Knowing the technological needs of a family is key to providing satisfactory experiences for all members who share the same roof. What are the questions that an AV integrator of residential solutions must ask to know the Family Technology Profile of their customers?
AVIXA
When working on residential projects, AV integrators are challenged to meet the technological needs of the inhabitants of a home. From entertainment, security or communication solutions, to tools for the home office, members of today's families demand technology to enjoy their daily lives with greater comfort.
Regardless of whether it is a new house under construction or a remodeling project, AV integration professionals must work together with architects and interior designers to define a family technological profile based on the needs of its members and design a solution that satisfies them, both in the present and in the future in the medium term.
"How to make this family technological profile? It's about seeing, hearing and asking; at the end of the day, the basic principles of observation," says Sergio Gaitán, Regional Manager for Mexico and Northern Central America at AVIXA. (The Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association).
"A family willing to invest to enjoy a new home needs an expert in experiences based on technology, they are no longer looking for a seller of audio and video equipment, that is a thing of the past," says Sergio Gaitán. "And for this it is very important to be involved in time in the design of the architectural work, on that depends much of the success of the implementation of entertainment, security and communications systems within a home."
"Working in coordination can generate emotional, functional and spectacular results," says the AVIXA spokesperson. "We must not forget that architect, interior designer and integrator must provoke memorable experiences for the inhabitants of a house."
To facilitate this work, the AVIXA expert proposes the following questionnaire that will discover the family technological profile of the inhabitants of the home.
1. Has the family been a user of state-of-the-art technology? Do you allocate a room for home theater? Were early adopters of cutting-edge technology in their childhood? Remember grandparents with tape camcorders or 8mm projectors?
2. Do you like to attend performance centers, discos or concert halls?
3. Do they consider themselves music lovers or cinephiles? Did they buy CDs or vinyl records? Are they amateur or professional musicians? Do you regularly attend the cinema?
4. Do they consider themselves audiophiles or audio enthusiasts? Have you had high-end sound systems? Do you have any knowledge about amplifiers or turntables?
5. Do they care about video and image quality? Are you passionate about photography? Can they easily spot the difference between regular, good, and supreme image quality? What streaming services do you use to watch TV?
6. Do you work in any company in the technology or communications sector?
7. Are you concerned about digital, virtual or network security? How much are they willing to invest in video surveillance, access control or remote monitoring?
8. Do you work from home? Do you do video conferencing from your laptops or smartphones? Is it paramount to be connected to your office remotely?
9. Because of their lifestyle, could they "survive" a day without WiFi? At what age did they give their children smartphones or tablets?
10. Are you concerned about sustainability and ecology? Do you have an energy-saving system? Are you interested in installing solar panels?
11. Have you hired the services of a Lightning Designer? Would you like to have an aesthetic, artistic, functional and productive lighting design at home?
12. Have you heard the concept of Smart Home? Do you know friends who have control and automation systems in their homes? Are you attracted to the idea?
13. Do you live with older people who find it difficult to use new technologies? Is the mobility of older adults an issue to be solved at home?
These questions are a first approach to define the family technological profile, get an idea of the time you want to spend using technology and investing in solutions, equipment and services.
"Asking and observing, those are the keys to obtaining the answers," concludes Sergio Gaitán, "making adequate profiles will lead us to deliver results that go beyond the idea of solutions and lead us to deliver memorable experiences in people's lives."
