I was recently involved in a human-centered design activity where participants were asked to interview someone at their table to learn about the kind of wallet they used and how they would change things if they could create their own perfect version. It’s a routine exercise that has been used in many settings — only half of the participants did not use a wallet at all. Instead, they relied either on their phone directly or included a pocket for credit cards as part of their phone case.
The move to cashless played out in another exercise — one of my favorite opening activities — where I ask participants to draw what is on the front and back of a penny. It used to be that everyone in the room had a penny in their purse or pocket, but with my last group, only a few carried the coins and could verify the guesses.
It highlighted for me that the range of common experiences is dwindling every day. There are no longer universal (fill in the blank) — television shows, election dates, shopping locations, or news sources. And, activities that include cash or wallets are becoming extinct as well.
If you conduct training sessions, write case studies, or use examples in your messaging, step back and review your material for outdated references. Your lesson will have more impact if you’re current, not quaint.
