchat: how generational differences affect product design
TRANSCRIPT
From sock hop to Snapchat:How generational differences affect product design
#UTwebinar@UserTesting
Guthrie WeinschenkChief Operating Officer
The Team W
Question 1: Do you know what a sockhop is?
Question 2: Do you know what Snapchat is?
People have different mental models about how stuff works.
BIG MEME:
YOU may not be your target audience.
BIG MEME:
Our Theory:1. At puberty brains start “pruning” neuron connections2. Therefore, after puberty anything you learn tends to
attach to what you already know3. This anchors the mental models of a generation to
what technology they had between 0-12 years old4. This results in different expectations about technology
between generations (or age cohorts)
Some Interesting Research:1. Technology generation and Age in using layered user interfaces, Mili
Docampo Rama, PhD, Institute for Gerontechnology, Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands (differences in age performance)
2. Adolescent brain development, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, Royal Society Research Fellow and Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL, (grey matter pruning)
https://thinkneuroscience.wordpress.com/2014/01/22/adolescent-brain-development/
“Greatest”over 90
“Silent”70 to 89
“Baby Boomers”
50 to 69
“Gen X”35 to 50
“Millennial” (Gen 1.0)20 to 34
“Gen Z” (Gen 2.0)
5 to 19
“Gen 3.0” 0 to 4
Here are the US Generations:
Which Generation Are You In?
“Greatest”over 90
“Silent”70 to 89
“Baby Boomers”50 to 69
“Gen X”35 to 50
“Millennial” (Gen 1.0)20 to 34
“Gen Z” (Gen 2.0)
5 to 19
“Gen 3.0” 0 to 4
• 29% of babies under the age of 1 like to use multiple media devices at the same time
• 29 minutes is the average amount of time a 3 year old uses mobile apps per day
• 41 minutes is the average amount of TV a baby under 1 watches per day• 92% of babies under 1 have used a mobile media device• 28% of 2 year olds need no help using mobile media device and another
61% only sometimes need help
Exposure and Use of Mobile Media Devices by Young Children Hilda Kabali, 2015
Have you ever seen a child try to swipe or use a touchscreen on something that isn’t a touch screen?
Have you heard someone say they want to go to “the Facebook” or go look something up “on the internet” as if it was a physical space?
This is because the mental models of what a technology is and how the world works are different from one generation to the next at a fundamental level.
Quiz time! Lets Learn About The Different Generations
The median age of a person in the US is over 45 years old
Myth Or Truth?
5 20 25 32 47 69 92
Mean or Average: (5+20+25+32+47+69+92)/7=289/7 = 41
Median: Middle Number= 32
Median vs. Average
The median age of a person in the US is over 45 years old
Myth Or Truth?
Myth Or Truth?The median age of a person in the US is over 45 years old…
Median age is 37.3 years oldMyth Or Truth?
Myth Or Truth?There are more Americans over the age of 65 than under the age of 14
Myth Or Truth?There are more Americans over the age of 65 than under the age of 14…
Myth Or Truth?It’s not even close.
• 0-14 make up 20% of the population (~60 million) • 65+ make up 13% of the population (~40 million)
Pick The Number?The median age of a person on the planet is ____ years old.
Pick The Number?The median age of a person on the planet is 29.9 years old
Myth Or Truth?Baby boomers use Twitter less than younger people
Myth Or Truth?Baby boomers use Twitter less than younger people
Myth Or Truth?The majority of “rich” people (over $200k/year) are Boomers
Myth Or Truth?The majority of “rich” people (over $200k/year) are Boomers…
Myth Or Truth?Another 30% are Gen X’ers
http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/reports/2012/introducing-boomers--marketing-s-most-valuable-generation.html
Myth Or Truth?Millennials don’t have any money. Almost half of them are broke.
Myth Or Truth?Millennials don’t have any money. Almost half of them are broke…
Myth Or Truth?It only takes a net worth of $10,000 to be richer than half of everyone under the age of 35http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2014/09/04/it-only-takes-10400-to-be-richer-than-most-millennials/
Myth Or Truth?Millennials are so scatterbrained and bored with life most of them just look at their phone for no reason at all. They just stare at it not doing anything
Myth Or Truth?Millennials are so scatterbrained and bored with life most of them just look at their phone for no reason at all. They just stare at it not doing anything…
Myth Or Truth?76% of cell owners ages 18 to 29 look at their phone at least occasionally in public for no particular reason.http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/26/chapter-2-phone-use-in-public-areas/
Myth Or Truth?Half of Millennials still live with their parents
Myth Or Truth?Half of Millennials still live with their parents…
Myth Or Truth?26% of Millennials still live with their parents (the same percentage as in 2007)http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/07/29/more-millennials-living-with-family-despite-improved-job-market
Myth Or Truth?Half of independent Millennials (not living in dorms or w/parents) live with a roommate who is not a spouse or partner
Myth Or Truth?Half of independent Millennials (not living in dorms or w/parents) live with a roommate who is not a spouse or partner…
Myth Or Truth?48% of independent millennials live in a household where there is an extra adult who is not the spouse or partner http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/07/29/more-millennials-living-with-family-despite-improved-job-market
Myth Or Truth?Baby boomers use LinkedIn less than Gen Xers
Myth Or Truth?Baby boomers use LinkedIn less than Gen Xers http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/demographics-of-key-social-networking-platforms-2/
Myth Or Truth?More than 80% of Internet Gen 2.0 (13-17) is registered on Facebook
Myth Or Truth?More than 80% of Internet Gen 2.0 (13-17) is registered on Facebook…
Myth Or Truth?71% of Gen 2.0 use Facebookhttp://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-2015/
Myth Or Truth?Millennials are more liberal than older generations
Myth Or Truth?Millennials are more liberal than older generations…
Myth Or Truth?Millennials lean liberal/democratic by 16 points (51/35). Younger Millennials who turned 18 during the Obama Presidency are an extra 18 points more liberal than even older Millennials http://www.people-press.org/2015/04/30/a-different-look-at-generations-and-
partisanship/
Myth Or Truth?Gen-X’rs are more politically conservative than Boomers
Myth Or Truth?Gen-X’rs are more politically conservative than Boomers…
Myth Or Truth?Boomers lean democratic by 6 points (47/41), X’ers lean democratic by 11 points (49/38)
The reason is late X’ers; X’ers who turned 18 under the Clinton Presidency are 15 points more democratic than older X’ers who turned 18 under Reagan/Bush.
Political cycles seem to run every 10-15 years, and do not align with generational cycles (25 years)
http://www.people-press.org/2015/04/30/a-different-look-at-generations-and-partisanship/
Myth Or Truth?2016 is the first US presidential election in which all Millennials will be old enough to vote
Myth Or Truth?2016 is the first US presidential election in which all Millennials will be old enough to vote
Myth Or Truth?More than 3/4ths of all Gen X’ers never (or almost never) turn their phones off
Myth Or Truth?More than 3/4ths of all Gen X’ers never (or almost never) turn their phones off…
Myth Or Truth?Following younger generations, 77% of Gen X’ers turn their phones off rarely or neverhttp://www.pewinternet.org/2015/08/26/chapter-1-always-on-connectivity/
Myth Or Truth?Millennials read, on average, fewer books than previous generations (includes e-books)
Myth Or Truth?Millennials read fewer books than previous generations (includes e-books)…
Myth Or Truth?While the mean is slightly less, millennials read on average the same number of books per year as older generations (e-book adoption is higher)
http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/01/16/a-snapshot-of-reading-in-america-in-2013
Myth Or Truth?More than half of Internet Gen 2.0’rs (13-17) use Instagram
Myth Or Truth?More than half of Internet Gen 2.0’rs (13-17) use Instagram…
Myth Or Truth?52% of Internet Gen 2.0’rs (13-17) use Instagramhttp://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-2015/
Myth Or Truth?More Internet Gen 2.0’rs (under 17) use Snapchat than Twitter
Myth Or Truth?More Internet Gen 2.0’rs (under 17) use Snapchat than Twitter…
Myth Or Truth?41% of Internet Gen 2.0’rs (under 17) use Snapchat, only 33% use Twitterhttp://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-2015/
More than 25% of all video game players are over 50
Myth Or Truth?
Myth Or Truth?More than 25% of all video game players are over 50…
Myth Or Truth?There are the same number of people over 50 who play games as there are people ages 18-35, or under 18. The Entertainment Association http://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ESA-Essential-Facts-2015.pdf
By 2025 40% of all consumers will be Gen 2.0’ers
Myth Or Truth?
Myth Or Truth?By 2025 40% of all consumers will be Gen 2.0’ers
TAKE AWAYMEMES
There are differences in expectations between generations in their behavior with technology.
BIG MEME:
If you want to be successful you need to understand these differences in expectations.
BIG MEME:
YOU may not be your target audience.
BIG MEME:
“Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.”
― Henry David Thoreau
Remember This Used To Be Cool.
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