Reflective Exploration of Emerging Technologies

Reflective Exploration of Emerging Technologies

Photo by NASA / Unsplash

With easy access to the internet, social media and a variety of tools and devices digital design is easier and faster than ever, from ideation to creation. 

With the impact of current technology on education and creation—or better yet, on our world—I do not have an exact prediction of its power in the future. However, it has already completely transformed the possibilities in design.  In my journey as a graphic design learner, I’m eager to dive deeper into these technologies to expand my skills and push my creative boundaries, follow the emerging technology and grow my skills as the technology grows.  

-AI recently has been a revolutionary emergence in technology. It is accessible to assist us and help in many situations. Tools like Adobe, Figma, and Sketch have incorporated AI to automate tasks such as colour correction, layout adjustments, and even generating design assets. It helps designers become more efficient and focus more on strategic aspects, making repetitive tasks automated and completed faster.  AI can be used both as a research and design tool.

There has been concern among many designers about whether AI will take their jobs. However, I believe that it is not yet intelligent enough to do so, and it still requires human guidance. In my experience, it is important to know how to use words purposefully and carefully to get the best assistance from AI and use it as a powerful tool, both in research and design. 

-Data-driven design Data-driven design is also closely tied to technology. Data-driven design is the method of design decision-making based on existing data on user behaviour rather than individual intuition or personal preferences. It aims to create more relevant and tailored experiences for users based on data and focus more on functionality than aesthetics. Emerging technologies like AI play a big role in enhancing data-driven design. AI can analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and suggest improvements. This method makes it easier to create a design that is more personalized, efficient, and engaging for users.

-AR/Augmented Reality Another significant tool is augmented reality (AR). AR lets designers visualize and interact with their designs in real-world environments, even when they haven’t been made yet. Whether it’s placing an illustration on a wall, seeing a 3D object such as furniture or sculptures on a surface or how a logo will look on a product, AR is making the design process more immersive and intuitive. It also plays a big role in the gaming world.   

How can AR/Augmented Reality be incorporated into my past projects?

In one of my old projects, I created a watercolour palette as a physical sculpture for the university art building. I then used Photoshop to present a photo of the sculpture in use, but the result wasn't satisfying, especially because it wasn't a 3D model. If I had been introduced to AR at that time, I could have created a 3D model to better visualize how it would look in the space, without spending time, effort, and money on the sculpture, which I wasn’t sure about the outcomes of.

The image below is my experiment with Adobe Areo:

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