Dec 27, 2009

I decided to fly Virgin America on my trip to San Francisco from NY, and let me tell you about the experience… Despite being a start-up on the US airline market it seems that Virgin America has a different perspective on in-flight entertainment. As soon as we took off and the “do not use electronics” signs were off I was able to log on to the free WiFi internet service, sponsored by Virgin America and Google for a limited time, till January 15, 2010, ($15/flight after this promo). The service is provided by a company called GoGo, and to log on it asks you for your email address and off you go surfing. A quick internet speed-test reveals that the connection is only 200 kilobits down and 200 kilobits up, which isn’t that fast for nowadays web speeds, though it feels fast. Gmail, average browsing, even Youtube worked like a charm, except of course for Youtube HD. And in case if your laptop or any other electronic device runs out of juice, there’s power outlets below the seats, though only two per three seats. Overall I really loved being able to surf the web some 35,000 feet above ground. I think every airline, especially on international flights, should consider adding this nifty feature. If your work requires being online, this is a great productivity tool.

As I am flying a very early morning Virgin America flight from NY to San Francisco, being sleepless and exhausted, I am realizing that good design is a very important aspect of one’s mood and well being. Let me elaborate. The arm support on the seats have very sharp edges, sharp enough to make one uneasy when resting his arms on them. As I am typing this article, the HP Mini net book is cutting into my palms making the experience even less joyful. If the edge area, where the palms rest when someone types on this netbook, would be smoother and angled, fading into the table, it would really be a design for humans.

If we look around us we can finds objects in our lives that make up this “noise”, or “design noise” which alter our mood for the worse. Why do we humans have to cope with object that we designed ourselves for ourselves?

Imagine a world where humans are surrounded with objects that lift up the mood and make lives much more joyful especially when one is having a sleep deprivation that I am going through right now