Next New
November 25, 2018
Christmas season is quickly approaching us, and thanks in part to the enormous lines that come naturally with holiday shopping, I have a suggestion in mind for a new type of "new media" in the form of an app. While today's marketed world consists of something available for almost every niche segment out there, I don't believe this idea exists but I would definitely find it to be of use for society as the holidays come in full swing.
Building off of the aforementioned holiday shopping lines, what I am proposing is something more of a two-part application: one for parking and one for in-stores. First, for when you arrive at the store or outlet to do some last minute gift scouring, think of the app as a Google Maps for parking. Utilizing information technology, there could be some form of sensor that can detect when a parking space is occupied in the parking lot and then immediately void that section off in red on the app. This will allow customers to decide when would be a good time to head out to the store by checking space availability in advance instead of having to circle around numerous times and fighting for a single spot with three other cars. This app would show open spaces in green and could have a voice-functionality feature that can direct you to an open spot (with selectivity components available such as whether you prefer spots closer to the entrance of a store, need handicap accessibility spots, or the closest space currently to you) so as to avoid the issue of looking at your phone while driving.
Secondly, the same general gist of this information technology-driven new media application can hold its foundation within an in-store setting. That is, many stores have their own websites nowadays which tell you whether an app is currently in-stock at your location and what aisle to look for it in, but this app would take it a step further and actually lead you to that aisle instead of wandering around the entire store looking for it. Additionally, more often than not I have experienced a situation where Target's website tells me that the item is stated to be in-stock, but when I show up to the aisle, it is nowhere to be seen. Thus, this app would work in conjunction with the inventory keeper who sets out a specific amount of each item and records it onto the app, and once the product's barcode is scanned for purchasing, it automatically refreshes the application to indicate one less currently available inventory of said product.
Generally speaking, I think that this could be a creative solution to communicate directly to consumers when exactly they should make the "dreaded" holiday shopping trip out that would definitely eliminate hassles and overall enhance the society and community at large—all with the help of new media.
2 comments
Hi William!
ReplyDeleteI really love the suggestions you made. I am someone who loves the holiday season and obviously that love comes with the perils of going shopping in the holiday. This includes the ridiculous lines, waiting to find parking, and things selling our. Your suggestion of a two part application would be awesome because I can shop way more efficiently without circling a parking garage 50 times to find parking just to go in and find out the thing I wanted to buy isn't in stock anymore.
-Roshen V
You probably have one of the most impressive posts I”ve seen for this topic! I like how you really considered the repurcussions of making an app for drivers by including a voice function to avoid using the phone while driving. Although I’m not a driver myself, I know well enough that lots of drivers, especially in urban areas, have a severely hard time finding parking space. Especially in a large parking lot, where there’s nearly hundreds of parking space, the user may not want to drive all around the area just to find their ideal spots taken.
ReplyDeleteA very good and probable idea!