Android By Russell Holly May. 16, 2014 3:04 pm
It looks like Google is finally ready to get serious about the image problem that their wearable tech has developed over the last year, and they have done so by hiring Ivy Ross as the new head of the team.
Google has worked hard over the last year to convince people that Glass was a fashionable accessory. They have strapped it to models during Fashion Week, NBA players during practice, and even worked with world class designers to release a prescription frame collection. Exactly none of this has succeeded in changing the most common opinion of Glass, which is how weird the device looks on most people. When you get past the fake privacy outrage, the awkwardness (and $1,500 price tag) of Glass is the biggest detractor to the platform right now. Google’s new Chief for Glass is tasked with solving this particular dilemma, and her employment history suggests that she is up to the task.
In a post on Google+ explaining her new position, Ivy Ross notes that she has become the new head of Glass for Google X. Ivy explained that she comes from “Calvin Klein, Swatch, Coach, Mattel, Bausch & Lomb, Gap and, most recently, Art.com — at the intersection of design and marketing,” which is exactly the kind of thing Glass needs right now. It’s not entirely clear what her plan is, and that’s probably a good thing for now. The next couple of months are going to be an interesting period for Glass now that the beta program is open to everyone but the price tag is still $1,500.
With Google IO around the corner, it’s likely we’ll see some update on the progress the platform has made so far, but for now there’s nothing to do but watch and wait.
More...
Google has worked hard over the last year to convince people that Glass was a fashionable accessory. They have strapped it to models during Fashion Week, NBA players during practice, and even worked with world class designers to release a prescription frame collection. Exactly none of this has succeeded in changing the most common opinion of Glass, which is how weird the device looks on most people. When you get past the fake privacy outrage, the awkwardness (and $1,500 price tag) of Glass is the biggest detractor to the platform right now. Google’s new Chief for Glass is tasked with solving this particular dilemma, and her employment history suggests that she is up to the task.
In a post on Google+ explaining her new position, Ivy Ross notes that she has become the new head of Glass for Google X. Ivy explained that she comes from “Calvin Klein, Swatch, Coach, Mattel, Bausch & Lomb, Gap and, most recently, Art.com — at the intersection of design and marketing,” which is exactly the kind of thing Glass needs right now. It’s not entirely clear what her plan is, and that’s probably a good thing for now. The next couple of months are going to be an interesting period for Glass now that the beta program is open to everyone but the price tag is still $1,500.
With Google IO around the corner, it’s likely we’ll see some update on the progress the platform has made so far, but for now there’s nothing to do but watch and wait.
More...
