The digital revolution,
the single greatest step forward that the human race has ever done.
1911 - 1980
Marshall Mcluhan said in the 60's before technology took over that "We shaped our tools and then our tools shaped us" which relates to now and the fact we are dependent on technology. He predicted that if technology kept progressing at the rate it was, there would become a global village starting to develop. He believed that to fully grasp the impact of new technology, one must examine figure and ground together.
When you think about how right his predictions were, it is easy to say that where we are now will not be the end point.
1990 The macbook classic, brought about individuality, people could design their own typefaces much like people had done previously in the form of woodblock. Then just 20 years after this the fist ever iPad as released, which allowed people to create notes and work whenever and wherever with just the touch of their finger.
The new aesthetic
grown out of the process of using digital media in design production. Also know as the digital aesthetic which at first was based on the appearance of digital clocks and the way the numbers look on it and the common colours used such as black with bright blue/ green letters.
Now digital aesthetic is about making something look as real as possible, such as green screening the real world into background of animated films and making the characters look as true to life as possible so that they appear to be in the real world.
For example Paddington bear, he was originally a cuddly toy that could be handled and was physical which is very nostalgic, he is now digital and cannot be touch which is innovative.
Digital aesthetic, something that shapes the way companies design new things such as Dior's virtual reality. Things that were once only seen in sci-fi films are now available to own in real life, such as the google eye which is similar to the system in iron man's suit.
The way we start to envisage our future is shaped by the technology we have today. Yet new technologies still run along side old ones for example the invention of digital clocks didn't see analog clocks go out of fashion. Visually analog clocks show you that it will be 9:00 in ten minutes which people find easier to read where as digital clocks tell you it is 8:50 therefore you have to do the maths and work out how long it is until 9:00. Analog clocks make us more aware of time, they show us the history and the future of our time.
Speedometers in cars are usually analog as they give you a better perception of time, when you see a dial that says you are doing 50MPH you can visibly see you are closer to 60MPH than you are to the average of 30MPH.
Robots mechanical looking and are usually made to look like a vintage child's toy. However when you look at how they are used in film at TV this is completely different. Take the cybermen for example. They were made to be scary, they were based on a corrupt adaptation of the human race. The same goes for robots such as the terminator who is essentially a weapon and is again a scary figure. This contrasts with the use of robots such as C3P0 in star wars who is a service robot, who is there to do the things that you don't want to do.
This is not too dissimilar from the robots we are trying to create today.
The film 2001: a space odyssey predicts the future as something pure, minimalistic and white. Everything is in order and is organised. This is the opposite to the predictions in the film blade runner where super humans are read and created for a purpose, however they only have a 4 year life span so that they cannot take over the human race. The past is something destroyed and has been consumed in order to get us where we are today.
The matrix trilogy shows a mechanical aesthetic, super computers create normality where as human intervention creates hyperreality.
The digital revolution has well and truly settled in and will continue increasing at a rapid rate, the biggest threat to us is cyber threat.
Today we are retracting back to analog technology and this is becoming a nostalgic experience, reverting back to old fashioned designs. The things we trust and believe in.
The information age
> Audience driven
> Engaging with mobile technology
> Accessibility to information
> New technology has reduced cost of distribution, things are now made digitally for free using computer and are then put online for people to see.
> The same goes for film making which can easily be put on youtube and shared.
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