Just one of the defining factors of trends in devices has not been technological innovations but design. Although people can argue that technology and design improvements move in conjunction, it is equally simple to see just how design rules consumer habits. Still, this is not anything new since industrial production allowed manufacturers to offer cheap products with the bonus on design instead of functionality. For example, the paper clothing of the 1960s were really cheap and arguably of a poor quality yet for lots of fashion conscience consumers they were items you needed to have in your wardrobe. This process continues today. Mobile phone builders continually play with the dichotomy of functionality vs design. Many designers choose simple designs and instead rely on features. Lots of others choose to provide fewer features and instead focus on design, at times collaborating with celebrities.
With this focus on design over usability, it is easy to regard technology products as solely aesthetic yet it’s also important to remember that these products should have useful benefits. When picking a product to buy there tends to be three factors that you must think about – features, design and cost. At times you might want to spend more on design and at other times for features. Sometimes design and functionality are merged. Apple’s product design ethos is a good example of design meeting technology.
If you always buy products based on their look then you should really start to consider the functional factor as well. Although it is often be tempting to get the coolest designed product, it may not be the most robust. You should always look at the functionality of the device and how you will be using it. There is no point in getting a high-tech laptop if all you will be doing is sending emails with it or surfing the net.
Thus, whenever you are buying new products, you should always think about how you will use it or why you need it. One good example is e-book readers, such as the Amazon Kindle. These have practical uses as well. E.g., many airlines now limit flyers to a single piece of hand luggage. An e-book reader is a lot smaller than the average book and you are able to take a lot more books with you when you go on holiday.
Cell phones have greatly improved their technology features. You might be able to take your cell phone for all your entertainment needs. Many phones now have large memories allowing you to save videos, pictures and music. Lots of cell phones now have decent digital cameras too, meaning you don’t have to buy a separate, expensive camera. The Internet is not any different. Plenty of websites have been designed with functionality and usability in mind. You can now use sites which have been designed to allow you to manage your online time better. They span from a bookmarking service, password software and personalized homepage.
A bookmarks manager can really save you time and can transform the way you work. Unfortunately, many of them have a more functional style. It will be intriguing to see how they evolve as more of us come to expect functionality that is presented in a well designed and aesthetic end product.
This article has been written by the author, Craig. Should you require any moretechnologyplease visit his mobile phones resources!