ReWrite the World Blog Challenge Day 17
I imagine a world in which technology is designed with the big picture in mind.
So that…
  • Excitement is more present than fear when people think about technology and the future.
  • Products are produced with users at the core of their design.
  • Resources used in technological innovations are oriented around best use and least waste.
 
Current state example.
Today we see a lot of our products end up in landfill after a single use, we seem to have a love-hate relationship with technology.
E-waste is a huge issue, often the result of poor design and no attention to corporate responsibility.
Design assumptions that don’t incorporate user experience or end of life considerations contribute to the mountains of discarded devices that end up in landfills every day.
Job losses due to technological advancements and artificial intelligence bring a fear and reluctance to our relationship with the future and the changes we face as a society.  The ‘singularity’ strikes fear in the hearts of anyone paying attention to what’s coming at us at an alarming pace.
 
If technology was designed with the big picture in mind then…
  • Cradle to cradle and human-centred design principles might become business as usual.
  • Resources used to make new devices might utilise recycled materials from reclaimed e-waste.
  • The impacts on users and society will be part of the design process in developing new technologies.
Can you imagine?