Two short videos I watched recently got me thinking about design.

One was about the Robot Cafe, which uses semi-artificial intelligence to help severely disabled people find their sense of participation in society. Some may see it as a gimmick, a way to gain social attention. The key reason is that technology is now so advanced that we can design a cafe with full artificial intelligence, without human assistance. This includes taking orders, shipping coffee, and paying the cashier. Not only coffee shops but now the unmanned self-service store system is also very developed.

However, it is undeniable that, because of this design, the disabled people who have used it feel a sense of social existence and need by participating in the operation of the machine. Even more, disabled people have found jobs with the help of this design. So, it made me realize that not all design is about convenience and directness. In today’s highly developed science and technology, many jobs have been replaced by artificial intelligence. Should we rethink whether we design to replace people, or design to serve people?

Another video is about Tracy Ma, visual editor of the New York Times, talking about her recent design work. One of her designs that impressed me was a study of Trump’s speech. She chose the most representative of Trump — Twitter posts. She first experimented with traditional static posters and tried to make the elevation stand out and eye-catching.

Later, she tried and tried, eventually using code and digital technology to design an interactive web page that would keep popping up as the page scrolled down, just like Donald Trump tweeting like a bore.

I have to say, I love this design, it gives me a sense of interaction and communication with the designer, and this dynamic effect also makes the website more interesting.

Tracy Ma is not a web programmer, but she is willing to spend ten times more than usual to think about how to better represent her work. Even if it’s not her area of expertise. When she encountered difficulties, she also sought professional help to give her design better technical support.

Conclusion:

• The essence of design is to serve people and help people solve problems.
• Design is iterative development. We need to keep experimenting and thinking.
• Design is not only about visual effects, but also the support of digital technology.