Inventions for a new decade

Time Magazine has, once again, gathered a list of the best inventions of the past year. From these brilliant inventions, I began to connect dots and uncover patterns. What problems are people interested in solving? What do we value? As a UX designer and researcher, I wanted to make sense of this collection of products and services — to get inspired and consider where this thinking might take us.

By Geena Lucibello

Sustainability in consumer goods

Although talk of climate change has been going on for decades, more and more consumers are paying attention to what products are made of and what happens to them once you’re finished using them. This report from Nielsen claims that 73% of consumers say they would definitely change their consumption habits to reduce their environment impact. What’s more, sustainability is consistently proven to be good for business.

In 2019, we saw some great inventions that pushed the boundaries of packaging, fashion, and food. From Loop we saw some top brands such as Häagen-Dazs, Tide, and Pantene rethink the linear economy and invest in a model that leverages reusable packaging. QWSTION created a durable and waterproof bag that requires no chemical treatments and is made out of sustainable banana plants. AKUA showed us that kelp can be an alternative snack with a positive environmental impact.

Along with this progress, I’m looking forward to more technology companies following suit. The manufacturing process for our electronic devices involves a lot of waste and pollution. Forced obsolescence makes consumers think we should throw out our phones every 2 years. Plus, consider all of the energy costs associated with charging and using our phones. Though some companies have crafted and announced sustainability goals (like Microsoft, who aims to be carbon negative by 2030), this space still has plenty of room for improvement.

Personalization and inclusivity in fashion

Fashion is something that many people connect to their identity or self-image. But when one size truly does not fit all, there are bound to be people left in the margins.

In Time’s list, two fashion retailers are giving consumers personalization options for optimally flattering clothing. Laws of Motion has designed a simple, chic dress that is zero waste (more sustainability, see?) and comes in 99 micro-sizes. You can either take a quiz that helps determine your size, or they will send you a Fit Kit to guide you through taking measurements. On the other hand, a start-up called denim unspun has created a service allows you to ignore “size” altogether. Their 3D-scanning technology gathers 100,000 data points to create “you”-sized jeans.

The small steps that fashion (and beauty) is making towards inclusivity can empower us to embrace our unique bodies and to look and feel our best. However, there is definitely more progress to be made, especially in gender and racial inclusivity for fashion and beauty. I also look forward to these products and services becoming the norm and being more financially inclusive.

Privacy vs. surveillance

In an age where many people’s data is floating around the internet and supposedly about half of cell phone calls are spam, people are craving privacy. (Some parents, however, might consider certain data and access a benefit if it helps them protect their children.)

This app from Ad Hoc Labs is a proposed answer to that influx of robocalls. It allows you to block and reroute calls from unknown numbers, reducing interruptions in your day and susceptibility to scams. Another product, Helm, is a personal server that allows you to keep your data (emails, photos, calendar) under your own control to reduce the amount of info you’re storing with Google and other big tech companies. Digital privacy is hard to come by these days, but there is clearly a desire for new solutions in this space.

On the surveillance side, we have this shirt from B’zT that allows you to track your child through an app. Although this seems like it could be extremely helpful, I won’t lie — it did make me think of that Black Mirror episode where Jodi Foster embeds a tracking chip into her child. There is a thin line we need to acknowledge between creepy and helpful, and this line can easily be blurred.

We’re still at a place where there is so much data and access to information it’s hard to know how or what to regulate. Until then we keep moving towards a world where individuals and corporations need to find a balance. We need to leverage the helpful nature of data, but respect individuals’ rights to privacy.

Connection in a digital age

Human connection can have a positive impact on well-being and mental health. Although loneliness affects all generations, there has been extra attention put towards how to solve the problem for older adults. Additionally, there are concerns about the social skills and mental health of kids who spend too much of their time on screens. Oddly enough, some proposed solutions are screen-based.

A couple of the inventions listed approached the loneliness epidemic in older adults with friendly robotics. For example, Stevie is a socially assistive robot designed to play games, make deliveries, and facilitate video chats for residents of retirement communities. Since loneliness can occur even when you’re surrounded by others, Stevie’s ability to virtually connect residents to their loved ones may promote a feeling of human connection. ElliQ is another robot intended to address this issue. It acts as a little assistant or companion to older adults by learning their schedule and music preferences and making helpful suggestions.

Many children, on the other hand, are already immersed in a world of tech. One idea is to leverage their heavy usage of technology to guide them to connect with others. Two inventions from Time’s list aim to get kids out of the house and interacting with the world around them. Biba Playground Games and Minecraft Earth both use augmented reality (AR) to bring kids on adventures outside the house. Out in the parks and in public spaces, players can meet each other and, in some cases, even team up.

Can we truly facilitate quality human connection using technology? In the case of companion robots, I worry about the long-term impact of offloading social interaction with the elderly to technology. With AR games that get kids out of the house, however, I think there’s great potential for building human connection. In this case, the technology isn’t replacing social interaction; it’s facilitating it.

Reading through this list, I found myself marveling — Wow, we can create potable water from thin air? We can get some big corporations invested in reusable packaging? We can create an actually convincing burger from plant protein? There are so many incredibly talented people trying to solve the tough problems of the world, and it’s inspiring to see what’s come of it. Hats off to everyone who made it onto Time Best Inventions 2019. I can’t wait to see what 2020 brings!