Wilson Miner – When We Build
This week we were instructed by our lecturer to watch a talk and reflect on what we watched. The talk in question was delivered by Wilson Miner, who’s a designer and web developer and is responsible for leading the first redesign to Apple.com. The main theme throughout the talk seemed to be how we as humans have the capacity to build tools and then shape our lives and environment around those tools. Whither that be the TV, computers, or phones, they’ve had major impacts on how we live and feel, as well as how we respond to different things. I will admit that some of the things he mentioned and discussed went right over my head, and I started to get confused. But I do think I did get the general gist of what he was getting at, thanks to a quote he provided at the start and end of the talk. The quote came from Marshall Mcluann, a philosopher and college professor, who rose to prominence in the 60’s and 70’s. The quote itself “We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.” Describes how the tools we make have a greater impact on society and the way we live, than we may initially realise. So, therefore we as interaction designers have a responsibility to make sure or creations have a truly positive impact onto the world, as when we are all gone our creations will be what is left of us. Another quote Miner showcased of McLuhan’s is “Medium is the message” meaning that the medium that delivers messages to us is of more significance and importance than the message its displays and delivers. In other words, the fact that a person owns a T.V. to view information is far more important than anything that can be watched on it. Showcasing how our inventions have reinterpreted and reconstructed our way of living and how we function as a society due to their impact. At the end of the presentation, Miner states “This is a great job”, wrapping up that his job as an interaction designer is of so much more importance than a person would initially think. That we are able to exercise our creativity, while also having the power to touch and effect people’s lives in a way that could possibly last forever.
Link to Wilson Miner – When we build: