david kelly

 In this video we hear David Kelly from design company IDEO embark on new a era of design and a new way of thinking. This was Human Centered Design. The notion of integrating human behaviours and personality into the way we design our technologies. The very first step in this new direction was to change how design firms would showcase their new concepts and designs. This was done by actually getting their products and ideas "in motion" with the use of video technologies which showed the actual product or design at use, whereas earlier on this was just done using 3D models and rendering.

         In 2002 the products showcased that were designed with such mentalities were very diverse.

For their client Prada, the owner wanted to create a new retail experience. With that as the brief new technologies were devised to enhance the users experience, such as the RF scanners which was a handheld unit designed to scan any item within the store in which the television screens would then display the items being modelled on the runway. Another innovation was the liquid crystal technology in their change room doors, this allowed the glass to be completely clear and then "Frosted" at a touch of a button, providing a great bit of functionality and interactivity with the store.

           Cubicles were also put under the microscope and were scrutinised to develop a more human friendly design, integrating natural elements such as plants and animals into the walls, and lighting to match natural sunlight.

         Another product was called the "Spyfish" an underwater device which allowed the user to "scuba dive" from the comfort of their boat using a remote control device to control the underwater camera. User interface was one of the main points when creating this device as not to disrupt the users experience yet provide precise details needed for navigation and manouverability.

        Overall this video was a great insight to where design was heading at the beginning of the century, personally i think the ideas presented missed the mark a little bit, as evident most of these designs havn't made it to the new decade. These days design is even more centred around humans, as the technologies that have really succeeded, seemlessly integrate into our livestyles while at the same time enhancing them also. This can be seen in such products like