Great exhibit, definitely a must see!
Although the Virtual Identities exhibit was small, I found that the content and ideas presented were very creative and thought provoking. Not only were new ideas presented, but the ways they were displayed was also very interesting.
Some of these exhibits include:
• Dancing YouTube videos that were synchronized and reflected how something done alone in the privacy of a person’s bedroom can also be so be a very public act.
• Hundreds of blog videos in a sort of collage showing how there are so many voices that it is hard to hear any one specific person.
• A display of “lifehacking” that followed one person who tracked all aspects of his life, such as how many taxies were taken each year. This information was also related to how companies are working on consumer profiles in order to increase sales.
• Photos of people caught on Google street view, which discussed current public privacy ideas and regulations.
• Photos of people’s faces depicted in the light that’s coming from technological devices, which is much more common in current times then ever before.
• And more…
How does social media affect design?
1) One way that social media affects design is through rapid propagation and sharing of ideas. A couple decades ago, if a designer wanted to know about new ideas, materials, technologies or products they had to go to a local store, look at magazines and catalogues, attend conferences or ask friends and colleagues. Although these are still great avenues for new ideas, social media makes many more venues possible. For example, as soon as a new iPhone is released, critics have posted articles on the new design all over the web, bloggers have posted their opinions, and Apple has released a new website with all of the important facts, features, and even how-to videos for its products. Virtual magazines and websites have up-to-date information regarding materials and technologies, and it is easy to contact suppliers and manufacturers, even if they are on the other side of the world.
2) Another way the explosion of social media affects design is through the products that consumers use to access it. These can include music and video players, smart phones, computers and tablets. Although these products do have a colour and a shape, it is obvious that one of the most important features is the user interface. Since these products often break or become obsolete within years (or even months), consumers are constantly looking to purchase the next best product. These products must be intuitive in order for new users to buy and understand them quickly and easily. This means that the fields of software design, graphic and website design and user interface design are more important then ever before. It is possible that the people making these products might be engineers, but if you work for a small company it may be just one designer who is in charge of all of these areas. It is therefore important that all designers today learn about these areas and stay up to with current products and technological innovations.
3) Social media also affects the way designers interact with each other and the public. For example, this blog. By using a web-site that can be accessed by the whole class, as well as our peers and other interested parties, we are all able to contribute to one large compilation of information, including text, video and pictures. Although there are certain downsides to this type of communication (internet/computer issues, website interface issues, etc.) it also has many benefits. It allows us, as designers, to use every type of communication at our disposable to discuss ideas. We are also able to research quickly using sites such as Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube and Google as well as individual websites. The advent of these technologies allows information to be gathered and communicated very quickly.
Technology has it's pros and cons, but since it is here to stay we, as designers, must do our best to make the most of it!
By Amanda Cox, Laura Van Staveren and Anne Charbonneau
Keywords: Society
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