Okay, so, “Design for Tomorrow,” right? Sounds fancy, but what does it even mean? I started digging into this whole thing, and man, it’s a rabbit hole. Basically, we’re living in this crazy connected world, and design, you know, the stuff we make and how we make it, it’s gotta keep up. It’s not just about making things look pretty anymore.
First, I did some reading on the internet. I found some stuff about this conference called ICoRD’21. I found it on the “Springer” site. Their whole theme was “Design for Tomorrow.” It was full of many big words, but I thought there might be some good stuff in it. It gave me some new ideas, it’s all about how everything is like, super linked together now, right? You got the internet, smartphones, smart homes… it’s all a big jumble.
So, I started sketching some ideas, real rough stuff. I was thinking, how can we make things that are not just cool now but also, like, good for the future? We can’t just keep making stuff that ends up in the trash, right? That’s bad, very bad. So I started with my design, we need to make things that can be fixed easily, or maybe use materials that don’t mess up the planet. A few years ago I designed a toy for children, and I used a plastic material. I’m ashamed of that now.
Then I got into this whole “cyber and physical” thing. I have to admit, it was a little hard to understand. It’s like, how do we mix the digital world with the real world? We got all these apps and gadgets, but they gotta work with real people, in real life. It’s not just about screens anymore. I started thinking about my grandma. She has a hard time with new technology, you know? So maybe we need to design things that are easier for older folks to use, too. The more I think about it, the more I feel that the most important thing is the people.
Next, I made some prototypes. My workplace was a mess. I was trying out different materials, playing with sensors, even wrote some code – and I’m not even a coder! It was a disaster, to be honest. I tried to make a lamp. I wanted it to be made of environmentally friendly materials. But things kept breaking, code wouldn’t work… I almost gave up a few times.
But I kept pushing. I talked to people, got feedback, made changes. It was slow, it was messy, but slowly, things started coming together. I realized it’s not just about me and my ideas. It’s about working with others, getting different perspectives. It’s not just about technology, it’s about people, and how we live, and how we want to live.
And you know what? I think I might be onto something. I’m not saying I’ve solved all the problems, not at all. But I’m starting to see how we can design things that are better, not just for us, but for the planet, for the future. It’s a long road, but hey, at least I’m walking it, right? In the end, I managed to make this lamp. It’s not perfect, but it works. And it got me thinking, maybe “Design for Tomorrow” isn’t just a fancy phrase. Maybe it’s something we can actually do, one messy step at a time.
Here are some bullet points of my takeaways:
- Think about the future, not just the now.
- Get your hands dirty, experiment, don’t be afraid to fail.
- Talk to people, listen to people, design for people.
- It’s a journey, not a destination. Just keep moving.
It’s all about people
In the end, I think that’s the core of “design for tomorrow.” We need to design for people. If we do that, the world will be a better place in the future.
