What are we hopeful for? What are we worried about?
Design is a tool, used to solve problems and improve lives. Design can also lead to unintended consequences where users could become frustrated, exploited or harmed.
We negotiate between what we hope will happen and what we worry will happen.
Social media was meant to connect people and improve our relationships with one another. Now we see these sites as breeding grounds for misinformation, polarization and mental health issues. Hope turned into unintended consequences.
We used to worry about getting lost while driving through unfamiliar areas before GPS became widely available. Now we can trust that we'll find where we need to get to without asking strangers for directions.
Electric cars reduce carbon emissions which is balanced by battery production concerns and materials being ethically sourced. Smart home devices make for useful kitchen timers and music players, but what are giant tech companies doing with our data? And of course, the million hopes and worries surrounding generative AI.
We play with fire when we collaborate in what could be our own corruption. But if there's any chance that a piece of technology could be useful to anyone, it will be explored.
Because something good might come of it, too.
