As human needs change, so does design in order to accommodate for this. Over the past few decades the focus of design has shifted from having fun and experimenting with new technological products and objects. Human centered design is now becoming commonplace among design firms in that they are designing personality and behavioural characteristics into their products. Compared to the past when prototypes would be produced in order to assess the aesthetics, designers are now creating experience prototypes as a way of communicating a product through showing its intended use and how it will work.
The New York Prada store and its custom technology really aim to make the shopping experience more convenient and therefore more enjoyable. The inclusion of gadgetry such as the liquid crystal glass in the changing room and the magic mirror make the visit to the store something special. The Prada store is revolutionary in that it’s not your average store. It’s actually an experience which can be enjoyed by all.
Similarly the installation at the London Science Museum is extremely entertaining as I discovered watching this video. More than any other section in the video I had to watch this part over and over again as I found my attention being drawn from the spoken words and towards the gigantic visual adventure confronting me. I can only imagine how a person would react when standing in front of such a creation. I find it remarkable that something as simple as some moving white lines can be this entertaining.
I’m all for the movement towards human centered design but I do believe that the spyfish has crossed a line. In my opinion if a human wants to experience that type of environment, they should dive in the water and explore for themselves. I completely understand the use of similar technology in deep sea diving but as a means of replacing scuba diving, surely watching a television screen cannot compare. The spyfish seems to be yet another toy for the rich and that is fine by me, just as long as it doesn’t creep its way into our everyday lives. Who knows what that could lead to? Maybe the next step for human centered design would be to remotely control a car through a foreign city right from the comfort of our own lounge room. Where's the adventure in that?
Approtec in my opinion is the most human centered design featured within this video. It already has changed the lives of thousands of people and has the possibility to change thousands more. I find it fascinating in that Approtec is different from the other featured designs as they are completely not for profit. They're simply working together and combining their efforts to make day to day life easier for less fortunate people within our world. All this is done by supplying a few simple tools such as a water pump.
This video is important to industrial designers as it shows how this movement has affected the current design world and how it will continue to have this affect. The future of design will play a big role in the future of humans. Everyone has their needs and as designers it is our job to cater to those.
Image: http://www.ted.com/speakers/david_kelley.html
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