Hippo - The Human Focused Digital Book

HippoThe Human Focused
Digital Book.
Pete Trainor with Luke Shipman
Copyright©2016NexusCxLtd
#hippobook

Hello, I’m Pete.
The Accidental Polymath.
I never set out to write a philosophy book, or any kind of book. It just
sort of happened. That’s the greatest gift we all have — the curiosity
to explore new things. To think differently. To be brave.
Da Vinci was a polymath who understood the necessity to study broadly
and not locally and that in mastering an area or ﬁeld that may appear
disconnected to one’s main sphere, we can in fact develop further
knowledge within the main. His message was not only to study the
science of art, but also – the art of science.
#hippobook

Introduction
Due to the way civilisations progress, we are about to zip-
line and observe more change in the next ten years, than
of the last hundred. But how do we prevent this
acceleration from eroding away our humanity? As
technology becomes increasingly immaterial, ask this:
does the product you’ve created add more layers of
confusion? When we strip away all the technology, what
are we left with? The same thing we started with —
people.
Incorporating the psychological and philosophical ﬁelds
into the design process, Pete Trainor takes us back to the
fundamental questions, that drive us, and through a
journey of design thinking, he asks one simple question,
the one we have asked through all times… why?
#hippobook

1. Design and Humans
A holistic approach to human-focused digital involves a
consideration of human psychology and behaviour. What
makes us human? It is a question we must return to if
building for the long-term is our motivation. Design more…
or design better? Something’s gotta give.
#hippobook

2. The Human Approach
In the future, design needs to consider the dynamics of
human emotion and the inﬂuence of our environment
equally with technology and digital progress. Then we can
focus on servicing what people need, instead of what we
think they need.
#hippobook

3. Narcissus, IAD and the
Megacity
Digital innovation should encourage human interaction of
all kinds, rather than domination by technology, because
communication builds community. It’s time to lose the
touchscreen and delve into solutions that satisfy the needs
of the human condition.
#hippobook

4. Humans as Scaredy-cats.
Fear or CBT?
When designers set out to create solutions, they often fail
to address the fears of the person who will use the
product. Using psychology and cognitive behavioural
therapy in our approach to design, we can anticipate the
conditions that lead to fear and encourage desirable
behaviours instead.
#hippobook

5. The Fundamental
Questions
We are able to question our existence and adapt but
increasingly we can design technology that connects and
adapts to our requirements using artiﬁcial intelligence. In
order to support human needs, designers need to think
more human.
#hippobook

6. Thinking More Human
Being
We may think we know how humans behave but using
technology and a systematic analysis, we are able to
conﬁrm it, and then examine further, the effects that
technology has on our behaviour – compared with our
projections. It is time to harness and anchor in technology
to elevate us, lift us, and to help us reach our potential.
#hippobook

7. People Learn Thought
Aristotle… and Question,
Thought Socrates
Learning is a permanent change in behaviour and is
inﬂuenced by reinforcement, shaping and punishment. In
order to create a successful product, designers should use
Socratic questioning and empathy to explore how their
changes make people feel.
#hippobook

8. People Like to Connect
(and be Happy)
People enjoy human interaction and technology that helps
them to connect socially. Being social means sharing
information, experiences and emotions as well as
choosing who we connect with.
#hippobook

9. People Like To Have Fun
(and be Really Happy)
There are physical reasons for our addiction to technology.
We learn to anticipate the chemical rewards our brains
give us, which governs our future behaviour.
#hippobook

10. Taoism 2016
Humans are naturally inclined to learn, socialise and have
fun, which includes ﬁnding meaning. By practising these
things regularly, habits are formed and beneﬁcial changes
in behaviour occur.
#hippobook

11. We’re Not Digitising
Behaviour; We’re Behaving in a
Real World
The perception is that technology is taking over our lives in
a bad way and it ain’t necessarily so. In designing
technology for the future, we should be aiming for a
desirable interface that enhances and facilitates our
experience. In so doing, it should not be an object to
admire but a seamless part of our existence.
#hippobook

12. If Socrates Had Siri…
The Future…
To integrate tech comprehensively into our lives, our
devices must understand our emotions. As humans we
learn to interpret cues to emotions from birth. We can use
analytics to help machines develop and exceed our
abilities. If we use this potential wisely, we will beneﬁt from
a world created by AI. Wisely being the operative word.
#hippobook

13. The Cave
There is enormous potential for the technology we use to
aggregate data about our behaviour and to share it – and
use it to personalise our experiences. In this way, an
omnipresent technology has the potential to free us from
our caves. The revolution will not be televised. It will just
happen – if we let go of fear, and harness technology once
and for all, for the beneﬁt of the whole.
#hippobook

Hippo is available to
buy from Amazon,
in Europe, the U.K
and the U.S.
Click to buy on:
#hippobook

About the authors
Pete Trainor 
www.nexus.design / @petetrainor
Pete is a digital designer, public speaker, accidental polymath and founder of Nexus Design in London. He speaks globally on
creative and social technologies and the physiological and psychological effects on their audiences. Pete regularly appears in UK
national and international press as an analyst on digital media, creative industries, emergent technologies, and tech markets. A
vocal mental health campaigner, he calls for better use of technology to help men, women, children and teens in moments of crisis.
Pete has a very simple mantra: don't do things better, do better things.
Luke Shipman 
www.uk-ghostwriter.com / @ghostwriter_uk
Luke is a writer and ﬁlmmaker from Wales. After ten years freelance writing, he now specialises in ghostwriting and co-authoring
books. He holds an MA in Scriptwriting.
Luke believes that story is part of who we are, and that everyone has one that is unique.
#hippobook

Don’t do things better.
Do better things.
Paperback ISBN 978-0-9955361-3-5
E-Book ISBN 978-0-9955361-2-8
Cover Art by Jamie Twyman - www.twymandesign.com
First published in Great Britain in 2016 by Nexus CX Ltd
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in
a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the authors.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information for business owners. It is sold under the
express understanding that any decisions or actions you take as a result of reading this book must be based on your
commercial judgement and will be at your sole risk. The author will not be held responsible for the consequences of any
actions and/or decisions taken as a result of any information given or recommendations made.
#hippobook

Hippo - The Human Focused Digital Book

Hippo - The Human Focused Digital Book

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