Design, at its heart, should be about making things better. Whether aesthetically or experientially, the craft should operate as a seamless bridge between a product’s function and the person operating it.
The thing is, I’m just not sure that’s the case any longer.
Over the past few years, it seems that design has become less user focused, concentrating far more on keeping us addicted and hooked, rather than actually improving our lives.
I wanted to find out if this was true, or if I’m spouting nonsense. To dig deeper, I spoke with Ti Chang, the VP of Design at Crave, a luxury sex toy company. I mean, what could be better than talking with someone who makes a product that’s so utterly committed to user experience?
I put the question straight to Chang: does she think design is less user focused?
“It’s not that simple,” she told me. Instead, Chang thinks the industry has shifted and now it’s focused more on user experience.
The difference is designers create a type of experience and incentivize certain types of behavior.
Take social media apps for instance. Here, the focus is on making the experience addictive, rather than the user’s wellbeing. And is indicative of the shift that has undertaken big tech design.