DESIGN Sector: Trends and weak signals analysis

Transcription

1 DESIGN Sector: Trends and weak signals analysis Excerpt from D4.1: Report on Weak Signals Collection The CRe-AM project consortium is composed of: SURREY University of Surrey United Kingdom MENON Reseau Menon E.E.I.G. Belgium BCC Black Cube Collective United Kingdom NCSR National Center For Scientific Research "Demokritos" Greece LMU London Metropolitan University United Kingdom IMT Institut Mines-Telecom France FLUX Fluxguide Ausstellungssysteme Og Austria Sigma Sigma Orionis France Lattanzio Lattanzio Learning SPA Italy HOPE Liverpool Hope University United Kingdom Uliv The University Of Liverpool United Kingdom IMA imaginary Italy ELIG Linkspace Management Services Gesellschaft MBH Austria Contact information Website: Copyright Copyright The CRe-AM Consortium This project has received funding from the European Union s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement n

2 Design Sector: Strong and Weak Signals Collection This report is based on the data collected during the events, interviews and research in the design sector. The definition of the strong and weak signals is based on the interpretation of this data and this report will interpret these signals on a micro, meso, and macro scale. Cree-AM events and interviews: Design events o 13 participants in Vienna, Austria (28 March 2014); and o 17 participants in Vienna, Austria (13 May 2014). Interviews with experts o 4 interviews with design experts from France and the United Kingdom. Desk research: Detecting signals with keyword density analyzer on the following types of pages (list provided below): o Press articles; o Specialized magazines; and o Influential blogs. Analyzing the signals: o General analysis of signals with Google trends; and o Specific Twitter analysis of signals with Topsy. The signals collection contains all the signals collected through CRe-AM events and interviews as well as Internet and desk-based analysis. Strong and Weak Signals: Design Sector Strong signals (Trends) User-Orientation User oriented and user generated content Green projects Interaction Multi-touch-screens/walls Google Glass and other upcoming Wearables Prototyping High-quality 3D printing affordable to all professionals 360 o scan of objects Weak Signals (Emerging Issues) User-Orientation New forms of technology and design transforming public art spaces such as galleries, museums, and archives into collaborative, user-oriented spaces Public environments for individual and artistic expressions Interaction Brain interface (commands given through electroencephalography) Prototyping Creation software that will enable users to preview the project according to the paper/material/texture used for the final

3 Entire shape design, styling and surfacing workflow tools like CATIA Big office printer brands enabling use of pantone-colour cartridges. Connection Virtual immersion systems like CAVE, Oculus Rift, immersive screens, interaction systems (Kinect, joysticks, Flysticks), driving simulator, and augmented reality Greater ease of access to new tools, materials and industry information Better and faster ubiquitous internet connection with highspeed upload and download Robotics version as well as its resistance under different circumstances Screens better adapted to the final look of the project Connection Systems enabling collaboration at a distance in virtual immersion Scale Analysis: Design Sector The interpretation of these signals and their impact on a micro, meso and macro level are presented in the following table. Sources include all the sources for the signal collection. Weak signal Micro level Meso level Macro level Collaborative and useroriented spaces Software and screens enabling better projection of final product/work Collaborative work helps foster a sense of ownership for the user. User oriented spaces provide customer-tailored services. Designers can spend less time anticipating what the final result will look like and clients are given a reliable representation of the Such spaces contribute to improve the brand image, bringing consumers and corporations closer together. Expensive products that could only be purchased by big organizations. Collaborative spaces help create user communities who can publicly voice their needs and aspirations in a single voice. The innovation shifts from emanating from professionals to emanating from individuals. A State subsidy could be possible given the great opportunity this would be interactive

4 final product before it is produced. museum exhibitions, a sector in great development. Strong signal Micro level Meso level Macro level Better Internet connection Designers can make more intricate websites that require a faster connection. 3D could be used to better reflect clients brand image and better involve the customer browsing the website. Less face-to-face (stores, customer service, etc.) interactions between consumers and corporations or institutions. Building a better network on a national, European and global scale. Building partnerships with Internet service providers abroad to offer affordable connections worldwide. Easy access to new tools, materials and information (from the industry) Designers' projects can be more original and better adapted to their use. More collaboration required from individuals, designers, and technology providers (festivals, conferences, etc.). A better collaboration on a national, European or international level between representative s of the different design sectors and technology providers. Green projects Relatively high maintenance and expensive projects for clients. Client makes an informed decision and is more involved in the design of the project. Users are proud to adopt green projects and represent great ambassadors of such projects amongst their peers. Limiting global warming. Fostering a greater sense of responsibility in each citizen when it comes to the action that can be taken to help the environment. User oriented and user generated content Unique experience for each user who will develop a greater appreciation and ultimately loyalty towards the brand. Data collection by organizations in order to offer user oriented content (extra costs). Shift from organization/d esigner generated content to usergenerated content: IP issues. Multi-touch- Consumer interacts Intuitive and playful Great demand

5 screens/walls 3D printer Wearables (e.g. Google Glasses) Virtual immersion (CAVE, Oculus Rift, immersive screens, interaction systems (Kinect, joysticks, Flysticks), driving simulator, augmented reality) with screen or wall and becomes more involved in the activity. Designers do not have to make prototypes and can work directly from their computers/tablets/etc. Cost reduction for prototype making. Clients have a better idea of the final look of the product. Innovative way for the consumer to interact with the brand. E-textiles offer new opportunities for innovative fashion designers. Designers are given the opportunity to better represent their client's image by offering a complete immersion in their world. Great involvement of users. Some negative side effects like nausea still need to be countered. interaction that can involve new users: children and seniors. Individuals are empowered to make projects on their own. Some specialists in model making are disappearing while some professionals can now afford to hire designers with 3D printers. User-oriented services thanks to the data collected leading to a better appreciation by the individual user of the brand. Two-speed industries: those who can afford such technologies and designer services and those who cannot. Exclusion of seniors who are not reassured by the use of complicated gadgets. for interactive museum exhibitions and designers envision using these screens and walls for schools. IP rights issues for some reproductions made without authorization. Consumers are continuously connected to the virtual world and will tend to disconnect from the real one. Individual experience. Surveillance issues. Virtual immersion will replace some activities that used to be lead in a community. Some are studying the possibility of connecting with one another while in virtual immersion. 360 scan Designers can scan products and modify them on tablets without working on a prototype. Available for mainstream use: contribute to user generated content and innovation shift Combined with 3D printing, 360 scanning presents counterfeiting

6 Robotics Pantone-color cartridges for basic printers Users can explore the range of possibilities offered by the product. Designers can offer dynamic products for their clients. Some repetitive tasks can be accomplished through robotics and no longer by users. Cost reduction for most graphic design work. from professionals to individuals. Expensive systems that can only be offered for high end, high value added products and services. Professional printer intermediary is no longer necessary risks and authorization issues (for 360 scanning of people). Delegating tasks to robots leading to human dependency and possibly replacement for certain activities. International pantone cartridge standard required. Creative Functions Technology Clustering: Design Sector Technology Sensors Wearables Design Activity/Function CRE PROD/PUB PRES TRADE/DIS E-textiles; New realm for UX and brand design & feedback offered by Google glass uptake Implantables Smart devices Multi-touch screen/walls 3D printing Combing 360 scanning and printing for better prototyping; Artificial Intelligence Robotics Automation of routine, repetitive tasks Modeling Software and 360 Green project applications of smart production devices & materials Shift of production control to designers and/or endusers Greater use of robotics in production Multi-touch screen/walls; Green project applications IP issues in reproduction

7 screens enabling better projection of final product; Virtual immersion, immersive screens, interaction systems (Kinect) scanning; Cloud Data & Big Data Networks/ Mobile Networks Augmented & Virtual Reality HMI Software Other Better and faster ubiquitous internet connection; highspeed upload and download Product/project visualization applications of CAVE, Oculus Rift, Kinect, joysticks, Flysticks), driving simulator, & AR Electroencephalo graphy: design tool applications; Greater ease of access to new tools, materials and industry information; Technology supporting interdisciplinary collaboration for green projects Increase of usergenerated & useroriented content and application to new types of products and services Demand for ubiquitous internet to improve customer experience User-experience applications of AR for built environments Electroencephalo graphy: user experience applications Technology enabling users to shape and interact with their environments, & do this collaboratively Ubiquitous internet furthers online movement of dissemination Discussion The weak signals identified for the design sector cluster around four issues: prototyping, collaborative user-oriented public art spaces, virtual collaborative environments, and new ways of interacting with environments and products, such as electroencephalographic commands. Generally, the weak signal of various improved prototyping capabilities are one that seems very likely grow into a strong signal. 3D printing is now clearly a strong rather

8 than weak signal, especially for the design sector where the prototyping abilities of this technology are obvious. But other weak signals such as better adapted screens and the desire to preview creations according to the paper/material/texture used for the final version as well as its resistance under different circumstances provide compelling directions for potential innovation. Electroencephalography stands out among this weak signals collection as the most likely to foretell a wildcard. It is difficult to imagine that a technology enabling telekinetic-style interaction would not be a disruptive innovation in ways reaching far beyond its impact on the design sector. As for the strong signals, we see many of the popular innovations mentioned across the other sectors here. Multi-touch screens, 360 degree scan, and prototyping applications of virtual immersion seem like solid strong signals here. Google glass in particular may be noisy, but wearable and clothing integrated technology generally is a solid strong signal for the design sector. The results of the strong and weak signals collection are also interesting to consider in light of the wide-ranging nature of fields and products falling within the scope of design activities. As the Helsinki Design Lab (2013) have pointed out, the scope of designers influence has expanded and evolved tremendously over the past three centuries. Initially focused on textile and ceramic patterns, the designers became instrumental in the definition of products in the era of mass production. The design sector then grew to focus on brands in the 1930s, national identities in the 1950s, services and interactions in the 2000s, and is now coming to focus on systems and strategies (Helsinki Design Lab, 2013). The majority of design sector signals seemed to focus more on the creation process itself (prototyping, collaborating) than on how products themselves such as kitchen appliances and websites might be revolutionized by new technologies. The most visions for the objects of design seem to focus around new ways of interacting with the co-creation of environments/public spaces, and new ways of interacting with ones environment and others in it such as electroencephalography. These weak signals may indicate the coming of a new phase in the focus of the design sector towards user-experience design that extends beyond single physical sites or web sites, and is also about encouraging people to take a larger role creating and interacting with their environments. Conclusion The collection of strong and weak signals demonstrates how positive designers feel about the future of ICT for their practice. Designers envisage technologies that will enable them to provide better products and services for their clients and to develop a better collaboration with them. Future technologies like 3D printing or better projection of final products will enable designers to save time and money in the conceptualization phase of their projects. Designers hope that ICT can make user-experience as individualized and as customdesigned as possible, ideally enabling the user to take part in the design process. These unique experiences can result from more immersive technologies and from the use of adapted and intuitive technologies, which users can easily handle. The collected signals raised issues concerning international standards, IP laws and personal data collection. These concerns reflect a need for adapted and harmonious international regulations for the emerging ICT. Finally, designers would like to take part in stronger networks, which include both designers and ICT experts. Key recommended directions for future research and innovation include electroencephalography and enhanced prototyping technologies.