Design Futures

I love this inspiring quote:  https://www.facebook.com/nancy.jim.18/posts/10153179147163803

So I have not long come back from a meeting with my daughter's teachers. She has not been happy and has had problems on-and-off with one girl in particular; a troubled girl who has been projecting her own unhappiness onto Cady. A recent spout in school had continued on iMessage as soon as the girls returned home. Texts in angry CAPS, back and forth. It got so heated and personal that Cady came to me in tears and I was made aware of the situation. I eventually rang the girl's mother; a warm, lovely and hardworking professional. She in turn rang the school to inform them of some concerning issues with the use of social media and text messaging. I hasten to add that our daughters are 9 years old. Yes I am responsible for giving my daughter access to the iPad. I tried to delay it for as long as possible but the majority of peers in her class had their own and I was repeatedly hounded. Initially she used it for games as I refused her an Instagram account until again, peer pressu...

Why am I here? My brain hurts, I feel bruised and completely self-doubting my intentions. The Viva did not go well today. I was triangulated by three critics who ripped my research topic to pieces. I need to theorise the subject better. To them I sounded like a raving hippy activist. I'm feeling deflated. Perhaps that is all I am and I shall carry on with what I do in front of the computer all day; lost in the virtual world and in the real one completely cynical with all faith lost in humanity. To be honest I hadn't prepared well for the presentation, working on it till 2am the night before. Just juggling work, worrying about finances and being a parent is hard. Free time was a limited before so where on earth did I think I was going to get any time to do this Masters?  Reading and further reading for this course, and then theorising it into something tangible is near impossible because of time restraints. Then there are the money restraints. Being self-employed comes wit...

Hyper-technology continues to accelerate our pace of living. Mobile phones in particular have become an extension of modern man, an all-in-one cybernetic device embodying our lives and needs. However this technology fed by consumerism and culture, is increasingly disconnecting and de-humanising society. Nuanced values and individualism are diminishing, leading to a dystopian existence. Change is necessary at a time of ecological and social crisis. But is it realistic to defuture a society that has become so reliant and attached to their portable device; a technology that on the one hand connects us instantaneously to the virtual world but on the other isolates us from the real one? I'm a self-employed Web/User Interface designer. My work includes designing websites, user interfaces for apps and portals, as well as developing them to realisation. I also consult customers with SEO & Best Practice to boost sales and conversions. Having been in the industry for 18 years, I've s...