So far I have encountered 4 distinct ages of MobCon user design.
The first age was that of the user interface designer (UI). Better known as the web designer. This was the design movement of the dot-com era. Populated by desktop publishers taking the next logical step towards ePublishing nirvana. Originally it was all grids, text, hyperlinks and 256 colors. Today it’s all grids, icons and buttons.
The second age was that of the user experience designer (UX). Better known as the interaction or game designer. This is the design movement that came out of the game consoles and the application software industry. This was the alternative design movement of the dot-com era that fueled the explosion in online games, virtual worlds, web-based services (SaaS), banking and commerce. Part engineering, part psychology, part play, part just simply watching what people do while watching the screen it lost touch with the simple joy and surprise of unexpected encounters with the new in a veritable maze of wire-frames and navigational charts.
The third age was that of user connectivity designer. This is the design movement that was fueled by the recognition that the internet brought another dimension to the user experience that of network connectivity or what we have come to call social. The focus here was on designing activities and experiences that invited people to share their online experiences with others. This movement has only just begun to explore the true potential of the social web.
The fourth age is that of the user mobility designer. As known as the augmented reality designer. This is the design movement that is fueled by the revelation that the mobile phone allows the designer to create experiences beyond the limitations of the interface locked into screen. This is a world of Google goggles, augmented reality, QR Codes, Bar Codes and cameras.
What will the next user design movement look like? Well we have already taken a look at the idea of a day made of glass. This short video provides us with an alternate vision of what the next user design movement will be exploring tomorrow. A 3-D world of virtual sensory manipulation.
Warning this one is in 3-D so you may need your 3-D Glasses to watch it.
Posted on August 14, 2011
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