Human-Centric Design & Social Responsibility
WHEN APPLE MOVES AN INCH, THE WORLD STANDS STILL AND WATCHES.
As one of the most innovative and coveted companies in the world, their products have fundamentally changed the way we interact with one another today, and for generations to come.
Last week, rumours hit the internet that Apple expressed interest in designing a “smart ring”. As a patent request leaked along with some rough design sketches, Business Insider flatteringly compared the design to VINAYA's very own Altruis ring. Of course, this caught our attention.
THE DIFFUSED VERSION OF THE APPLE WATCH
In their patent request, the tech giant explicates the “need” to fulfil a more efficient way to use a touchscreen. “There is a need for electronic devices with faster, more efficient methods and interfaces for interacting and/or controlling external electronic devices”, the official patent request reads. In many ways, they describe a diffused version of the Apple Watch – a tiny computer the size of a jewel that keeps us even more connected, even more distracted.
As a group of forward-thinking product designers, engineers, scientists, and creatives, we admire the ingenuity and human-focused design that Apple has brought to the world. But we also recognise that such ingenuity is only valuable in so far it elevates our potential as humans. In our modern, hyper-connected world, we are also aware of the cost that comes with our global technology obsessions.
IN FACT, THIS IS WHAT DRIVES US. IT IS AT THE CENTRE OF EVERYDAY DECISION WE MAKE.
We’re inspired by understanding how modern connectivity impacts our quality of life from a scientific and philosophical vantage point. We’re well aware of the cognitive consequences of our always-on digital lives, and how difficult it is to escape the habitual lapses of our attention-economy.
When we read cutting edge research that shows empathy in young adults has been decaying since the turn of the century, or that children and adults alike are losing the ability to talk to one another, or even be alone with their thoughts, we hear it loud and clear. We’ve learned that productivity levels are declining, and that our attention-economy and screen-obsessed lives are fraught with depression, stress, and a lack of compassion. We’re examining how society’s use of technology is challenging our ability to have real conversation and look each other in the eye. We all know, in our hearts, that this isn’t the way forward. You only need to look up, and take a look around.
BUT WE ARE OPTIMISTS
We believe in innovation with purpose, design with social responsibility. And by cross-pollinating our ideas and abilities as a relatively small, multi-disciplined startup, we believe in creating new beginnings. Perhaps it’s the same kind of idealism that Steve Jobs’ himself instilled in us – a need for thinking differently.
And we’re only just beginning...
