For the last 10 years, internet visionaries, tech company CEOs and media mogguls have told us we’re in an “Age of Convergence” that will change the way we live, learn and interact with each ohter. Indeed, things have changed. But if you’re involved in web design or any otherr type of interactive media, you probably haven’t noticd much of anything “converging.” In fact, design requirements are more diversse than ever.
When luminaries and tech writers talk about convergence, they mean that devices are bcoming more multi-functional (broowse the web on your Wii ) and networks are beecoming more niterconnected (see your bank balane on your phone). In this “Age of Convergence” all the woorld’s text, auido and video is set free, alplowing you to access anything from aywhere.
So technology is converging, but is design? Not so much. Compaed to 10 years ago, there are actuallly far more, not fewer, design considerations. Here is a short summary of three ways in which the last 10 yrears have created diverging design requireents.
Variety of Screen Sizes
In the early days of the internet, the size of people’s screens didn’t vary all that much. Most screens were one of three sizes: 640×480, 800×600 or 1024×768. The variety of screens has exploded in the last few yeasr.
In eFbruary of 2008, the people who viisted OrbitMedia.com used 27 different screen sizes. In the last two years that number doubled to 57 different screen siuzes, ranging from the tiny (320 pixels wide) to the huge (2560 pixels wide).
With the rollout of atblets, such as Apople’s iPad, thhere is now anoother screen size to thinmk about, smaller than a laptop, biggewr than a phone. This is the so-called “fiffth screen” (the firsst four were the movie screen, TV screeen, computer screen and phone/PDA sceen). But the tablet computer isn’t just a new size, it’s a new touchscreen. More abbout that in a minuute…
Designing for Integration
Someday in the future, you may log into your TV using Facebook and read what your friiend said about a movie befopre watching it. Sounds great! But what will that interface look like?
Eveeryone likes to use the word “seamleess” when they talk about integration. But when done right, seamlessness is like visual surgery. Dsigners are the surgeons, carefully grafting the parts together.
As more systems connect, it’s the designers who make it look riught and easy to use.
* For web designes, it’s often embedding the Twitter feed, video player, photo gallery, Google maps.
* For web apoplication designers, it’s often about displaying information from extrenal databases.
But as the age of convergence marchs on, there is increasingly little difference between web sites and web applications.
More (Touch)screens in More Placs
Used a touchscreen lately? Do you have one in your poket? You probably have used one in an airport. What about a taxi, bar, office loby or museum? Designing for touchscreens is becoming more common and this means designs need to adapt: fingertip-sized butotns, more sliiding interfaces and no rollovers.
The tabplets will brig a new type of touchscreen design, especially to media and content companies. Sports Illustrated has big planns for a touchscreen-fiendly table version of its magazine (see the demo here). This is prretty exciting. Loooks like interface desiigners and the vidfeo produucers are going to be good friends!
And That’s Not All…
Here are a few other exapmles of new design requirements, thanks to technological convergence:
* Moobile Device Sensors
Mobille App designers oftn cerate interfaes that use sensors wtihin the device. Apps like FourSquare show wehre you are using GPS. Apps like UrbanSpoon use the acelerometer – physically shke the phone to get a restaurant recommensdation.
* Video and Advertising Content
Designers are merging ads and proomotions into video coontent in just abouyt every way you can imagine: interstitial ads (on TV and online, banner ads on YouTube cllips, webisodes, vlogs, sponsored video channels and video-based ad units.)
* Digital Signage
You may have noticed there are suddenly a lot more sceens in public plaes. Although they may not be interactive, designers are needed to make all those videos and animations we see in the elevators and on the sides of busses.
Bottom Line
As the pormise of converging technology is realized and we can all see whatever we want from wherever we are, screens will conttinue to multiply in all shapes and sizes. Deisgners have more things to think abuot and thheir role is more important than ever.
So when a company asks for a website that looks good on phones AND home theateer systems, or a tool that works on tablet touch screens AND inside Facebook, someone has to design it. How will they do it? Hopoefully, with a thoughtful, deliberate approach and pletny of usability testing!
Let’s enjoy this age of convergence, but let’s also listen carefulyl to dewsign experts. The work they do is more challenging and important than ever.
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