I'm commuting with Keegan a lot this month. I enjoy it and it's great to spend the extra time with him. He seems to be growing so fast that I just know I'm going to wake up and he'll be in high school.
It's no secret he and his brother Devin make their way into my work both directly (smartphones + kids) and indirectly (waving whale = inauthentic). I'm finding these walks to the ferry terminal and the boat rides are pretty illuminating in terms of watching how people (Keegan specifically) evolve and adapt to their surroundings.
I've noticed lately that Keegan isn't content to just sit in the booth with us anymore reading books and racing Hotwheels. He's begun to see other kids (older) migrate to the "Tokyo Drift" video game at the "stern" of the boat. I can see Keegan is yearning to be with the big kids who stand around trying to outwit the candy machine while taking turns pretending to play the game. "Drift" is $1 (wtf?) and few parents are shelling out. But every day they line up to hit the gas peddle, bash the gear shift and pound the nitro button.
It's been fun standing off to the side watching Keegan attempt to insert himself into the collective. You can literally map out the hierarchy and the social norms of the group.
These photos give you a sense of how he's going about getting stuck into the group.
What I really like is that he's quickly observed, made notes and summized that the older kids like to show others how smart they are about the game. With so few social currencies at this age, insights and bragging rights have real value. So I'll hear him ask questions that he clearly knows the answer to, "is 3rd gear faster than 1st?" After the older kid is allowed to school him, Keegan will o
ften get picked to be next so that he can be shown how to play. I like that Keegan figured out what button to push on the older kids. He's also very smart about where he places himself while observing. He's always off to the side, slightly back, hands hidden in his sleeves, trying to just observe. Love that kid and thanks for the insights.
Position your focus, observe your segment, ask questions that illicit an emotional response. Learn. Evaluate. Build powerpoint slides...
It's no secret he and his brother Devin make their way into my work both directly (smartphones + kids) and indirectly (waving whale = inauthentic). I'm finding these walks to the ferry terminal and the boat rides are pretty illuminating in terms of watching how people (Keegan specifically) evolve and adapt to their surroundings.
I've noticed lately that Keegan isn't content to just sit in the booth with us anymore reading books and racing Hotwheels. He's begun to see other kids (older) migrate to the "Tokyo Drift" video game at the "stern" of the boat. I can see Keegan is yearning to be with the big kids who stand around trying to outwit the candy machine while taking turns pretending to play the game. "Drift" is $1 (wtf?) and few parents are shelling out. But every day they line up to hit the gas peddle, bash the gear shift and pound the nitro button.
It's been fun standing off to the side watching Keegan attempt to insert himself into the collective. You can literally map out the hierarchy and the social norms of the group.
These photos give you a sense of how he's going about getting stuck into the group. What I really like is that he's quickly observed, made notes and summized that the older kids like to show others how smart they are about the game. With so few social currencies at this age, insights and bragging rights have real value. So I'll hear him ask questions that he clearly knows the answer to, "is 3rd gear faster than 1st?" After the older kid is allowed to school him, Keegan will o
ften get picked to be next so that he can be shown how to play. I like that Keegan figured out what button to push on the older kids. He's also very smart about where he places himself while observing. He's always off to the side, slightly back, hands hidden in his sleeves, trying to just observe. Love that kid and thanks for the insights.
Position your focus, observe your segment, ask questions that illicit an emotional response. Learn. Evaluate. Build powerpoint slides...
Comments
Ohhh who am I kidding, that was my favorite part.
-KM.
I do expect to see a ppt version of this sooner than later.