Products Are People Too
Photograph from Jack Schulze’s South Bank series; it is repeated through the presentation.
[A little context: This is the closing keynote of reboot, delivered 2 June 2007. The theme of reboot 9.0 was ‘Human?’ and, as such, the topic of what it means to be human had been discussed several times over the conference.
[For physical context, the two days had been extremely hot, and the outdoor space glorious. The main hall was hot and somnolent (the blinds had been lowered to avoid sunshine on the screen). My slides didn’t help; bar the final slide, they’re all tinted orange to warm them and create a sunset atmosphere to bath in, like a miniature Weather Project. The final slide fades back the to the original colours, to wake and energise. This is my first time experimenting with colour in a presentation, to this extent, so it’s all a little speculative, but I hope it played a contributing role.
[Conceptually, this presentation sites alongside a number of others which explore Generation C, physical computing, and experience design. They share material and a foundation, but tell different stories. The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Interaction Design is about Generation C and experience design. From Pixels to Plastic continues the story into physical computing, products, and the business proposition behind them. ‘Products Are People Too’ turns very definitely to product and experience design, and puts this approach in the context of social software, adaptive design and emerging technology. It performs a kind of retrospective role for me, pinning my current ideas down in previous discussions.]
Hello. Thanks for coming inside, away from the sun.