New Directions
With the upcoming launch of wakingupsober.com, I want to start posting more about my thoughts on design and technology. So here goes what will hopefully be interesting reads and promote me to immediate internet stardom.
I was just sitting eating tea, and somehow the conversation got round to hi-fi's. My sister proclaimed that even though she's had her hi-fi unit for over 3 years now, she's only just worked out how to get onto the radio with it. Admittedly she's only 10, but still, it got me to thinking about how rarely we actually do use technology to its full capabilities.
The more I started to think about it, the more it dawned on me how really simplicity is often the best idea when it comes to providing a service to Joe Public. Now I'm not trying to suggest that the general public are incapable of using technology to its full capacity, but think about it, continuing to use my hi-fi analogy, even though I would call myself relatively tech-savvy, I still don't change or explore the settings on it. I could, if I wanted to, try and sit down and come up with different modes for different types of music, but don't, because I know that if I press "Tuner", the radio'll play, and if I press "CD", and put a CD in, I can listen to my music. What's the point in doing much else with it?
I sort of came up with a catchphrase; "we tend to use technology only for what we know it can do, not for what it could potentially do". Which I guess is where creative's come into it. People who are constantly exploring and challenging hardware and software are the most likely to use technology in more creative ways, in ways that people don't think to use the technology they have available to them. These people are coming up with creative solutions, using technology, to come up with really amazing final products.
So what am I suggesting? That we should be creating simple products for the general public and then more advanced products for people who deem themselves to be able to use the technology to it's max. No. Put simply, no. I'd argue strongly against a two-tiered format for technology, but instead I'd strive for people to be given the opportunity to create amazing things with their ordinary day to day items. Without giving them the opportunity, how can they even begin to experiment and potentially come up with something incredible? So I'm wanting something in the middle.
The iPod.
One example I can think where simplicity really shines through is the iPod. Apple's hugely popular iPod is of course, due to its sheer sexiness, but also down to its complete simplicity. I believe design is about the experience of something; a well designed website is an experience for the user for example, and the iPod has nailed it. It's so simple to use that people who often struggle to use computers manage to get along just fine. And why? Because the iPod focuses on doing a few certain things really well, and when you come to think of it, what more do you need? You'd just find that these extra features that you'd paid for are never used, so what's the point in them being there?
More to follow...
I was just sitting eating tea, and somehow the conversation got round to hi-fi's. My sister proclaimed that even though she's had her hi-fi unit for over 3 years now, she's only just worked out how to get onto the radio with it. Admittedly she's only 10, but still, it got me to thinking about how rarely we actually do use technology to its full capabilities.
The more I started to think about it, the more it dawned on me how really simplicity is often the best idea when it comes to providing a service to Joe Public. Now I'm not trying to suggest that the general public are incapable of using technology to its full capacity, but think about it, continuing to use my hi-fi analogy, even though I would call myself relatively tech-savvy, I still don't change or explore the settings on it. I could, if I wanted to, try and sit down and come up with different modes for different types of music, but don't, because I know that if I press "Tuner", the radio'll play, and if I press "CD", and put a CD in, I can listen to my music. What's the point in doing much else with it?
I sort of came up with a catchphrase; "we tend to use technology only for what we know it can do, not for what it could potentially do". Which I guess is where creative's come into it. People who are constantly exploring and challenging hardware and software are the most likely to use technology in more creative ways, in ways that people don't think to use the technology they have available to them. These people are coming up with creative solutions, using technology, to come up with really amazing final products.
So what am I suggesting? That we should be creating simple products for the general public and then more advanced products for people who deem themselves to be able to use the technology to it's max. No. Put simply, no. I'd argue strongly against a two-tiered format for technology, but instead I'd strive for people to be given the opportunity to create amazing things with their ordinary day to day items. Without giving them the opportunity, how can they even begin to experiment and potentially come up with something incredible? So I'm wanting something in the middle.
The iPod.
One example I can think where simplicity really shines through is the iPod. Apple's hugely popular iPod is of course, due to its sheer sexiness, but also down to its complete simplicity. I believe design is about the experience of something; a well designed website is an experience for the user for example, and the iPod has nailed it. It's so simple to use that people who often struggle to use computers manage to get along just fine. And why? Because the iPod focuses on doing a few certain things really well, and when you come to think of it, what more do you need? You'd just find that these extra features that you'd paid for are never used, so what's the point in them being there?
More to follow...
posted by askar at 11:31 AM
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