The birth of the Technology Fingerprint<\/h2>\n
So what is a technology fingerprint, exactly? Your technology fingerprint is made up of all the technology you use today at home, at work, for play. But it also contains the past experiences you have had with different devices, UIs and UI terminology. It\u2019s everything you used as a child, the devices you used at school, the software you used everyday for work 10 years ago. It\u2019s all the computer games you\u2019ve used and all the gaming devices that went with them. It\u2019s all the different credit card machines you\u2019ve used around the world, it\u2019s the display screens in your car, it\u2019s everything you experienced shopping online. It is the sum total of all these experiences. Your own unique technology fingerprint.<\/p>\n
One city, two different experiences<\/h2>\n
One way of thinking about the uniqueness of your technology fingerprint is to consider how human experiences of the same city can vary. Let\u2019s imagine two people, Anna and Alexa. They are the same, demographically speaking: the same age, same gender, same race, they even went to the same university in a small town in the UK. They move to live in London in 2000. Over the next 10 years, they live their separate lives. They live in different parts of the city, and work in different jobs in different locations in London over the 10 years. They explore, they go out, they meet people, they fall in love. Life happens. There are highs and lows, triumphs and hard times. After 10 years, Anna and Alexa\u2019s personal maps of the city are very, very different. Some locations on their maps might be the same but the memories, experiences and meaning embedded in those places are very different to each person.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/intercom.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/London-Underground-1248.png\")
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However, there are some strong shared patterns on these two maps. Both Anna and Alexa took public transport most days during the 10 years they lived in London. The map of the underground system they used was the same. They used the same ticket machines, the same Oyster card system. The transport system uses the same signage, maps and protocols across the whole network of trains and buses. They tapped in and tapped out at every station. Both Anna and Alexa had a shared understanding of the system. Every day they, along with 8.6 million people, flowed to and from work, facilitated by the shared patterns and symbols of the London transport system. Patterns create shared understanding. They make life easier for everyone.<\/p>\n