{"id":36191,"date":"2016-06-11T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2016-06-11T15:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/webdesignledger.com\/?p=36191"},"modified":"2016-06-17T05:17:07","modified_gmt":"2016-06-17T12:17:07","slug":"design-make-technology-human","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/webdesignledger.com\/design-make-technology-human\/","title":{"rendered":"Design to Make Technology Human"},"content":{"rendered":"

The design of a man-made object is only complete when people use it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What happened?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Charles Babbage<\/a> designed the first computer between 1833 and 1871. Then came 1984<\/a>. The Apple Macintosh computer was invented: the birth of a mass-market PC with a graphical user interface and mouse. A completely new operating system was created to navigate information within this graphical interface.<\/p>\n

Since then, screens have continued to shrink. We\u2019ve moved from desktop, to laptop, to smartphone, to iWatch, to GoogleGlass, to\u200a\u2014\u200awell \u2014anything: the internet of things<\/a>. The amount of smartphone users reaches 1.75 Billion by 2014<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re addicted to our screens.<\/p>\n

But while creating and consuming information in 2D, we forgot about space.<\/span>We forgot that information exists across systems, not just within them. And because we are so addicted to what happens inside screens, we forgot how to be human.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The <\/strong>evolving<\/strong><\/span> device<\/strong><\/h4>\n

We\u2019re discovering that information exist across systems and not just within them. New interfaces are increasingly designed with human habits in mind. Visually, we\u2019re looking to natural surfaces and elements, which further communicate and respond to our human nature.<\/span><\/p>\n

Material Design by Google Developers<\/a> is trying to give people access to meaningful content using human behavior and \u201cdevelop a single underlying system that allows for a unified experience across platforms and device sizes.<\/a>\u201d It sounds like a step in the right direction and is fun, neat, and colorful.<\/p>\n

When we can design across systems, devices will evolve or disappear. <\/span>We will not stop consuming content, rather consume it in a way that suits human behaviour, not the other way around.<\/span><\/p>\n

Delivering content that sounds human<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Future interfaces deliver content in more meaningful, relevant ways.<\/span>Content can stimulate all of our senses and be delivered at contextually relevant times.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fluid Interfaces<\/a> is part of MIT Media Lab and is designing interfaces, which allow content to flow across systems. FingerReader<\/a> is a wearable device that assists in reading printed text by receiving audio feedback of the words and haptic feedback of the text layout. Blind people can now read with their finger, an example of the human body as an interface, assisted by technology.<\/p>\n

Audio is expanding not only the internet,<\/a> but also our relationship with the content itself. Audio is an exciting medium to deliver content because unlike visual information, it doesn\u2019t take up space.<\/p>\n

As depicted in Her<\/a>, we can experience an emotional connection with audio content, because sounds human; and characters and personalities mean that the content is\u200a\u2014\u200ain a sense human. The Early Edition by Capsule.fm<\/a> gives content personality using artificial hosts, Miranda and Carl, who read news headlines, weather, entertainment and jokes in between your music. The most sharable and engaging content is actually not necessarily informative content such as news, rather the engaging and personalised audio confessions, artificial jokes and flattery<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Guy Hoffman<\/a> proves the power of connecting audio with body language. His projects in human-robot interaction combine audio output with posture, which connect with humans on a natural level. In his TED Talk \u201cRobots with Soul\u201d<\/a>, Hoffman explains how his inspiration from animation and acting resulted in the implementation of body language in robots, which were programmed to improvise music performances.<\/p>\n

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