the technology wardrobe revisited.

i'm sitting here with my little LG phone to my left. an iPod sits dust-covered on my fireplace mantle. i have a TV on, powered by Verizon's FIOS network. and my little MacBook lets me type away while listening to the random sounds of sirens and drunk people stumbling past my block. i faced a crushing defeat by the computer during another round of Wii Tennis. i hate that as i get better, so does the computer. technology outfits most of my life. it always has. even if i have this random sunday newspaper sitting on the floor. (i'm seeking a new camera).

last semester ended with a presentation on examining a personal technology wardrobe. we focused on this idea of modifization, a meeting point where modification and personalization unite to create a new hybrid, perhaps synergistic relationship between tech manufacturer and end-user. on the search, we noticed an intriguing trend of technology and fashion colliding together to create super-premium status devices. for example, the Prada LG phone, clocking in at about $900. when all was said and done, we delivered an interesting trend with future merit, but lacked the closer. so, in a way, i'm taking my stab at it.

i'm prompted by the idea of emotional design, or as other companies might call it, the moments of truth. emotional design pulls three ideas together - visceral, behavioral and reflective - to create a possibly unbreakable affection and connection with a product. technology, for all its advances in form and function, neglects this emotional tie that makes something more than its pieces. visceral is the gut reaction when you first see the product. behavioral deals with the actually function and use of the product. and reflective makes the end user assess what the product means to them. what does it say about me? separately, each piece segments an audience based on aesthetics, ease-of-use or personal expression. together, they bond the user to the brand. technology, especially cell phone manufacturers, have yet to pull all three together. which is why, when a new model comes out, we're quick to dump whatever we have to seek the new. we have no bond to the phone other than the credit card line item on the bill.

but high-end fashion started making phones. and other technology devices. witness samsung and armani joining forces to create an entire electronics line. or tag heuer turning its equity in watches to phones and other devices. as a culture, we're constantly upgrading to better and sleeker things. is a fashionable TV really different from a fashionable purse? isn't it all part of the outfit?

i'm revisiting this idea because, apparently, the Prada phone worked. nearly 700,000 units later (in under one year), Prada and LG are about to release the first limited edition run of the already limited edition phone. the silver Prada phone, full with QWERTY keyboard and more features than you can figure out how to work with, drops in the stores within the next few months. the essential dilemma remains, which brand wins in this co-branded tech environment? we didn't pick a winner back in december. but i can now. emotional design argues that the emotional aspect is the key to transforming the product into something extraordinary. and, perhaps, to generate a higher price point. in this equation of fashion + technology, the emotion rests in the fashion brand. it carries social capital. it has social and personal value about how we see ourselves and how we want to portray ourselves to the world. with exception of apple, it's hard to find a technology company that fully understands this deeply personal emotion and embeds that within the design functionality.

the future means that a Prada LG phone will become simply the Prada phone, and LG (as will be the case with other manufacturers) will bow to the emotional branding power of its partner. the fashion brand will also have to incorporate the same customer service experience and expectations into tech support. this should be a terrifying prediction for technology companies. they, most likely, won't own the tech conversation when it comes to these specialty devices. and they will reap the steepest penalty if the devices flop. because electronics is their currency. the fashion brand only has to lend its name to make the device emotionally appealing. if the device fails, it's a testament to the development and brains of the tech company, not the fashion brand. and if it succeeds, the fashion brand continues to be fashion forward on the runway and in personal electronics. the tech company becomes a third party innovator destined to need the fashion brand more than the fashion brand needs the tech company. and, in that scenario, the tech brand might simply vanish.

there's a scary thought.