My SXSW Proposal: It’s Okay to Be a Hooker!

Since South By Southwest extended their panel submission deadline two extra days, I had some extra time to put together a proposal for a fun solo presentation in addition to a previous proposal I did with Hoverstate. It’ll be fun to be picked to give this preso, but no biggie if it doesn’t make it in. That’s the way I like it.

Via my work with Ming & Ping and other musicians, I thought I had a thing or two to say about writing – or at least identifying – good hooks in music and I’m pretty keen on strong, focused branding (or gimmickry) in products and advertising too. So why not? :)

 

It’s Okay to Be a Hooker!

Just like the best (or most annoying) songs have unforgettable hooks, your tech product needs to be hooky as well. And you can be the hooker! To learn to make something sticky and lovable, we’ll start by defining and identifying some famous hooks in popular music, advertising, and even great Youtube videos. We’ll listen to some songs, watch some videos, have some laughs. But how does this translate to the technology that we love? We’ll look at some recent mobile apps that go beyond function and have that special magic: Angry Birds, Clear, Path, and even SIRI. The primary message of this fun and multimedia presentation is that design and technology aren’t just here to solve practical problems. To be successful in a vastly competitive marketplace, products have to become like a pet – with you constantly, be second nature to interact with, and have something to hook a bystander and not let them go until they’re in love.


Update:

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