In Licklider’s essay, he used the example of fig trees and the insect Blastophaga grossorun to explain the concept of symbiosis. In his article, he says that “The tree and the insect are thus heavily interdependent: the tree cannot reproduce without the insect; the insect cannot eat without the tree; together, they constitute not only a viable but a productive and thriving partnership.” After...
IBM’s inventions and achievements are far ahead of their time. The products they created led to the emergence and advancement of a number of products. IBM has indelibly influenced the American workforce. Although the computer invented by Douglas and his team was large and had many shortcomings, it was indeed a reflection of the progress of the times. After a series of reorganizations, IBM...
Man-Computer Symbiosis Take a look at the image directly above these words. What kinds of feelings does it rouse up in you? Comfort? Curiosity? Uncertainty? Dread? Either way, you’ve likely seen something like this before; it’s an example of what a symbiotic relationship might look like between a person and a machine. It may also look like this: Neo awakens from his pod in The Matrix...
The early computers created were revolutionary to the working world. Even though their size was unmatched compared to what we have today, the ability to be able to punch cards and automation was profound to the working world. Even the development of typewriters and what was processed into an automatic typewriting machine was a major advancement. The prototype that emerged from Doug Englebart and...
In addition to building a computer and using it only to solve problems, there was an emerging prediction among early Internet pioneers that we can cooperate in various ways with the computers themselves. J.C.R Licklider put down some thoughts about what he referred to as man-computer symbiosis. He talks about how man-computer symbiosis is an expected development in cooperative interaction between...
Douglas Engelbart During the 1950s and 1960,s the few computers that actually existed mainly were built for the purpose of mathematical calculations, but nowadays, we use computers in all aspects of our lives – not just as a tool for solving complex mathematic problems, but for entertainment, education, communication, and so on. The year 1968 marked the change in computing history when the...
I think mid-Century designers are very different from current designers, because there are many, many convenient and practical designs in modern times, and most of today’s designers focus more on innovative designs and aesthetics. But mid-century designers not only wanted to design appearance and beauty, they considered more about how to make users comfortable and convenient to use. The...
As a designer, a broad way of thinking is necessary, and we should not limit ourselves to a single field of design. And I think as an interaction designer, all the methods around us are worth exploring. We can examine whether the product’s user experience is good from the standpoint of the designer, and we can change the product from the perspective of the product designer, etc. The great...
Design is everywhere. Beyond interfaces, design is in every aspect of our lives, from the things we use, the environment we are in, the food we eat, and even our relationship with people. As designers, our responsibility exceeds far beyond making things functional and aesthetically pleasing, we must also consider how our design impacts other aspects of the world, which is why it is super valuable...
Mid-century designers are pivotal pieces for interactive design and designers in general. The principles they created then are being used in my classes now. Like the Eames making sure to have fun in their construction of chairs, through the process though they would try, fail and repeat this process. Iterating forms over and over. Gerstner and his use of grids are used from higher fidelity...
fitting the Machine to the Man An anthropometric graphic from Niels Diffrient’s book Humanscale What do you think of when you hear the term human-centered? It’s not the first time you’ve heard it. Out of ten LinkedIn profiles, it’s bound to pop up more than once—perhaps even alongside other tired words like empathy and detail-oriented. It paints a pretty picture, sure...
From my perspective, we can learn a lot of useful things from these multidisciplinary mid-century designers. They are exposed to many different fields and disciplines and have a wide range of mindsets. Their different professional knowledge together influences their designs. As a young generation of designers, we should try to contact and learn different disciplines and fields, and use what we...
I can learn a lot from the designers who were multi-disciplined. Their ability to be able to not limit their expertise to not just a single area allowing their knowledge and experience to affect all areas of design is very inspiring. I really do believe that a designer’s eye is not limited to just one area, we do train our eyes to become more experienced in specific fields we enjoy, but it...
Mid-Century Modern is the term that broadly describes the dominant style of architecture, interior design, product design, and graphic design during the mid-20th century. Like their European peers, U.S. designers of the mid-20th century emphasized clean lines, simple forms, and functionality in their works. Such minimalistic and organic style is appreciated even decades later; the mid-century...
For designers, it’s easy to forget how important it is to apply Ram’s ten principles to work. No matter what role you play in any design field, you will affect this world, and it may not always be positive. I’ve learned it doesn’t take a radical life-changing design to be relevant, innovative, and long-lasting. For Charles and Ray Eames, simple products like plywood would...