Design theory: A world run with mere thoughts and simple gestures?

How will this impact design? If we no longer use the written word, will we have to change the way we think of design as a whole? If we advance to the point where we become connected to one another via neurological leaps in technology, will the written word fade from existence?

How will we design for a world where everyone is connected?

Design as it currently exists helps to connect people to one another and share our visions and dreams with others. If we no longer need the visual representations of communication, will we then no longer have a need for designers.

As a designer, this design theory both scares and excites me, think of the possibilities of a virtual world. Will designers become a hybrid of designer and programmer, instead of designing visual communication? Will we now become manipulators of the mind, creating neurological designs by stimulating the brain of the users?

This theory seems kind of out there, almost inhuman. Manipulating a person's mind is unethical yet it exists in today's world, advertisers manipulate users on a subconscious level, whether it be visual or verbal. Take the movie Total Recall, the main protagonist goes to a spa where he can have memories implanted, essentially experiencing any life he chooses to purchase.

In Ghost in the Shell, the director creates what he calls “Solograms”, virtual holograms. Is that a possible future in which designers will find themselves?

Hybrid designers - the meeting of design and programming (UI and UX)

It seems as though designers will have to become a hybrid of designers and programmer to remain relevant and capable in the future. UI and UX Designers are basically the first wave of this hybrid class, focusing on what is digitally possible and viable. Print designers and advertisers might well be the last of our kind, print is on its way out, and if the future of the “Sologram” plays out, there will be no more use for the printed medium.

One last thought, if we become a virtual society, connected to a global network, there might very well not be a need for designers at all. Programs will be created with algorithms, mathematical equations. The design will essentially be created by the user's mind, design manipulation might even become illegal and a black market commodity, used as a drug.

The future puts the user in control of the user experience (UX)

Designers could become the “drug dealers” of the future by providing a user with the experience of having their virtual world manipulated. Creativity is something unique, what if we as a society build a collective creative mind, everyone has some form of creativity.

The possibilities of the future are endless if we keep an open, positive mind. Design is evolving at an ever growing rate, with the onset of VR, the virtual plain becomes an ever growing possibility. As long as people have a need to communicate and connect, there will always be a need for design solutions.

If you want to advance with the times and ensure your company’s vision and brand evolves with the times, why not book a consultation with MO Agency and let us offer you the most innovative and creative design solutions.