Many people complain that technology is isolating people from their fellow humans. I disagree. E-mail, cell phones, FedEx, Blackberries, and other systems are keeping people more in touch than ever. Indeed, many of us are expected to be “reachable” 24/7.
One of the themes of Design Life Now is how design brings people together, through technologies such as blogging (SpeakUp), public spaces such as libraries (OMA), software languages that are free and open source (Processing), furniture that encourages collaboration (Herman Miller), and publications that promote an inclusive, participatory, D.I.Y. design culture (ReadyMade and Make).
We’d like to hear how design and technology are affecting your social life. Compared to three years ago, do you have more more opportunities to interact with people (physically or virtually), or do you feel more isolated and cut off? Do you enjoy using public spaces to work or to meet people, or do you prefer to be at home or in another private space? What makes a public or private space amenable to collaboration and conversation?
