Google apps are like the dependable white plastic chairs of the digital world. Here’s why.
My reflections on product design
All humans are natural-born product designers. In fact, creating products for our comfort is one of the most distinguished features of being human. Throughout history, humans have developed increasingly refined products and gadgets. And in turn, these products have shaped us, the way we perform our daily routines, the way we think, and the way we create our societies. So, the design of good products is not only of great importance to our present human society but to the one that will come next. It will shape the wants and needs of the future citizens of humankind and perhaps consequentially impact the future of our planet.
Therefore, how does one decide what makes a good product? Can the definition of a good product be the same with changing times?
When I think of good design some words that come to my mind are service, intuitiveness, accessibility, recollection, addictiveness, and delight. Reflecting on the material or digital products that I have used in my lifetime, I see them upholding most of these values.
Material objects that we use daily, the coffee mug, the Monobloc plastic chair, the toothbrush, and most importantly the computer/ the smartphone, have stood the test of time, being intuitive, easily accessible, and service-oriented. It's hard to imagine the daily life completely devoid of these products, one can only conceive a more delightful or a “smarter” version of them, thus proving the testament to their design.
“ I don’t have strong feelings about whether the Monobloc is an object of beauty or a target for derision… though I’d suggest that any design as successful as the Monobloc has proved its evolutionary worth. The Monobloc offers no linguistic cues, no obvious signs that it’s been localized. Wherever you are, it’s at home.”
— Ethan Zuckerman
( see his full article here)
Much like the Monobloc chair, Google’s digital products like the Google search engine and Google apps have defined and democratized the use of internet-based digital tools in the 21st century. Just within the last two decades, Google not only championed the accessibility of the internet through its search engine, it has also become the lifeline of group productivity through its G-suite apps, especially in the current COVID era.
Significance of Google Apps in my life
Remember the days when you needed to refer to the yellow pages to look up people or refer to the dictionary and the encyclopedia or learn something new? No? How about the time when you needed two or more calendars to keep track of the events in each category of your life? Maybe you can identify with the anxiety you felt when you forgot to bring the updated class presentation on your pen drive? I clearly remember that sunken feeling, and thanks to G-suite I don't have to feel that way again. In addition to creating more conveniences in my life, the Google app experience integrates seamlessly within the G- suite, much like the stacking functionality of the Monobloc chair, enhancing the productivity of your workflow.
Similarly, just like the Monobloc, certain Google apps are indispensable as an indoor (wifi controlled) product, and as an outdoor (wifi free) product - *cue Google Maps. I would have said that Google maps is one of the most important tools for my worldly survival, even when it costs me the majority of my mobile’s roaming internet data. But now with its growing offline functionality, it has truly become a gamechanger in the GPS industry.
Google’s search engine and the Google apps have not only changed me forever, they have also managed to remain the most comfortable and dependable of all the digital products that I use. Having experienced the clean, simple interface and intuitive functions of Google products, I can easily say that it's very unlikely I would ever stop using them, or in some cases find a reason to switch to a competitor app ( I most definitely don't feel the same pull of loyalty for the Monobloc chair or for any other chair for that matter). And according to a report by the Business Insider in March 2020, two billion other users can testify that I am not the only one. The freedom of being able to find answers to any question you have, the ability to seamlessly coordinate a team project, and the sense of security that comes with knowing your school reports or your cherished photos have a safe backup are just some of the intangible gifts that too irresistible to pass over. Maybe even more so than the trusty old $3 white plastic chair you grew up with. As an aspiring product designer, I would say that Google would forever remain one of my most inspirational products and service to look up to.
