Smart Spaces are Coming
And they raise serious risks. Here's how we can get it right.
The next revolution in data is smart spaces. Integrated data collection can create better experiences for building occupants and optimized costs for owners, but it highlights serious privacy concerns.
We can apply lessons learned from digital platforms, to design connected experiences that respect users and earn their trust.
Today, urban planning and property management are at the forefront of the digital twin movement, an approach to data gathering that attempts to create accurate virtual models of physical places or objects. The technology has been quietly advancing for the past 20 years as embedded sensors became cheaper and more powerful. Digital twin models update in real-time to provide visibility and insight into the operations of their "real life" counterparts.
All of this technological progress poses a serious risk of allowing the same invasions of privacy to happen in our physical spaces that have already happened in our digital ones. High profile scandals and corporate misuse – from data breaches at Walgreens and Twitter to Facebook's numerous transgressions – have shaken public trust in the power of big data.
The internet of things presents its own unique security risks, by relying on an array of diverse hardware, each individual network access and its own unique protocols. Returning to the optimism of the early internet seems like a struggle, so consider this: The cost, both financial and reputational, of extracting invasive tracking systems from our built environment will be on a different order of magnitude.
We now have the opportunity to learn from our shortcomings around data privacy. Instead of taking first and asking for permission later, the brands that put the user first reap huge rewards.
This time around we're not dealing with an uninformed public. Users are more engaged about data privacy than ever before, and we can harness that interest to transform our approach to design. Here are four key principles that every designer should take into consideration when implementing data collection and analysis in smart spaces:
01
DEMOCRATIZE VALUES.
The days of getting it for free are over. We need to provide tangible value to users in exchange for their data. For example, new smart parking technologies don't just allow cities to adjust rates on the fly during peak use times, they also reduce traffic and help drivers find a spot quickly and painlessly.
02
PROMOTE DATA LITERACY.
How your data is used should be not only transparent but easy to understand. Data collection and use should be highlighted and broadcast, not hidden and obfuscated. Data visualization should become a focal point and design statement. For example, the lobby of United Therapeutics' headquarters displays real-time information about the building's energy usage through interactive sculpture.
03
PLAN FOR DISPOSAL.
We need to start treating data as the volatile resource it is. When harvested responsibly and thoughtfully, it can unleash immense power and insight. But when handled recklessly, it's dangerous. And like any volatile resource, it needs to be stored and disposed of responsibly. New regulations like GDPR and CCPA make this an unavoidable facet of data collection, and smart spaces are no exception.
04
DESIGN ETHICALLY.
It's incumbent on companies to design AI and ML technology, such as facial recognition, in a way that minimizes bias and doesn't privilege or discriminate against certain groups. This is a real opportunity for companies and brands to establish credibility and trust with users, by designing smart spaces with all people in mind (not just certain demographics).
Smart spaces function like any other data collection system. No security system is flawless, and data breaches are inevitable. That's why we must create a strong case with the public for why we need smart spaces. By focusing on transparency and respecting users' intelligence, we can create a robust paradigm for smart spaces that serve a wide base of stakeholders.
Software continues to eat the world. Now is our chance to reverse course on dangerous negligence and user exploitation, before the next course starts.
WORDS BY
DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRIAL DESIGN
PETER STEINER