Disrupting Experience Design: Enchanted Objects
My Thoughts On Part I and II of Enchanted Objects by David Rose
I decided to apply for this program because I wanted to contribute to something substantial, inventive and helpful. In the first pages of Enchanted Objects, David Rose explains that the book is about making products that are engaging and essential, products that both resonate with human nature and form emotional connections with their users. As somebody who previously struggled to choose between a passion for both UX design and product development, I am excited to bridge the gap.
The Terminal World, or the all-encompassing presence of screens, is impossible to escape in our society. Furthermore, changing the way people interact with screens is not disruptive, it is still just about screens. Instead, Enchanted Objects suggest that we should focus on tangible media: interactions between humans and objects that do not require a screen. My brother is completely blind, and I am motivated to create things that are not only useful to him but enjoyable and experience-oriented. I am very interested in design that is interactive, multi-sensory and accessible.
As a lover of fashion, wearables and prosthetics also intrigue me. In my own life, I am often torn between beauty and function. The parallels between fashion and society, art and history have always inspired me, but I hadn’t considered its connection with technology. When discussing wearables, Rose proposes the idea that fashion differentiates and variations proliferate. To me, this means that in a world over-saturated with similar options, design is vital. The challenge of making an object that is aesthetically pleasing, advantageous and comfortable is something that I am excited to do.
I was very inspired by many of the objects in the book and look forward to exploring them throughout my studies. I have always wished I had a photographer following me to capture truly candid moments, so the Shine brooch by Misfit is something I would love to try. It makes me wonder what other ways an enchanted object could capture moments that are meaningful to me. The GlowCap made me think of other applications such as an enchanted birth control package or a scale that only shows a color spectrum instead of weight.
The Anoto pen reminded me of concepts I already am working on. One idea I am exploring in Critical Making is immersive reading, or developing ‘enchanted’ books. In Experience Design, I am considering if another music streaming app or a tangible object would be better for certain demographics. In the past, I also have drafted prototypes for an app designed to create functional study aids from notes written with a normal pen.
Like Rose, I was somewhat uncomfortable with the other three of the four futures. I couldn’t help but draw comparisons to the Netflix series, Black Mirror. For example, In the episode “Arkangel” a child is implanted with a device that allows her mother to filter the things she sees. She ends up desensitized to violence, emotion and the world around her. Products with augmented vision such as the google glass could, according to Enchanted Objects, one day offer similar filters on reality. I worry that losing touch with the truth and existing in separate, false realities could be detrimental to society. Rose too, acknowledges this, worrying that such experiences may divide and isolate us.
Similarly, The ideas of Dmitry Itskov and uploading consciousness into a digital avatar deeply disturbed me. To live a life without the need for food and shelter is life without feeling the warmth from the sun or enjoying the tastes, scents, and textures of a new food. To live without a human body is living without knowing the satisfaction of cool water on a hot day; without knowing the sensation of a hug from a loved one. Perhaps the very needs that cause humanity’s problems are key to being human. Culture lives in food, and dance and smells and sounds- all things that a digital existence would destroy.
I also found the etymology of “robot” significant It comes from the Czech word “robota” which means “forced labor” or “slave”. As technology and humanity become closer, ethics begin to blur even more than they already have. Do robots have rights? Can we abuse robots? What rights would a digital person have? What kinds of relationships should be allowed between humans and robots?
According to Clifford Nass at Standford, we tend to develop human-like relationships with non-human objects. I don’t think is a new concept. As a child, you might love a teddy bear or blanket like a best friend. The issues that could arise come from our relationships arise from neoteny. We begin to feel love and sympathy for objects, which can be confusing and uncomfortable- the uncanny valley.
Possibly the most important thing I read was this,
“I love trying breakout ideas and I forgive the failings of first versions and early interactions. I can see past the lack of polish stuttering showmanship and even the occasional mid-demo reboot. It is the integrity of the idea that counts.”
All of this leaves me thinking that I am in the right place. I want to innovate and design products that are more. Products that fulfill needs and provoke thought, but in a way that is intuitive and not invasive. As I continue my journey through the program, I think not is important to keep these objectives in mind and realize that disrupting Experience Design may live off the screen.
