‘When we Build’
Wilson Miner 2011
Wilson Miner, a designer and a web developer, ventured into the depths of web design with a discussion called “When We Build.” With not a lot of context to Miner, his discussion starts off with building a rapport with his audience and this is achieved through his Melo and comfortable tone. Through this tone it appeals to me to what he needs to say. Miner’s anecdote about his father’s passion for vintage cars, of whom Miner shared, gives an insight to myself about how we all have something that we invest our time to similar to his dad. As Miner put it “they are symbols of ourselves,” they represent us. They reflect what we want and hope.
“We shape our tools, and therefore our tools shape us.”
Marshall McLuhan- Understanding Media: The Extension of Man 1964
This quote from Marshall McLuhan has such an encouraging tone, it shows that Whatever way you choose to create the tools that are needed, it is these tools that we are still learning and developing from. These tools we create give us a sense of continuous learning for the future; or ideas are endless with these tools that will continuously learn to shape us.
With the history of how so much of what we create has been amplified such as: television, books and down to our own skin it amazes me with how much the human mind has been able to create. In this discussion we are shown that the invention of a bike that elevated us with transport and movement is the equivalent to the invention of the computer for the mind. The computer in my opinion is considered the most important message we have today.
The Elevation of the Computer and Technology.
Looking through the steps that took to what we know as the computer today, I truly feel that everything I own that possesses a screen, I completely take for granted as it is something that so much detail went into but to myself I would consider so minuscule. From the past to the future; computers to screens,It is clear to see that much of what we predict in films will enter our lives in some stage. Miner Hints that this is the direction we are heading to as a society. Technology advancing was also something I used to fear as it always mean’t change and change is what scared myself.Watching those films made me feel that the advance in screens would disassociate from what human identity is however, through time, it is designers such as Wilson Miner that stride to better what we already have and to ease the fear many of us including myself for the future.
“The only intuitive interface is the nipple. After that it is all learned.”
By Bruce Ediger
This humourous statement gives a nod to our infancy as it is a funny and interesting way of highlighting how we learn everything we approach besides the form of breastfeeding. With learning, Miner points out how the element of simplicity is an easier way of our mind to adapt and learn. By highlighting this Miner uses the instructions of a magazine and his friends inability to cook; showing us a sense of humour throughout this discussion. Linking this back to the quote from Marshall McLuhan, it really is the more we learn, the more we will Adapt and prepare ourselves for the future as everything develops and most things we do create have a short life expectancy.
Coming to a close with this discussion, Miner’s conclusion is very inspiring to the audience as it provides a hope to upcoming designers that there is so much more to be explored and more for us to be educated by compared to designers in our past. What I found most comforting is that Miner Highlights that we might not leave an impacting design footprint, but we will leave our occupied space that will remain when time passes on. When we build, we are leaving what we created to later in time be amplified and adapted.
The link to When we build 2011:https://vimeo.com/34017777