I believe technology will play an even bigger role in the future than it does now, which isn’t a weird thing to say when looking at history. I worry however in what shape technology will play a role in our lives. A lot of products with technology of late aren’t designed to get the user to a better version of themselves. Instead, they even sometimes do the opposite by hijacking your time and using clever psychology to do so. YouTube Shorts, TikTok, the news getting more dramatized, and games becoming more addictive with loot boxes for example, I think are all examples of this trend.
We as designers can make a difference by making alternatives that are fun and challenging just like the other products but give the user a sense of self-worth and stimulate the user to be a better version of him or herself. Furthermore, we as designers should promote a healthy balance between short-term and long-term gratification. I think a lot of people have become more focused on short-term gratification and a short attention span through products like those mentioned before.
I believe in balance. Too little of something can be bad just like too much of something can be. I think this balance is almost present in all things, to put it otherwise I haven’t found much where this is not the case. I am and strive to be critical but at the right moments and not too much. What the right moment is never truly clear, but I tried to by asking myself the questions like: “Can this critique be acted on?”.
I am people pleaser and sensitive person; this makes me a great teammate. I easily relate to team members, and I tend to be an adhesive factor in the team. But sometimes this is also hard for me when I must be decisive. My ability to relate also helps me better to understand the user. I can focus quickly and deeply; this makes me very good at thinking things through and allows me to excel in MDC. But makes me susceptible to getting stuck on ideas or going too far, this is where the balance comes in. I strive to maintain my focus, but I also strive to balance my focus.
I am a thinker but strive to be more of a tinkerer. I think deeply about things, and I like being philosophical. Often through this thinking, I get inspiration and solutions but sometimes it slows me down. Therefore, I also strive to be more of a tinkerer, to just do instead of think. Yet again both are useful, therefore I want to strive towards a balance between the two. My experience of working at ABN AMRO as a developer for a year thought me so much, I now know I want to work in a small company because the politics of a big company bore and frustrate me. It taught me I needed more than some IT skills to develop something truly helpful and purposeful. This sparked my interest in design from a fire to a big bonfire.