The people vs the machines

No, it’s not a law suit – it’s a screen grab I found on my phone.

In response to a friendly ‘how’s it going?’ txt from me, my friend went on a mini-rant about how he’d been battleing various graphics programs all day. He’s not alone – is there anyone on this planet involved in the creative disciplines who doesn’t spend a good chunk of their time yelling at the computer?

Why??
It doesn’t have to be this way, people!

So this got me thinking. In 2010 I completed an honours year, the underlying topic of which was ‘user frustration with technology’. I did a whole bunch of research to do with why people get pissed off with their technology, as opposed to say, their home, their natural environment, or their (other) technological environment that doesn’t piss them off. I’ll post up the project in the next little while (as the outcome travelled down a tangent that isn’t relevant to this post so much) but the basic principle is an interesting one to think about.

I mean, if we designed our technology, then why didn’t we design it to make us feel good about it?
Talk about Maltheist God complex.

Enter Interaction Design, the discipline that, in my view, is trying to undo all the shitty tech design of the past and make us more friendly with the machines that we designed ourselves. Makes sense really.

So, what does this have to do with me, and with you, oh faithful internet readers? Not a lot for the moment, but this is a heads-up. The tech world is changing. I’ll be working towards nice, lovely, HCI over my career, because there’s just no point putting up with it any longer. And I’m not alone. You can help! Question your interfaces, rebel against super-complex systems, and if you’re so inclined, corner an IT guy at your next BBQ and stick it to the man (or machine…)!