The future
Living in the Silicon Valley/Bay Area in California has leant me a backyard or a playground so to speak of all of the high tech companies and startups all around. The future of technology is so bright that there is always a lot to grasp and hold onto. As a designer, for web and print, it is very much important to keep up to do to what’s new so that you will not be left in the dark. For a while, I’ve been amazed by how much HTML5 can do with the help of JavaScript as well as new cutting edge technology that has practically make flash based websites completely wiped out. In terms of hardware, I’ve been fascinated with wearable technology just as the Google Glass or Apple’s watch. The fact that you can wear a computer, everywhere and anywhere you go makes technology become part of our daily lives.
What I expected to learn in MDD410 was new mediums and innovation for which I can apply to my own portfolio in terms of the progression of being a designer. There are basic fundamentals as individual, one must learn the basics from but I also wanted to learn something new and exciting enough to inspire myself so that I may one day create or be a part of to inspire others in return. The key as a designer is how to get your artistry to shine through, whether it be through a website or a piece of technology that can one day change the world.
What I learned in MDD410 was that there is a whole community of creative and technical individuals on Kickstarter that have taken the self-starter approach and by pass any venture capitals but straight to the heart of the public individuals who would one day fund them. The said community should be supported by like-minded individuals who crave for the next latest technology, not just to invest and be a part of, but also to obtain inspiration from. Seeing all of the successful campaigns out there like the RePhone Kit, where you can create a phone based upon your own individual needs ("RePhone Kit - World's First Open Source and Modular Phone by Seeed — Kickstarter," n.d.) really inspired myself a designer to create more designs that cater to a niche market and to grow my own business from there.
I’ve also learned how augmented reality is quite frankly now. With the emergence and success of headliners like the Google Glass, augmented reality can very much be apart of our daily lives. The fact that users can just use a piece of technology and place it against the backdrop of real life, one can experience a whole new way of seeing the world. It makes you not only appreciate what this current world can offer but also what technology can do to enhance the user to become more aware of data and information at the palm of their hands or computer. With that piece of knowledge, one can become more informative and more efficient.
What I found most interesting is that society, as a whole needs help from all sorts of sources to successfully product a product that will not only meet the demand from the public but also create positive return on investment. Countries like China, particularity Shenzhen, has now become the mecca if you will of factories and development of hardware that companies big and startups alike flock to, to solve their production model (Griffiths, 2015). We also have the emergence of robots and machinery like 3D printing that can help us produce things at a more rapid and accurate rate. Yet the key is that not one person or group of people can do it alone but to be open to outside help (within reason and legality), to help become a better entity, whatever that may be.
There needs to be a continuous flow of updated multimedia in the digital age that does not eliminate human interaction but enhances our existence in general. I’ve learned to support those who I’ve been inspired by and to keep creating my own designs and ways to communicate my thoughts and artistry into the world. When you surround yourselves with like-minded individuals, as well as keeping up to date with the latest technologies, you can truly call yourself a person of the digital age. There is no one way of doing things and that is why there is this massive space, particularly on the interwebs, that one can learn to appreciate and learn from one another.