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Has Technology Become Too Design Focused?

By Eric James


Certainly one of the defining aspects of developments in devices hasn't been manufacturing advances but style and design. Whilst anyone can argue that technology and design developments go hand in hand, it is also easy to see how design dominates customer habits. Still, this is not something new since industrial production allowed producers to offer cheaper products with the onus on design rather than functionality. Case in point, the paper clothing of the Sixties were very cheap and of a bad quality but for many fashionable consumers they were must have wardrobe items.

This process continues today. Cell phone manufacturers continually play with the dichotomy of functionality vs design. Lots of designers choose simple designs and rely instead on features. Others choose to feature less features but instead focus on the design, sometimes working with famous people.

With this attention given to design over functionality, it is easy to think of devices solely as design orientated yet it is also good to not forget that these products should have useful benefits as well. When picking a product there is always three elements that you have to weigh up - design, cost and features. Sometimes you may wish to spend more on features or design. Sometimes they are merged together. Apple's product ethos is a great example of design converging with technology.

If you always buy products based on their design then you should start to think about the functional factor too. While it may be tempting to purchase the coolest designed product, it might not be the most robust. You should really always look at the functions of the device and how you will be using it. There is no point getting a high-tech laptop if all you do is send emails or surf online.

So, when buying a new product, always think about how or why you need it. A good example is e-book readers, such as the Amazon Kindle. They have practical uses as well. For instance, many airlines now limit passengers to a single piece of luggage. An e-book reader is a lot smaller than the average book and you can take more books with you when you go on holiday.

Phones are a good example of improved technology functions. You may be able to use your cell phone for all your media needs. Many phones now feature large memories letting you save videos, pictures and music. Lots of phones now have digital cameras as well, meaning you don't have to buy a separate, expensive camera. The Internet is no different. Plenty of websites have been designed with functionality and usability as the focus. You can find sites that have been designed to allow you to plan your online time much better. They range from a bookmarks site, password keeper and personalized homepage.

A bookmarks manager will really save time and change your work process. Unfortunately, many of them have a functional design. It will be interesting to watch how they develop as more and more people expect advanced functionality that is shown in a well designed and aesthetic end product.




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