As part of our LAB experiments with the iPAD, we have been brainstorming with a number of workers about how a tablet device might assist them in their work.
Avraham or his cousin are at this hot dog stand 12 hours a day, selling street food to the tourists coming to Broadway shows and the occasional learning consultant who lives near by. After exploring the iPAD with me, here is what he suggested as the App that he would like:
- More Buns and Dogs Please: A wireless ability to order replenishment supplies during the day. As a 1 person operation, he wants to be able to order more hot dog buns or knishes from his supplier without leaving the stand.
- Language Translations: He sells food to people who speak dozens of languages and sometimes have difficulty understanding his Egyptian accented English. He would love to have a menu, with prices and ingredients in several dozen languages. People want to know if the hotdogs have pork (no) and if the chestnuts are ready (yes, in winter) And, some would order more if they could just press a picture.
- Monitoring Sports: When he is not busy, he is a fierce follower of sports teams from Egypt. He would borrow the bandwidth from the Starbucks Hotspot 8 feet away to keep an eye on his team at home.
- Schedule Updates: His business is impacted by the start and ending times of Broadway Shows and special events in Manhattan. He needs to have kabobs almost cooked by time Rock of Ages and Jesey Boys lets out. He would integrate show times into his iPAD and keep some historical data on who is hungrier. (Hint - musical shows are best for hot dogs. Dramas buy less but a good for a soda).
- School Work Assistance: He would love to be able to Skype a few times a day with his kids and help them with homework if possible. He uses this cell phone but imagined that he would be able to look at the actual math work his children are doing.
Posts
Elliott..
ReplyDeleteYou are funny! Your post really drove home the idea of engaging the imagination of a worker for what information, communication, context and knowledge for performance and support.
And, you made me hungry for a dog. Do you get warm sauerkraut on yours. And, from the picture it looks like he does those nice smelly beef skewers.
You've stimulated my mind and hunger..
Elliott
ReplyDeleteYou should leave it with him for 1 week and see what he really does with it - i bet sports scores and gaming end up on top of the list.
Bob
Bob..
ReplyDeleteI am going to "seed" a few iPADs to folks with "nano" businesses like these. The performance support dimensions - - - as well as the social connectivity - - - will be of high value/impact.
Elliott
this is the proof: ask the people that will use the program, the gadget, the training or whatever it is, the user/s will tell you exactly what their needs are.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Avraham.
AD
I love the idea of the iPAD...and all the possiblities.
ReplyDeleteI am a working professional with two busy young kids...and planning to return to school to work on my Masters in the fall...I can see numerous applications from connecting with collegues on projects, assisting my kids with their homework, to popping into their classroom to assist on an assignment / topic "eg., bullying"...it's fantastic. I love how the hot dog vendor...found multiple ways to incorporate it into his everyday life. Wow! Thanks for sharing!
Lisa,
Elliot use your Ipad to translate this:
ReplyDeleteTe felicito por tu post, es una excelente forma de utilizar el IPad, muy creativo eres como siempre.
Gracias amigo.
Hi Elliott,
ReplyDeleteHow did you demonstrate / explain the basics of the iPAD to Avraham to support understanding of the practical application of it in his business?
Thanks,
Theresa
Elliott,
ReplyDeleteI think it would be a good idea for you to give me an iPad so that I can tell you about the many uses it would have in the operation of a hardware store!
Best,
Jeff
He probably has a mobile phone, and could do most of it on that. Am I missing something?
ReplyDeleteRob..
ReplyDeleteHe does have a mobile phone, but it would not support things like:
* Visual Menus in Different Languages
* Document Viewing of Kid's Homework
* Viewing TV Screen Size Sports
Plus, it was fascinating to watch him brainstorm ways that it would enhance his workspace --eg. the hotdog cart.
Elliott
I would love to try the ipad for my Internet Safety class with kids in high risk areas. I run this as a volunteer but am unemployed right now so can't afford to buy one. Has anyone tried this in a mobile teaching environment in disadvantaged areas?
ReplyDeleteInteresting comment on Amazon's site regarding using iPad for an autistic child. http://tinyurl.com/y4x8bj4 comment by CK on 12 April.
ReplyDeleteElliott,
ReplyDeleteI wonder if he would use it for training in his downtime - I would imagine there may be some marketing training he could use to expand his business (Attracting customers). Or what about an iPad version of the "Lemonade Stand" game.
He could also use it to search for lower cost sources for his food... If it had a camera (which it does not), he could also keep a photo catalog of satisfied customers. Lot's of possiblities.
Thanks for stimulating our thinking - we have several iPads in house and on order so we are anxious to figure out good uses.
Dana
Too cool!
ReplyDeleteDana..
ReplyDeleteBy looking at the iPAD as a simple platform for Performance Support/Community/Learning opportunity for design by a user/worker it is quite interesting.
Elliott
I just attended my first WebEx session on an iPad. It worked quite well. I was personally able to move about freely (rather than sticking to my desk), chat worked well, logging in was simple, etc... Once the 3Gs come out, I can participate in webinars at the park!
ReplyDelete