subject: The Implications Of Touch Screen Technology For Creative Interfacing [print this page] As we move forward into the 21st century it seems that technology is developing at a rate never seen before, with increasingly innovative products hitting the market ever more frequently. These technological advancements are already revolutionising the ways that we choose to socialise and how we conduct business, and are even effect the psychological development of younger generations, with an increasing number of children preferring interactive approaches to learning. In fact Dr Gary Small, author of iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind, suggests that the human brain is adapting at rate that they have not since man first began using tools.
When you consider the impact that digital technology is having on our world it seems strange to think that in the 1940s computers were so big and expensive to build that Thomas J Watson predicted there would only ever be a world wide market for as many as five computers. Nowadays it almost unusual to meet someone that doesnt come into contact with a computer on a regular basis, well at least in western society. Businesses that have failed to get on board with the digital revolution have simply been left behind, for instance Blockbusters, the Internet has certainly proved that it is the most versatile and economical tool for communication and exposure the world is yet to see.
The effects of new technology dont just stop here either, there are many innovative products being released that have furthered a variety of fields. For example the interactive whiteboard and student response systems have brought interactive learning approaches to the education sector, helping students to engage and therefore have a more meaningful learning experience, which is based on reasoning and logic rather simply call and response. We are also seeing an increasing number of different ways that people are interfacing with computers; these new techniques are quickly proving to have some significant implications for a number of creative avenues.
The touch screen has already been an inspiration to many artists and producers, allowing for a wider scale of performance type techniques to be implicated. Furthermore it has brought about a whole new sort of medium for games designers, allowing for a huge variety of games to be implemented. As computers become ever more heavily ingrained into our society it seems that these techniques for interfacing with them are going to become even more important. Even now it is essential for touch screens have serious implications for graphic designers as many people have an issue with drawing on one pad whilst looking at a separate screen.
