How Science-Fiction made me a better software engineer
The most important aspect of a software development team is the fact that we are all individuals with each our backgrounds, interests and specialities. This is this first in a series where we like to show the faces of our team.
Hi, I’m Frank and I started working for Maatwebsite in 2009. The reason I went into IT is very simple; I’ve always been a science-fiction fan and have been fascinated by the possibilities of future technologies. From a very young age I’ve been fiddling around more with software than hardware so to start a career in software was a logical path for me.
In my teenage years I discovered Star Trek and that had a big impact on my life. For the people that wonder about Star Trek; it is a story about the promise of humanity and what great things we can accomplish if we have the right intentions. Humanity created, with help of technology, a society without poverty, famine or disease; a utopia if you will (a shrill contrast with a lot of the dystopian scifi out there at the time).
Technology plays a major part in Star Trek. While I liked the idea of space exploration; I was more interested in the little things. The interesting UI they have to work with, voice controlled computers, replicated food (basically 3D printed), small communication devices, instantaneous translation. Sound familiar? It’s technology that we have today but it was imagined over 50 years ago!
Due to budget constraints the LCARS user interface did not show its full potential. The idea was that it adapts to the user’s needs. Parts of the interface would change to relevant controls for the task at hand.
During my studies, Communication and Multimedia Design, we also had a philosophical course on technology. Because of my passion for science fiction I wrote an essay explaining how I see the technology of Star Trek mirrored with the present day. I now realise how to the point that essay would have been in 2019; I wrote about the dangers of applying software and technology in the wrong ways and having control over the population rather than technology being an enrichment for our lives to make it trouble free so that we can focus on bettering ourselves as human beings.
In Star Trek we see that life is about exploration. Obviously the TV show focuses on space exploration. But some episodes gave us hints about life on Earth. As the society changed to a state where we do not have money anymore, thanks to technology for the most part, people did not have to spend 8 hours a day locked up in an office. No; they were free to explore other depts of us as a human being. Like becoming an historian or artist.
Having access to everything they need eliminated wars and conflicts (on Earth at least). This also resonated on a personal level; there were no social divides anymore. No need to keep up appearances. Mirror that with today’s society where we are constantly working on our ‘social profiles’, or competing with your colleagues to who gets the promotion you so need.
Star Trek showed technology that was unobtrusive and easy to use. It was always there, available to help you. I apply these principles to this day in my work. The software that I write needs to be of added value to our clients and it needs to help them achieve their goals. This not only applies to functionality but also to usability. The LCARS interface shown in the photo above resembles a modern Android user interface; a bright colour palette on a dark background with flat buttons and subtle gradients. Now take a look at the screenshot below. The bright colours really help a user pick the actions that are most important.
So while my love for science fiction inspires my work it also makes work fun as I share this interest with my other colleagues and we can discuss new movies, books and tv-shows at length bringing us closer together as human beings. And that makes it come full circle.
