Processes and change
The design of products and experiences is closely connected to the processes underlying user-product interaction, which in turn are influenced by ongoing social and technological changes. In this section, we will explore the relationship between the evolution of products and changes to the nature of the user experience they engender.
The world transitioned rapidly from the industrial age to the information age. Today, many products and services are digital and data driven, as is the manufacturing of most physical products. Slow and linear human-controlled processes have been replaced by real-time, parallel, computer-controlled processes. Some of the trends that have emerged are as follows:
- Highly personalized products, which are tailored to the preferences of each individual customer and are manufactured on-demand by robots and 3D printers, are sun-setting mass-production of impersonal cookie-cutter products.
- From industrial machines to cars and home appliances, electro...
