Monday 8 December 2008

Day one, your chance to add your thoughts

One of the outputs from the first day was a list of research 'wishes', really just high-level thoughts about topics within the digital economy sphere. If you have any thoughts, connections or resources that you think might help to advance the conversation, please add them as comments to this entry.

Wouldn't it be nice if...

  • We explored non-conventional methods like storytelling and art–practice?
  • Things enrich our experiences with the meaning they draw into our lives?
  • We explored human emotions like desire in the things we design?
  • There was a physical and virtual flow of experience using non-invasive technologies?
  • Technology could defeat rather than encourage crime?
  • Technology could help to build trust and bypass cultural/social/language barriers?
  • Technology could drive community engagement?
  • Technology could encourage transformative government?
  • Technology could help reconnect different generations?
  • Technology could help in sustaining skills and expertise through knowledge sharing?
  • Clothes fitted people (in the ways they’d like to look)?
  • Design could be across cultures and generations?
  • Technology worked for everyone?
  • Technology brought people closer together?
  • We could predict how users might respond emotionally to a design?
  • Technology could enhance emotional well-being?
  • Users were at the heart of the design process?
  • Technology evolved through use?
  • We had open, collaborative development tools and processes?
  • We could make what we need in our communities?
  • Everything was bespoke – and as a result create a more ecologically sustainable future?
  • We could enable social inclusion by designing and making things that adapted themselves?
  • Everyone has access to the knowledge and resources to know the life cycle of things and act upon it?
  • Making overtook shopping as an activity?
  • Designers would learn from the entire manufacturing process and product life cycle?
  • The technology was an enabler, not a controller?
  • Emotionally augmented communication media?
  • There was true participatory design?
  • My computer could sense emotions and thoughts and react accordingly?
  • Connecting older people drove social and technological change?
  • Everyone could use technology safely and securely?
  • Technology connected us better with nature?
  • We could design out deliberate technological obsolescence?
  • Technology could reduce human error?
  • Technology reduced our impact on our true environment?
  • We could rely on all technology 100% of the time?

2 comments:

Dr Jordan said...

What an inspiring and encouraging list!

Much of this is about my personal bug bear - seeing technology as something separate from, and somehow different from everything else. Technology is just one stream - and very much one strand of an interdisciplinary way of approaching thinking, systems, and our interactions. We often shoehorn technology and innovation into the same box.

One goal for me is a more holistic approach to innovation and the digital economy, of which technology is but one (although important) strand.

Hopefully some more input from the conference over the next few days!

Unknown said...

I feel that one of the wishes is actually being fulfilled as traditional and modern crime has dropped dramatically and still is dropping with the onset of technology. The only major difference is that the amount of crime we are aware of is increasing.

I think I would like to add two wishes to the list:

The majority of technology driven by curiousity rather than for financial gain?

Laws and their use surrounding technology would be less reactionary and based on old ideals?

What do you think?