So #ViceTech is now a thing. Great TechCrunch news article just out on technology put to the service of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. Think hook-up apps like Tinder, on-demand marijuana delivery, or the myriad of music apps. And, of course, all reported by Vice media.
With #ViceTech, we have a powerful triptych of digital opportunity. Readers of DiT will know that along with the role of positive psychology in experience design, my conclusion about the big opportunity in digital right now is that it lies in the intersection of #ConvenienceTech and #EgoTech, tech designed to save us time and effort combined with tech that flatters our fragile egos. Think Uber – tap screen, get service, putting you at the centre of your world.
But now with #ViceTech do we have a digital sweet spot? The not-so-holy trinity of digital opportunity.
- #ViceTech – tech that plays to human vice – start your next innovation session with the seven deadly sins – pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath or sloth
- #ConvenienceTech – tech that saves us time and effort, delivering instant gratification for our impatient world
- #EgoTech – with an epidemic of narcissism spreading since the introduction of smartphones (test yourself Narcissistic Personality Disorder here), tech that flatters our egos with self-aggrandisement and plays to self-entitlement
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Thanks for writing such an interesting paper about this topic. This has made me think a lot
Pretty sure we just call this “the internet” at this point. Framing base human impulses as some new innovation triptych feels like a massive stretch.
this is a really insightful framework for thinking about digital opportunities. i like how you’ve categorized these three distinct areas – conveniencetech, egotech, and now vicetech – because they each tap into very different human motivations.
what strikes me is how these categories often overlap in practice. uber, for instance, isn’t just conveniencetech – it’s got strong egotech elements too, with the driver rating system and the sense of being in control. and many vicetech platforms are incredibly convenient, which is part of their appeal.
i’m curious whether you see vicetech as more of a passing trend or if it represents a fundamental shift in how we think about technology’s role in wellbeing. the tension between digital wellbeing and technologies designed around pleasure, escapism, or vice is fascinating. are they inherently at odds, or is there a way to design vicetech that actually supports better wellbeing outcomes?
the psychological angle is what really interests me here – these technologies are essentially manipulating different emotional needs and desires. understanding which need they’re serving seems crucial for anyone working in digital product design.