Tony Fadell: The first secret of design is ... noticing
As the originator of the iPod, Tony Fadell is no stranger to disruptive technology. With Nest, he’s zeroed in on tech’s most elusive targets: household appliances. Full bio
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"The Blues Brothers,"
goes to visit Dan Aykroyd in his apartment
from the train tracks.
that train go by?"
even notice it."
to everyday things
it's my job to see those everyday things,
to improve upon them.
when I was a kid.
to put that sticker on the fruit.
at the grocery counter.
the store quickly.
of fruit on the counter,
and eat it.
for this little sticker.
damaging the flesh.
it off your fingers.
you probably felt those feelings.
the label off.
at least for me,
tried to flick it off,
we have limited brain power.
everyday things we do into habits
to learn new things.
as humans, we learn.
on the wheel,
object out there --
talk to anyone else in the car
driving became easier and easier.
fun and second nature.
to your friends again
our brains habituate things.
every little detail,
to learn about new things.
habituation isn't good.
the problems that are around us,
and fixing those problems,
on noticing those little details,
that we don't even remember.
he visited his friends
a comfortable shower.
and turn it slightly one way,
and it was 100 degrees too cold.
and entrepreneurs,
those things,
and try to fix them.
and she was warm inside a streetcar.
she noticed the driver opening the window
so he could drive safely.
he let all this cold, wet air inside,
passengers just thought,
to open the window to clean it.
the windshield from the inside
actually stay warm?"
right then and there,
the world's first windshield wiper.
I try to learn from people like Mary
the way it really is,
that almost everyone sees.
that almost no one sees.
you're born with this ability
to see the world more clearly.
to come into work every day,
the eyes of the customer,
and possible frustrations
new technology product
focused on those tiny little details
for the new customers.
in the very earliest days of the iPod.
for the very, very latest gadget.
I'd start to unbox it.
another little sticker:
buying this product
to use that coveted new toy.
before you used it.
happen to our product."
that has a hard drive in it,
30 minutes in the factory
to be working years later
pull it out of the box.
a higher quality product,
for the customer.
right out of the box,
with all that exhilaration,
that you get that's battery powered
that detail and we fixed it,
that's important,
but for everything we do.
all around us,
to see them, to feel them.
in the TED community
about that than I ever will.
a few tips that I do,
to fight habituation.
that lead up to that problem.
of steps after it.
and look broader,
to make that better.
they were really simple to use.
how to save energy.
to add a new step.
you wanted at a certain time.
started adding that feature.
saved any energy.
would change season to season,
to the drawing board
people were not saving any energy
predict the future.
instead of the programming
when you turned it up and down,
when you got up,
without any programming.
and look at all the boxes,
to remove one or combine them
that process much simpler.
was my grandfather.
and how they were repaired,
to make a successful project.
he told me about screws,
the right screw for the right job.
anchors, concrete screws,
that are easy to install
without professionals.
that my grandfather told me,
can we put in the box?
four, five?
different wall types."
screws to put in the box.
to solve the problem.
a great experience.
we didn't get it right.
a custom screw,
so much time on a little screw?
if we get this right."
there was just one screw in the box,
and put on the wall.
the ones we may not see
is to think younger.
questions from my three young kids.
have Velcro instead?"
and I asked him,
and check it."
and tell us when it has mail?" (Laughter)
good question."
we just don't have the right answers.
the world works."
long enough
is to have young people on your team,
to think younger.
"Every child is an artist.
is how to remain an artist."
when we saw it for the first time,
got in the way.
we make sense of the world.
product design.
something powerful.
each day and say,
dumb little stickers.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Tony Fadell - Product creatorAs the originator of the iPod, Tony Fadell is no stranger to disruptive technology. With Nest, he’s zeroed in on tech’s most elusive targets: household appliances.
Why you should listen
Tony Fadell became a tech superstar as a colleague of Steve Jobs and developer of the iPod, which rejuvenated Apple, rebooted entire industries and changed the way the world consumes entertainment.
After leaving Apple, Fadell founded Nest on a familiar experience -- frustration with household technology, still resolutely frozen in the 20th century. With its first products, Nest has brought the modern household one step closer to becoming a truly connected “smarthome.” In January 2014, Nest became Google’s second-biggest acquisition to date, positioning both companies to become revolutionary players in home technology.
Tony Fadell | Speaker | TED.com