designing digital experiences in 2020

Designing digital experiences in 2020

Nuts+Bolts15 JUNE 2016

Aaron Ganci Assistant Professor of VCD Herron School of Art and Design, IUPUI

This fall, incoming freshman design students will graduate in 2020. As design educators,

we need to understand the technological landscape they will enter when they graduate. In

this presentation, I will suggest some necessary new competencies for this context.

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An increasing number of our graduates will work exclusively in digital media.

It’s reasonable to assume that, over the next few years, a majority of design

students will work exclusively in the digital space. Many design programs

are not set up to accommodate this idea.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: Amy Webb https://www.roberthalf.com/creativegroup/blog/futurist-amy-webbs-predictions-on-where-the-creative-industry-is-headed

References to “digital” anything in Designer of 2015 3. Broad understanding of issues related to the cognitive, social, cultural, technological and economic contexts for design

5. Understanding of and ability to utilize tools and technology.

8. Understanding of how systems behave and aspects that contribute to sustainable products, strategies and practices

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AIGA’s Designer of 2015 was very helpful in advancing the core competencies of modern

designers. However, it lacks detail about designing within digital contexts. I am going to

propose supplements to the Designer of 2015 to reflect our student’s professional realities.

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Research sources Literature review (link at the end)

Interviews with professionals

Survey with professionals (ongoing)

Personal industrial experience

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The suggestions I will make is based on research findings from a variety of methods.

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ONE

THE FUTURE

TWO

Tech Trends

THREE

Design ABILITY

I will divide the discussion down into three sections. First, I’ll discuss the concept of “The

Future”. Next, I’ll look at trends in technology that will likely be widely available in the near-

future. Lastly, I’ll describe design competencies that will be necessary moving forward.

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THE FUTURE

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ONE

First, a disclaimer about “The Future.” Many of the principles and practices we use today

will still be around in 4 years. I want to quickly address some common perspectives on our

technological future to provide context for my suggestions later.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: Pew Research Center; Digital Life in 2025 http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/03/11/digital-life-in-2025/

By 2025, “experts predict the Internet will become ‘like electricity’ — less visible, yet more deeply embedded in people’s lives for good and ill.”

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Technology has been evolving quickly but, if experts are right, we are just around the corner

from radically different interactions with technology. Digital experiences will define our

existence in many ways, and we need to start giving them deep consideration as designers.

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2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

2020

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There is nothing special about the year 2020. It is convenient because it’s the youngest

graduating class we have today. However, based on what I’ll discuss below, I think you’ll see

that designers in 4 or 5 years will be facing fundamentally different contexts.

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Experiences not

artifacts9

Clarification:

Let me make an aside and clarify that, when I talk about designing in 2020, I’m discussing

the act of designing broader ‘experiences’ that are enabled by technology, not just artifacts

(website, apps, etc.). The design of isolated artifacts is already tapering off.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: WordPress https://wordpress.org/themes/browse/popular/

Installs of Top 5 themes on WordPress

3,100,000+10

For an example of demise of individual artifacts in the digital space, just look at the massive

number of ready-made artifacts in use today. The top 5 themes on WordPress are being

used by over 3 million websites. Innovation in web design now includes only a select few.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://www.wix.com/about/us

Wix users, worldwide

85,000,00011

Even more damning are the number of people using out-of-the-box web design services like

Wix and Squarespace. There’s not much opportunity for students to thrive as designers of

individual digital artifacts. That space is saturated with low-cost, good-enough templates.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://www.wix.com/about/us 12

Wix is even developing an Artificial Design Intelligence that will completely remove the need

for a designer.

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Digital Experiences

An experience, either physical or digital, that facilitated or enhanced by digital technology.

These have… A goal-driven process A defined flow of action Interdependent steps or artifacts

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So artifact design is not a viable path. In the future, designers need to focus on bigger, more

complex problems that can be solved with digital technology. It may still involve artifact

design but only as means to address a bigger experience (ex: “the experience of voting”)

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/02/22/this-mark-zuckerberg-picture-could-show-our-terrifying-dystopian/

“our terrifying dystopian future”

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Digital experiences often get a bad reputation as being creepy, intrusive, or sad

replacements for analog experiences. This picture of a room full of Oculus users, ignorant

of their proximity to Mark Zuckerberg is often used to exemplify this idea.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: Drone Aviary: https://vimeo.com/124292043 15

A technology enabled future is a scary place for a lot of people. A world where everyone is

being observed and identified is within the realm of possibility. Designers will be critical as

we move into these realities to make sure we’re designing in a people-centered way.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://www.flashforwardpod.com/ 16

If you’re interested in hearing more dystopia future scenarios, I recommend the podcast

Flash Forward. They are very good at describing futures that might come to exist.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: Amy Webb https://www.roberthalf.com/creativegroup/blog/futurist-amy-webbs-predictions-on-where-the-creative-industry-is-headed

Digital Experiences

automation experience designer

human-machine persona designer

augmented reality designer

neural virtual experience designer

wearables (tattooables, injectables, earables) designer

avatar designer

human tissue and organ designer

drone experience designer

gesture control designer

chief experience officer

real-time 3D designer

metaverse UX designer

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Lately, there has been a lot of discussion about how a designer’s role might change in this

new world. Extreme suggestions are being made. These titles reflect distant-future realities.

I am more concerned with the near-future.

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New Digital Products

Business Feasibility

Design User

Engineering Technology

The near-future will bring real problems about how to integrate technology further into our

lives. Designers, as one piece of the ‘digital product triad’ need to have a clear, confident

voice. As the voice of real-people, designers need tools to plan for these environments.

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TECH TRENDS

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TWO

Next, I want to quickly discuss the landscape of near-future technology. It is helpful if we’re

all aware of the technology that will likely be commercially available in the coming years.

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UbiquitousAutonomous

Powerful Personal

Technology is rapidly becoming more…

This new technology can be categorized into four general categories.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://datatalk.co/communications/fibre-optic-cable-solutions/ and ISP speed info from Akamai.

Powerful21

gigabit Connections

Perhaps most importantly, our Internet connection speeds will increase dramatically. The proliferation of gigabit connection (1GB/s download speeds) will fundamentally change how we use the Internet. Image what you could do if you no longer have to consider file size or connection speed. We will be able to share and communicate in unprecedented ways.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: Pew Research Center; Digital Life in 2025 http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/03/11/digital-life-in-2025/

“Most people are not yet noticing the profound changes today’s communications networks are already bringing about; these networks will be even more disruptive in the future.”

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Powerful

The amount of information on the web and our ability to process it increase exponentially.

In Q3 of 2015, US has average 12.6mbps in US. only 24% of US has over 15mbps. As a

culture, we really have no concept of what universal gigabit connections are capable of.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://blogs-images.forbes.com/jacobmorgan/files/2014/05/libelium_smart_world_infographic_big.png

Powerful Ubiquitous23

Those connection speeds will enable us to connect anything and everything onto the

network. This idea is commonly referred to as the ‘Internet of Things.’ Communication and

connection will be ubiquitous in this environment.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: Amazon 24

Ubiquitous

Connections we think are silly today will likely be commonplace at some point

in the future. Why would we want ‘smart’ pants? We don’t know yet, but the

technology will be there for us to use.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: Amazon

autonomous Ubiquitous25

Artificial Intelligence and ubiquitous observation are also on the rise. Amazon’s Echo

products listen all the time and intelligently parse requests to complete tasks. Even passive

tech users today have likely used this tech. It will only get better moving forward.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts orig08.deviantart.net/66e5/f/2015/271/4/0/slackbot_is_life__slackbot_is_love_by_grayotic-d9b7chr.png

AUTOnomous26

If you use Slack, you get a glimpse of the power of Artificial Intelligence via Slackbot.

However, these implementations are still very limited. This technology naturally gets smarter

over time. In 2020, we could have highly intelligent AI.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: https://dribbble.com/prokhoda

AUTOnomous27

Lately, we’ve seen a rise in AI-augmented chat bots. An important thing to note here is that

the only real design activity when making these apps is planning the voice of the bot and the

script of what they say. Almost no visual design is required.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/topics/life/health/explainer/whats-next-best-thing-wearable-tech

Powerful Personal28

Virtual reality is another burgeoning area. Its perhaps the most under-defined at this point

but it seems to be a focus of a lot of large tech companies. Will all the money that is being

spent in the area, we are sure to see use of it eventually.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: https://vr.google.com/daydream/

Personal29

In virtual environments, the design possibilities literally become

limitless. They also deal with multi-dimensionality.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://hellowynd.com/

Personal30

Wearable tech is also a hot topic right now. As computers get smaller and faster, we will be

able to use them for more pressing problems than step-counting. Wynd is a wearable that

helps people with asthma understand the air quality around them.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: Teradeep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wXHR-lad-Q 31

Powerful autonomous

“Deep learning” or machine learning is also on the rise and will help computers do very

complicated processes on-the-fly. Google photos does this to comprehend the content of

your photo on its own. The video above does the same thing with real-time video.


UbiquitousAutonomous

Powerful Personal

Again, to recap, I see advancement of near-future technology being defined by four

characteristic categories. These characteristics inform the way that designer approach

designing for and with them.

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DESIGN ABILITY

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Three

Now that we see what technology is coming, let’s discuss how we can approach designing in

this future environment.

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FORM Approach

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I see these technologies effecting design activity in two ways: in the way we approach form-

making and in our methodological approach to problem solving. Designers will have to be

prepared in both of these areas.

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FORM Approach

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First, let’s discuss form-making .

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FORM / ONE

Manage a wider range of elements, including the non-visual, into a design solution.

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I’ll start with the idea that designers need to be able to incorporate a wider range of tools in

their arsenal. A ‘good’ solution not be dependent of good visual design and may not even be

visual at all.


For example, chatbots and other AI interactions are driven primarily by their voice,

demeanor, and logic flow. Services like Siri and Echo don’t involve visual design at all in their

primary workflow. It’s all driven by voice conversations.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts 38Source: http://www.heineken.com/us/Cities/Subway-Symphony/Making-of-a-Melody

Sound is becoming an option as a way to inform experience. James Murphy’s

Subway Symphony is a good example of the use of sound alone to improve an

interaction/UX solution.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: https://developer.leapmotion.com/gallery/leap-motion-philips-hue 39

And, as there are more sensors around us, we will be able to use implicit action rather than

the explicit interaction we are limited to today. Understanding movement and the vocabulary

of motion will become critical within embodied interactions.

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Potential non-visual skills Copywriting Communication theory Acting Character building Sound design

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The formal qualities of the examples above have very little to do with traditional visual

design element and principles. Design students have to get ready to work in these non-visual

environments. Here are some unconventional skills they might find useful.


FORM / TWO

Get comfortable with new dimensions. 3-D and 4-D (motion).

The second area within form-making deals with dimensionality. Designers are increasingly

dealing with problem spaces that involves solutions ‘beyond the screen.’

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://www.phreesia.com/overview/ 42

Many digital experiences involve not only what happens on the screen, but also physical

hardware or the environment around the screen. Here’s an example of a check-in system for

doctor’s offices. The physical part of this is just as important as what’s on the screen.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-hololens/en-us 43

In virtual reality environments, interactions are completely three-dimensional.

Considerations have to be made about 3D form and movement in these worlds.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2461037,00.asp 44

And, similar to virtual reality, augmented reality, or projecting information on top of the real

world, involves a similar understanding of depth and motion.


Potential multi-dimensional skills Digital 3-D rendering Analog 3-D rendering (sculpture/set design) 3-D printing Motion design Animation Human factors/ergonomics

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To thrive in these environments, designers need to become versed in working within multiple

dimensions. Our days of designing for a relatively static and flat canvas are numbered.

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ApproachFORMForm

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On to ‘Approach.’ As I just showed, there are clear ways in which designers will have to evolve

as form makers (the forms they are making are evolving). However, there are also some ways

in which we will need to alter our approach.


APPROACH / ONE

Get comfortable with uncertainty.

Dealing with uncertainty is going to be a big one. Designers are finally becoming able to tap

into the natural flexibility of digital platforms. We are no longer tied down to one ‘perfect’

design solution. Design solutions could be tailored to each viewer depending on their context.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: https://www.affordablewebdesign.com/benefits-of-responsive-web-design/ 48

We see hints of this already with Responsive Web Design. In this environment, a layout is

customized based on the physical size of the screen that is displaying it. You can easily

extrapolate this to involve more advanced design elements and contexts.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://s3.amazonaws.com/digitaltrends-uploads-prod/2013/03/google-now-screenshots2.jpg 49

Google Now does this to some degree as well. The app/phone is context aware (location/

time/etc) and predicts what widgets you see first based on that context. You see only the

information that is relevant at just the right time.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: Brad Frost; http://atomicdesign.bradfrost.com/chapter-2/ 50

To design in this world, we need to get better with design systems instead of a design

solution. Atomic Design provides a good starting point to create a design system. With this

approach, we can determine rules for when content gets formatted in specific ways.


Potential uncertainty-management skills Understand big data Responsive/Adaptive design Systems-level design

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The uncertainty of dynamic environments seems overwhelming because we seemingly

lose control over our designs. But it can introduce much better solutions once we learn to

navigate its complexity. We may eventually be able to customize a design for every person!


APPROACH / TWO

Become familiar with the ethics of privacy.

As technology become more pervasive (and it will whether we like it or not), designers really

need to focus on privacy as a design element.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: Nest 53

As the voice of the user, designers need to understand when to emphasize (or de-emphasize)

privacy within our products. We need to advocate for the user whenever possible. The

ramifications of pervasive technology can be great.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://www.theverge.com/2016/5/18/11688376/google-home-speaker-announced-virtual-assistant-io-2016 54

We are quickly approaching a time when most of the things around us are listening to us or

watching us all the time. This can facilitate great interaction but can also be scary for some

users and detrimental if in the wrong hands.


Potential privacy-focused competencies Understand how private data is collected Advocate for user privacy Enable users to control privacy settings

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Students should spend time thinking about and discussing the implications of privacy.


APPROACH / THREE

Appreciate the importance of the experience as part of someone’s life.

As digital technology continues to become deeply embedded into our lives, designers need

to consider how to leverage it in truly meaningful ways. Digital experiences are quickly

broadening beyond basic software that we use to check the weather or send pictures.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: Nest 57

We are quickly approaching a time when we can use technology to enhance our lives like

never before. Consider the importance of products like Owlet that unobtrusively monitor a

baby’s vital signs while they sleep.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://synapse.koreamed.org/DOIx.php?id=10.5051/jpis.2015.45.1.1 58

80% of medical data in hospitals will soon be obtained using wearable device. “Health Technology in Perspective” by Tae-Il Kim

Or that, in the near-future a lot of medical data is going to be collected by products we wear

all the time. These are serious experiences that the very real consequences.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: http://guardianlv.com/2014/06/google-glass-used-during-surgery/ 59

Think about the very real improvements that augmented reality (via future products in the

vein of Google Glass) can have for factory machinists or surgeons. Seeing real-time analysis

of activity could dramatically enhance their performance.

\ GanciNuts+Bolts Source: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/miscellaneous/cb12-134.html 60

56.7 million Americans have a disability.*

That’s nearly 20% of the population. *Number from 2010 census

Technology also enables us to augment the lives of persons with disabilities in new, exciting

ways. As a field, we do a really bad job of designing towards people with disabilities.


Potential value-recognition competencies Evaluative research strategies Transdisciplinary Collaboration Psychology Empathy Modesty Craft

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Designing digital experiences should no longer defined by simply making an app, website,

or eMagazine. As designers, we need to consider the awesome potential that these tools

facilitate and think about how design and technology, together, can make a real difference.


The [Digital] Designer of 2020 needs to be able to…

1. Demonstrate a robust knowledge of technology that can enhance or enable digital experiences.

2. Solve communication problems with a wide range of visual and non-visual elements.

3. Work and prototype comfortably in 2-D, 3-D, and 4-D environments.

4. Create designs that are able respond to specific contexts.

5. Manage issues of privacy and recognize its relevance in distinct contexts.

6. Discuss the importance of digital experiences in people’s lives.

7. Seek challenging design problems that can radically change someone’s life.

So, to summarize, I have converted these areas of focus into tangible learning outcomes

that we start using in our courses. While these are very domain-specific (meaning digital), I

submit that they would be useful additions Designer of 2015 moving forward.


Thank you Aaron Ganci Assistant Professor of VCD / Herron School of Art and Design, IUPUI

@amganci / [email protected]

ganci.co/nutsbolts

I hope that, by surfacing the conversation now, we can be a leading voice in the creation of

next-generation digital experiences.