Task 5: Video Reflections (David Kelly)

In this video David Kelly seeks to address the way design has shifted towards a more 'human centered' focus over the last few years. Whereas designers would create something with human interaction in mind; they did not necessarily work with people to understand what they really wanted or needed. As such, designers have now realised that if they reach out to their target market before a new design is unleashed, the public my respond in a more responsive manner.

Not only this however; as designs are also becoming more 'user-friendly' (in a rudimentary sense) in that designers are putting out items and objects that can be easily and efficiently interacted with. Designers have realised that as the world is becoming more modern and tech-savvy, people are starting to take things like a manual for granted, instead they want objects that need little to no instructions and are inherently easy to use. They also want objects and designs that interact with them on a more personal level (the Dilbert office cubicle being a prime example) so that they don't feel detached from the object they are interacting with. This is a far cry from the 'aesthetically pleasing' way of thinking that used to be the norm, where the designers automatically assumed that if the product looked good, then it would fly off the shelves.

Whether this video has changed my way of thinking is questionable, as design (in my mind) has always been about the way a human interacts with an object. If the consumer does not inherently feel something when purchasing a product, why then would the product be bought? If a design can continue giving the same feeling or emotion every time it is used or looked at, it becomes something more valuable in the eyes of the user.