Boxes And Arrows : The Design Behind the Design

Article Idea:

Are you in beta?

suggested by Jesper Bove-Nielsen on 2006/06/16

10 years ago a very long beta phase was synonymous for failure in software projects. When the boss approached the code department and started talking about “perpetual beta projects” a firing spree was eminent. Today a boss with this attitude would probably be kicked out of the company, and the beta coder would aspire to become employee of the month. At least that would be the case if he or she worked for Google, Yahoo, Microsoft or a progressive startup firm. Are you confused? If you are it is fully understandable. Previously the mantra for softwaredevelopment projects was “Fast out of beta”. The beta phase was something to get over. Now the mantra for some of the worlds leading softwarecompanies, small as big – “Stay in beta”. A wide range of companies just will not let their products and services leave the beta phase. Rather they market their offers as beta. Google does it extensively and many of their services have been in beta for years. Yahoo and Microsoft are following the same trail. Globally beta has become a symbol of innovation, constant development and an intimate relationship with the market and world around us. By nature we are all in beta. But the industrial age mindset has led us to believe that change and development is mechanic – something that can be started and stopped just like a machine. That of course is a fallacy. Nature is in beta. The world around us, the society is in a rapid constant movement. And we as individuals must be in beta to catch up with a rapid changing society. Our companies must be in beta to adopt and respond to the perpetual changing market conditions. And the firms products, services, processes and business models must consistently be changed, developed and redeveloped in an intimate relationship and dialogue with the market. And profit from it. A Google query on ”perpetual beta” two weeks ago gave me 107.000 hits. This week the result was 125.000. And these results are not about software failure and projects that never made it. No these results are largely about a bright way to manage and lead innovation and customer involvement. The pace of change have never been faster, and companies need to invent and reinvent products, services, processes and business models faster than ever before. And this is where the beta mindset enters the arena – both for digital and physical products. Take Apple iPod as an example. This product has won hundreds of design awards and is one of the the most successful Apple products ever. Actually this product is what keeps Apple alive these years. Most people would probably contend the idea that iPod is in beta because the design seems so perfect. It is synonymous with simplicity and clean design just like Bang & Olufsen products. But beneath the well polished surface of iPod, lies a hardware platform in constant development. Hardware in beta. First it played music. Then it got room for more music. After that a colour display. Suddenly it could show pictures. The screen grew larger. Next came video and an address book. Now the world waits for the iPod to turn into a phone. iPod is in beta. Just like my 13 year old daughter it is on a trail of constant development. Of play, learn and profit. Nokia is another example. The company has been in beta for hundreds of years. They started producing rubber boots. Now they are a global leader in mobile phones. The shift did not happen overnight, but as a result of many small and gradual changes in the organization and businessmodel. Richard Branson is the personification of being in beta. He started selling records from a couch ina small shop. Now he has the whole world as a profitable playground for telecom, food, travel, entertainment and many other industries. He never stops playing, profiting and learning. Our grandparents said “get an education”. Today all the smart people will tell you that lifelong learning is the key to success. Change does not stop. It continues. If you are not riding the waves of change, you will washed away. Ask your self these simple questions: Is your company in beta? Is your organization? Your products? Are you?