From automation to autonomy

Our relationship with technology is expanding.

We interact with digital objects that are less like passive, waiting to be used tools and more like networked, always-on, responsive entities that receive input from the world around them, not just from a single user. As a result, our relationship with them can no longer be fully understood through one-to-one functions of a tool.

We are no longer just using technology. We are living with technology!

Human expectations in the world mediated by technology are expanding!

Human goals of connected experiences are expanding beyond the narrow focus on optimizing isolated tasks into richer relations with intentions, values, and relations in social and material context of everyday situations.

Techno-social situation:

Techno-social situation is a space of human experience where technology starts to participate in the context of social relations beyond isolated tasks.

Techno-social situation is a strategic design perspective that focuses on human goals, values, intentions, and context as an active resource for designing and inviting moments of magic and purpose to everyday context.

Scope of experience design is expanding!

We need better relations with the world and with each other. Human life is more than tasks to be efficiently completed.

The old productivity and task-centric narrative that strives to optimize all aspects of our lives grossly reduce human nature, values, and aspirations. Task-centric narrative is losing its ability to inspire us, to inspire innovation, and new possibilities for the future.

Human curiosity and imagination are our most valuable assets that will come to play and help us unlock possibilities of our expanding relationship with technology.

Connected world is not just about making more technology “talk to each other.” Instead, the opportunity is about intentionally asking: what do we want these conversations to be about?

What if we design experiences for living with technology, not just for using it…