THE XPLORING BRIEF

The digital revolution has made photography accessible to everyone as the digital camera market is developing faster than other creative media, both technically and creatively. People now have an ever-expanding choice of tools to create their pictures while one product innovation is chasing the next. Everybody is able to document their lives and to explore their creative potential without taking any risks. Not only have people been empowered to create more images of their lives but also to share them and collaborate with others. Photographs have become the new social currency that people are trading on social networking sites to influence others and express their identity. It’s a universal language everyone can understand, but the quantity of images has taken over the quality of photos leading to digital inertia. Digital cameras are becoming commoditized in the megapixel and price battle. Consumers are trying to stay on top of the digital camera swamp as they are stuck in a tyranny of choice. What all camera brands are failing to do is to create an emotional connection with people who may not be passionate about photography as such, but use digital cameras in their everyday lives.

The purpose of this Xploring project is to uncover a strategic insight that will help us lift people’s rational barriers and take us to a powerful organizing idea.

Areas of Curiosity:
- The rise of creativity in people’s everyday lives
- People’s hidden creative talents
- How people reportage their lives in pictures
- How people’s see the world through their camera
- People’s passion to preserve their experiences on pictures
- What makes a good camera for ordinary people


THE XPLORING TASK
Xploring is based on a very simple principle:
If you want to understand how a tiger hunts, don’t go to the zoo...Go to the jungle.

Xploring is much more than gathering information, it means going into unknown territory. Taking risks, perhaps taking a wrong turn. It means following your gut and listening, really listening. It means trusting your instincts, over and beyond the facts given. Knowing that when you do, you'll see more, understand more.

We will spend the next weeks with real people in the real world to understand the things that matter to them when taking pictures. Our Xploring journey will take us to people living in Germany, Poland, Russia, Italy, Spain and the U.K. We will go to their homes, spend a day with their families and friends, share their personal memories, connect with them through social networking sites, go on a night out, play with their cameras, listen to their stories, and observe their creative abilities…etc.


23 July 2009

Complexity kills creativity

Complexity kills creativity

Oliver, 32 & Maren 30 from Munich, Germany – on their holidays in Australia with their Canon ixus

Oliver has always bought Canon digital compact cameras „because then I would always know how the menu works, its like with Nokia mobile phones.“ When Oliver and his girlfriend Maren were in Australia last year, Oliver started to play around with his little Canon camera (Digital Ixus i, 7,1 megapixel), using diverse features and techniques. “I was bored just taking pictures and pictures and pictures, so I started to play around and tried out some things. When the first things worked out I even started reading the instruction manual – so I could experiment even more. So the pictures became more special, more valuable.”

Oliver`s picture play around with his Canon Ixus. “making the pics special and more valuable”

Oliver got so excited with this little camera that Maren decided to buy him a semi professional digital reflex camera for Christmas. She thought in this way he could extent his hobby and a semi-professional reflex camera would give him more opportunities. So she firstly surfed in the internet, checked out the Stiftung Warentest site (important independent test institute in Germany, strong endorser) to get a first impression what are must have standards and which are the leading models for “digital reflex beginners”. With her notes from her internet search she went to a German “Media Markt” where she spent approximately 1,5h with a shop assistant. The shop assistant told her to either buy the Sony or the Lumix from Panasonic, because she told him that her boyfriend was an event manager so he should be able to take pictures very spontaneously. To make sure Oliver would be able to use these cameras easily, Maren asked the shop assistant to explain her in 10 minutes how each camera works. She was impressed by the “i” – self-intelligence button of the Lumix. Here the camera would do everything on its own, and you would make sure to be able to take good pictures, although you might not be an expert. Maren decided to buy the Lumix from Panasonic, because compared to the Sony and Canon models, this camera was rather small and so ideal for taking it to events or on holiday trips. She knew “size” was important for Oliver, because he once mentioned that he would like to have one of these professional digital reflex cameras, but they were not practicable and too large to transport.

So it was Christmas Eve, Maren proudly gave Oliver his present – the Lumix Panasonic digital reflex camera. Oliver was impressed and surprised – he never thought about such a present. He started to unpack everything, put together the camera, charged the batteries. His first reaction when he looked at all the cameras and its many buttons: “Wow – there are so many different settings, it seems quite complicated.” Then he took the instruction manual and got even more frustrated. Maren tried to encourage him and told him about the “i” with which he couldn’t do wrong. But Oliver was not convinced “when I have such a camera with all these features I also want to know how to handle it.”

So the camera stayed in its box for the next 2 month. Maren got very upset, because she thought she had bought a nice present – and it was very expensive! Oliver continued to say that he is soo happy about it but that he cannot find time to study the instruction manual. So the two just continued using the Canon ixus and Oliver was happy impressing others with all this special features his little camera has.

Panasonic Lumix G1 – Oliver`s new camera and in red the “i” button.

It took another 2 month and many discussions with Maren until Oliver decided to spend some time with his new digital reflex camera. Maren even organized an evening with a friend, who is a professional photographer and could give Oliver some advice and instructions. Well, the photographer really helped him but it was frustrating for both (Maren and Oliver) that the photographer continued saying that its all much easier with a Canon Eos. Oliver didn’t say anything but Maren felt it – she felt this pressure: “why didn’t she buy me my favourable Canon…then I would know how to handle this thing..”

However, in the meantime Oliver got friends with his Lumix, he plays around with it and started experimenting, like he did with his little Canon. He even has a stand for his camera – but still hasn’t used it – the price tag and instruction manual is still on it J Meanwhile, Maren uses the Lumix, too – “I don’t have these problems with the camera – I just use the “i” button, and everything is fine.”

Oliver slowly becomes friends with his Lumix digital flex camera, and shortly maybe also with his new stand (also a present from Maren – for his last birthday)

Insights:

  • Complexity kills creativity / the fascination for photography (for “beginners”)
  • Taking pictures and pictures and pictures with digi cams is usual now and can be boring – people are looking for alternatives.
  • Pictures become more valuable and special when you start adding a special touch – this might already happen by playing around with the colours.
  • Once caught by the fascination of photography – you want to be 100% master of the camera or you leave it for good.
  • Never take away a beloved camera brand from a photographer (even though he is just a beginner) --> a trusted brand (and manual) helps when people make a next step in their "photographer career".


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