Side-effects & Side-shows
innovative technology and where it might take us
One of the micro-futures that I saw through large service providers such as Alphabet (Google), Apple, Microsoft, etc. is that these companies would continue to use innovative technology to move the world forward, at least the developed world.
There are many different types of futures that exist–we all live in different places at different paces, and these, as well as other variables, affect the way we perceive our futures. With this in mind, this particular micro-future that involves advanced technology would most likely be for those who are a part of the demographic that has access to technology now, such as the middle-class of the U.S.
The micro-future that I see: some company (like Google or Facebook) leading the way we interact with each other, whether it’s in regards to communication or other behavioral changes. Even though we’re talking about micro-futures, looking at how a large company like Google would affect the future is more like a macro-view of the future, at least in the developed world.
In this post, I’ll be exploring how Google as a whole might affect our society in the future.
Side-effects:
- monopoly in the market?
- unbalanced economy — What would happen to small businesses? Google might affect our behavior, but not our necessities so places like grocery stores and other retail stores wouldn’t necessarily go out of business.
- constant money flow into tech
- increased use in TEL (technology enhanced learning) tools
- less human to human interaction with the development of VR products
- reliance on gaining temporary knowledge through Google searching: looking things up, but not necessarily containing that knowledge
There’s still a lot to look into…
- What presence does Google have abroad?
- What made Google become such a large part of our lives?
- What kind of people (demographic) does Google reach?
- What do they do with their data?
- What kind of ‘limits’ might Google reach?
- What would be developed in parallel to Google’s growth?
- How would Google affect us closer to home? (our daily routines)
Role of a designer
- design would become more well-known as a career if Google continues to have a large presence in our lives
- more well-rounded and skilled designers would be desired for hire
- designers would still be doing human-centered design
- design would be more tech driven
Questions I have about how the design role might change:
Would designers’ thinking change? For such a long time, there’s been different concentrations within the larger scope of design–industrial design, communication design, interaction design, transition design, and design research–but would there be a trend of a way of thinking when it involves a huge company that affects the way we live
