02 DESIGN VISION

One year ago, my goal as a product designer is to:

Enhance user experience through interesting forms of physical interaction design, so as to build a stronger connection between user, product and the surrounding system.

The rapid progress of digital revolution brings the trend of dematerialization. It is used to describe the trend towards the replacement of more and more physical products with electronic information[9]. In this process, information and knowledge can flow more freely because they break through physical and spatial barriers. More and more electronic and intelligent products allow people to live efficiently, but sometimes it also speeds up the pace of life and makes them lose sight of the more experiential parts. While I was reflecting on the flaws of over intelligence and the trend of dematerialization, it has been a renaissance in the market for physical interactive products in rencent years[10]. Even though the series of actions that people go through when using traditional products are less efficient than with smart products, but people still prefer those retro things. The main reason is that the experience of this tangible interaction enhances the connection between the person and the product . Thus, I want to investigate as much as possible the relationship between the user and the product and the surrounding system, and by exploring different kinds of physical interaction, I want to design products with a warmth that enhances the connection between people and products. However, through the M2.1 project, I have been able to look deeper into both dematerialization and the physical world. This process helped me discover the advantages of combining electronic technology with physical features. The physical interaction provides a richer and more immersive experience for the user, while the streaming platform provides an easy and efficient way to access a large number of resources. In addition to this, I have also seen how Philips is using the IoT system to enhance the experience of their smart home products during my internship this semester. With Philips Smart Home, all smart domestic appliances can be managed and provide users with information on the dryness of the air, humidity, etc. in the smart home environment. But at the same time, they have not given up on physical interaction, and each product has gone through a rich iteration of physical buttons and product styling before being launched. From the user’s point of view, the physical form of interaction enhances their user experience, and the services offered by the IoT allow them to gain more awareness of their products and surroundings; from the company’s point of view, the involvement of IoT systems can also enhance the brand effect for promotion and brand relevance between products.

So in my future design direction, I hope to focus on how to solve problems through design in order to provide a better experience for users, and even create new products or systems that serve their higher needs and values. By providing people with products that are rich experience, I still want to use my design to strengthen the bond between people, products, and the surrounding system. In this process, I will no longer be constrained by the specific form of the product. The choice of the specific design form of the solution, whether it is a physical product, an electronic product, or a combination of the physical and electronic worlds, depends on the perspectives of multiple stakeholders, such as the user’s needs and the available business and technical resources.