Google’s Art, Copy & Code – and UX – at SXSW

By Kiriana Wheaton at SXSW

At this year’s SXSW (“South by” if you’re in a hurry) there’s some really cool stuff going on. But when I ask myself if I’ve witnessed any life-changing innovation, the answer is no.

Sure there are new takes on things that are indeed improvements, however I’m yet to find any truly inspirational innovation. For example Google showcased its ‘Talking Shoe‘, a sneaker which shoots witty messages to you and your friends based on what you are doing while wearing them. Sitting down might illicit “This is boring”, while playing some B-ball, (even terribly – we are talking hipster nerds here) might evoke copy like “Call 911 ’cause you’re on fire” (that was a long shot. Ha.). But if the kicks were actually for sale, you know it wouldn’t be long before you and your friends were no longer amused by your chatty footwear.

This is just a taste of great things to come from Google’s Art, Copy & Code – a series of  experiments where they collaborate with iconic brands like Adidas, Volkswagen, and Burberry to enhance consumer engagement and effectively seize the crown of the Internet of everything. This is how Google says it will re-imagine products and brands. That’s one lofty goal but only time will tell if they can pull it off.

However, the big theme of this year’s SXSW is User Experience, and when you look at UX in its entirety and as a whole journey, not just in a website.

Back to Google. Of all social networks Google+ is designed to respect the limits and constraints of its environment. You might not be able to say the same for other overwhelming, oversharing sometimes distressing social networks.

Even though Google+ is still on the up-and-up, the beauty of its interface lies in the fact that it’s unobtrusive, barely visible and ensures people always come before media, creating an organic and personal experience rather a vapid incessant stream of “stuff”. After all, for every single one of us, there’s no such thing as online or offline – there’s just life.

Kiriana Wheaton is a creative at The Works, Sydney and has written this exclusively for Campaign Brief