The Personalization of Everyday Life

The Personalization of Everyday Life

Architecture, Design, Technology

For years, hotel brands have been mass producing rooms with the same strategic thinking as a McDonald’s hamburger: it’s the same no matter where in the world you are. That predictable sameness is what customers liked because it was comforting and reassuring. Now, the mass-produced repeatability no longer holds the value it once did. As Airbnb has proved, there’s a huge demand for unique, character-full overnight experiences, and the hotel industry is scrambling to compete.

We have witnessed personalization in the digital world with services like Spotify for music or online shopping with Amazon Prime. Advanced algorithms anticipate our individual needs and wants. Now, with the advances in the Internet of Things, AI, and smart sensors, the reality of personalized experiences in the physical world is right around the corner. This promises to upend physical experiences everywhere, and hotels aren’t the only building types that will benefit. Office buildings, airports, and retail outlets are all poised to be transformed by digital-physical design. What are the up side of personalization? More authentic experiences? What are the downsides? Are we going to be living in our individualized “personalization bubble” – you are only getting the things you like… How can people experience the new and unfamiliar things in life… where is recommendation algorithms taking us? Yes its similar and familiar, but missing out on the experiencing shockingly “new and different.”