McDonalds’ Minimalist Wi-Fi
The MEX blog is featuring ideas, images and videos selected by the designers at Brunel University in the build-up to the next MEX event on 4th/5th May 2011.
Each breakout team at MEX is supported by a pair of Brunel designers, who work with the team’s facilitator to inject new thoughts and help the group to visualise ideas for their final presentation.
The first input comes from Nick Sardar, who selected this minimalist Wi-Fi advertisement by MacDonalds.
Nick said: “This interested me firstly because of its striking graphic design. But looking deeper and after our conversation today about network capacity and the idea of our wireless connections, it got me thinking. Surely the advertisement of Wi-Fi and being connected will lose its kudos as the wireless network becomes saturated and it becomes the ‘norm’?
It relates to MEX Pathway #1, entitled: ‘Define more efficient user experience techniques for an age of network austerity‘, which will be a key focus area at the MEX event in London on 4th/5th May 2011.
The involvement of Brunel’s designers continues a thriving partnership between MEX and Brunel, which has seen the students contributing their design skills and fresh creative spirit to several previous MEX events, while building relationships with and learning from the industry pioneers in the MEX community.
Assuming that there needs to be, or that there will always be a state where connectivity isn’t normal, especially to a generation(s) of folks who grew up with franchises, quickly prepared “good enough” food choices, and access nearly anywhere seems a bit not paying attention to the times isn’t it.
Its interesting to see a fast food company advertising WiFi, as I personally associate such access with leisurely mobile browsing, rather than quick in-out takeaway. Perhaps, similar to Starbucks, this association is being exploited in a bid to adopt a new service image – enter experience design?
Either way a good marketing ploy, though will soon be novel once outlets become saturated with such connectivity. Interesting to think 10 years ago, all they sold was hamburgers.