During my final year in college back in 2006, I remember one of my tutors speaking about the future evolution of design predicting that the trend would see design moving away from simply being for a predominantly print medium to mobile technology. At the time I probably just said something like “hmm” and shrugged my shoulders. I don’t remember thinking much of it because cell phones weren’t as widespread as they are today.
In recent years, people hardly go anywhere without their cell phones. If you look at candid pics of celebrities you would see their phones in their hand as they carry their babies, groceries, shopping bags or whatever.
At first a cell phone was something of convenience. When I attended my first College I’d just take it along with me just in case something happened along the road and that was basically all it was for me. Yea I sent a couple text messages and chatted to a couple people but that was about it! This was my first cell phone (figure 1.), I mean what else could I do with it besides throw it at an attacker if all else failed.
But over time cell phone companies developed their phones to be more than just convenient items but to be everything from entertainment to office assistant. At the moment my phone takes dictation, tracks my fitness, my spending, even my cycle. It’s become so much a part of my life, I almost immediately know when I am without it. I’m sure I am not the only person who is like this. Cell phones, or should I say Smartphones, of today are rather like pocket-sized companions. Why else would we shell out hundreds even thousands for them?
To be continued...
