In this week’s reading, the idea for designers to prioritise aesthetics, cooperation, and diversity while developing assistive technologies struck a chord among the masses and have spread to a much wider scope. However, it has come with its own challenges of universality, fashion and so on.
A major core of the reading is focussed on designing for desire as long as utility is not comprimised. Hearing aids and prostheses have long been useful yet stigmatised owing to their utilitarian look. The author pushes for a more elegant design which devlops a sense of pride in its owner. Today, this wearable gadgets, for example, blur the barrier between function and fashion, with smartwatches serving as both style statements and health monitors. Similarly, minimalist gadgets like as folding keyboards and elegant standing workstations demonstrate how simplicity combined with beauty appeals to a wider audience.
Another good example is with prosthetic arms. One of the major reasons wearable prosthetic arms tend to be more expensive is because of the presence of quieter motors so that the wearer can not disturb the environment too much and draw attention to their impairment.
The theme of the reading, simply put, is that designers and users co-create products with the engineers (or people who figure out the science stuff). Once a radical idea, it is now standard in product development. His main argument that users should be active participants in shaping their tools finds echoes in today’s participatory design movements. Major brands regularly involve user feedback loops, whether through beta testing, user-generated content, surveys or iterative prototyping sessions.
That is why as engineers or Interactive Media students, we should think holistically about design – balancing aesthetics, accessibility, and functionality while keeping users at the center. This prevents long-term losses, maintains brand value, encourages innovation and open roads for other types of inventions.